Who Cares?

Uber-Olympian Michael Phelps has been pictured in a British tabloid, taking what could only be described as an experienced bong-hit from a device that supposedly contained the Evil Reefer, quaintly referenced as cannabis in the tabloid.

British tabloids are known for gross overreactions to events; Phelps has owned up to this incident, as found here:

“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old, and despite the successes I have had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner that people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public — it will not happen again.”

Who cares? Why is there a certain class of people who are persistently elevated to some status where they are almost required to live in a Ward and June Cleaver fantasyland, doing no wrong, while the rest of the world is nasty and brutish? Who made the USOC some kind of guardians of images and values? To Michael, I’d say people’s expectations are irrelevant; it’s your life, and your choices. Cannabis smoking is probably the least of the so what? things you could have done.

I’d also bet Michael knows how to run TurboTax, unlike some Cabinet officials.

-k-