Visual Rhetoric: Michael Phelps Picture

The controversial picture that was recently released of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps apparently smoking pot out of a bong caused a lot of stir. There were many opinions heard, both good and bad, that made valid points. Some of the positive outlooks from this picture include the fact that Phelps smoked a little weed and was still able to win 14 gold medals in the Olympic Games. This helps out other athletes who have gotten caught with marijuana because it proves to the public that pro athletes can smoke pot and still be successful. It also changes the image of the typical "pothead" because it is obvious that not all pot smokers are lazy. Michael Phelps apparently trains 10 months out of the year and sacrifices his body to show patriotism and give the people of our country something to look forward to. In my opinion, this picture shows that Phelps isn’t actually a freak of nature and he isn't perfect. He is just a normal 23-year old guy who makes mistakes just like the rest of us. When I looked at the picture initially, I thought that it could have been another guy who resembled Michael Phelps from the side who might just be pretending to smoke a bong. I think it took a lot of courage for Phelps to admit to the truth and take responsibility for his actions instead of denying it. There were also many negative aspects about the photo which included bad press for the U.S. and the Olympic swim team that he was involved with. Phelps' persona was also looked at in a new way because he was once considered a role model to children, as many professional athletes are. The picture came as a shock for people across the world because competitive athletes aren't supposed to smoke pot. Unfortunately for Phelps, he was dropped from some of his sponsors since pot is illegal and smoking it is generally frowned upon by most. He probably lost fans and publicity because this picture was not the first time Phelps was caught doing something wrong (he had a previous DUI charge). In his defense, Michael Phelps never had a choice of whether or not he wanted to be a role model for children. Even though he was stupid enough to let this picture be taken, I doubt he wanted anyone to see it. If this were to happen to any other young man, it would be forgotten within 24 hours, but Phelps has to live with this for the rest of his life.