Ryan Lochte

These people are athletes, not role models, but since NBC has to sell advertising, the media gets on the bandwagon and venerates these people so out of touch with reality, having pursued their sport doggedly for their entire lives, we're led to believe they're better than us.

But they're not.

Come on, who doesn't expect there's a camera everywhere these days?

Crimes of passion may continue to exist, but petty theft, minor infractions, they're going by the wayside because we've got videotape, everywhere. So, if you lie about your exploits, beware.

Of course, we've lost a lot of privacy along the way, and that's lamentable, but this is the world we live in, one in which a certain segment of the public believes it's above the law, good work Rio cops on holding these frat boys accountable.

Now it's different with musicians. Musicians have something to say, assuming they're writing their own material, which too few successful ones are these days, so when your favorite singer opines about something else, we listen, because they've earned our trust and attention.

However, the adoration and the degradation of celebrities clash online. Some need to believe, so they police every comment to see if their heroes are torn down. Others denigrate heroes willy-nilly. Meanwhile, the owners of this country, the people who really run it, are behaving heinously, and if you even get wind of this you wonder...why should I be playing by the rules?

Put Philippe Dauman on TMZ. One of the highest paid CEOs in the world who decimated the company during his reign, not only putting Viacom in the dumper but plotting to sell half of Paramount to make the stock climb. And then, when caught in a noose of his own device, he wouldn't let go, he sued to keep his job and ultimately was paid the budget of a medium-sized city to go away.

What's happening here? Was it always this bad or did we just never know?

There's a lot of sunshine shone on bad behavior online. It's indiscriminate and barely lasts but I've got to give Donald Trump credit for one thing, he blew a giant hole in the politically correct speech construct of this nation. Now you can say whatever you want, taboo is out the window, and although Trump might be taking this too far, at least the public world is starting to resemble the real world, one where expletives are employed and people get high and make mistakes...

But somehow the rich and famous rarely pay for them. They apologize and go to rehab and are washed of their sins as if they put themselves in the washing machine and exited after the spin cycle. Where's responsibility, where's a sense of shame?

Bode Miller makes less than bright comments, fails to medal and he's a jerk. Ryan Lochte performs in the pool, busts up a bathroom, lies about it, defaming a whole country, but we give him a pass.

I believe in paying for your sins. Acknowledging your mistakes and then correcting course.

So why doesn't Philippe Dauman give his payoff to charity?

Why isn't there a story about Tom Freston, who was replaced by Dauman after he refused to lie about projections. It's a public company folks, but you can't speak the truth, you've got to underpromise and overdeliver, like Steve Jobs and Les Moonves.

But we put everybody on a pedestal who wins. Not caring if they put their thumb on the scale or they're jerks truly unworthy of our attention.

Ryan Lochte should be banished from the discussion. He should go home sans endorsements and work at the 7/11, he should fade away and not radiate.

Michael Phelps smokes dope and is a pariah.

But he wins more gold and is a god?

I've been whiplashed by a media with no conscience. I just want someone to believe in. But it looks like it's only me.

We're all bozos on this bus. You think you're inferior to the rich and famous, but they've just gotten more publicity.

Ignore the shenanigans.


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