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Friday, February 6, 2009

This Week on Drugs

Posted by Dominic Holden on Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 7:30 PM

This Week on Drugs has a strict policy: No sports stars caught with pot. They plea, they grovel, the game goes on, and there are no consequences. Take Santonio Holmes. He was caught with pot last fall, but then he apologized, he caught the winning Super Bowl pass, and, voila, redemption and riches. But this week—as if you hadn’t heard—a photograph exploded of Michael Phelps taking a bong hit. And it's news! Big news. Because he’s really, really famous. And, unlike most sports stars caught with pot, he’s white. And there’s a lot of money riding on his sloppy smile. This time, getting caught with pot, despite apologies, has consequences. So this week on drugs, we make an exception.

c8f3/1233976709-michaelphelpskelloggscornflakes.jpgPhelps—we learned almost immediately—is not a dignified, steadfast Atlas; he’s a sniveling, groveling tool. Quicker than he could do the butterfly across a pond, he apologized to the world for taking that bong hit, saying, “I engaged in behaviour which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment.” But what he was really saying is that losing corporate sponsorships would be "regrettable." Losing that money would be "regrettable." But he ain’t sorry that he smoked pot. If smoking pot made him sorry, he would have realized it—and stopped—before he graduated from taking little puffs like a novice pot smoker to huffing Olympic-sized glass bongs at parties. Nobody starts out ripping giant bong loads. He’s a pot smoker. He’s not sorry; he’s sorry he got caught. He’s sorry he would lose a breakfast-cereal sponsorship. Corn Flake, indeed.

He’s also not sorry about the impression this leaves on fans. The USA Swimming team said people had looked up to him, “especially young athletes who have their own aspirations and dreams." Here’s the implication the swimming team makes and Phelps's apology upholds: If you smoke pot, you can’t grow up to be a great athlete, star, success, etc. Well—lo and fucking behold—you can. Phelps proved it. Almost. But he apologized and ruined any dignity he had left. He’s banned from swimming for three months. He lost his Kellogg’s contract for $1 million. He lost his Subway sponsorship.

Now, pot activists are boycotting Kellogg’s to support Phelps. But I’m not. I’m gonna stuff my face this weekend with Frosted Flakes. And I'd rather boycott anything that uses Phelps’s cowardly mug to sell its product. About one-third of the country has smoked pot, and those stoners who act like it's a sin are part of the reason we're so reluctant to fix pot laws that waste of money, distract police resources, and put ordinary folks in jail. More people should come forward like many of these 35 celebrities who smoke pot. We don’t need to invigorate the plights of sniveling-spineless-coward pot smokers. We’ve got enough already, thanks.

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Comments (48) RSS

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1
Dawn Wells!?? Doug Benson?! A bunch of rappers? Arthouse film actors?
Posted by Wow. I'm convinced... on February 6, 2009 at 7:50 PM
2
Okay, @1) These pot-smoking layabouts are also out of the closet: Barack Obama, Carl Sagan, Michael Bloomberg, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Rick Steves, Jennifer Aniston, Steve Martin, Stephen King, Montel Williams, Peter Lewis, and almost every musician and actor on earth.
Posted by Dominic Holden on February 6, 2009 at 8:18 PM
3
Maybe Phelps can get back on the Kellogg payroll if he also agrees to wear an "Ex-Masturbator" t-shirt at all public appearances.

That would make the ghost of batshitcrazy J.H. Kellogg very, very happy...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Harvey…
Posted by rob on February 6, 2009 at 8:18 PM
4
well at least he isn't gay like Australian Gold medalist Mathhew Mitcham.

If he was then he wouldn't even have any sponsorships to worry about losing.

Mitcham won the only Men's Diving gold medal not won by a Chinese team member and he has not gotten a single cent of sponsorship money.
Posted by Malcolm in Sydney on February 6, 2009 at 8:29 PM
5
I have never read a crazy pothead post on this site that hasn't had me thankful that I'm not a crazy pothead.

This would be another one.
Posted by whatevernevermind on February 6, 2009 at 8:43 PM
6
I blame the photographer...
Posted by Rhett Oracle on February 6, 2009 at 8:46 PM
7
Cowardly? Lets see you get caught engaging in a criminal activity while at the height of your career, and face either losing the passion of your life, or the respect of some fucking pot heads.
Get over it. It's not just about the money, it's about him wanting to still swim and not become the poster boy for marijuana legalization. You'd do the same.
Posted by lethimswim,jesus on February 6, 2009 at 8:48 PM
8
Wow. His apology seems reasonable to me. As much as you want him to sacrifice his endorsements and all to become a spokesman for pot, it doesn't make sense. Marijuana is illegal. Should it be? Probably not, but it is. When he signed all those endorsement deals, he also spoke, at great length, about being a great role model for kids, and breaking the law is not being a great role model, and he got caught doing it. Lots of legal things aren't being a good role model, either. I think asking somebody to not smoke pot, or more broadly, not to get caught breaking the law, is a reasonable stipulation (and a reasonable sacrifice) in a contract worth millions of dollars. Oh, and preemptively, pot, unlike some bad laws, is not a human rights issue, so stop the analogy before you write it.
Posted by MR. Language Person on February 6, 2009 at 8:53 PM
9
Dear Michael Phelps,

Please sacrifice millions of dollars in endorsements that most likely your whole family is counting on so that we pot smokers of the world can feel better. Lose your endorsements, and be vilified by a far larger media presence than either slog or high times can muster, so that once in awhile someone will yell out "good job", while your toiling away at Walmart, stocking toilet paper and mopping floors.
Posted by Hal on February 6, 2009 at 9:01 PM
10
Really Dominic? I don't think Phelps is a groveling coward. If someone offered me millions of dollars to give a public apology for smoking pot, I would. And you know what? I'd be laughing my ass off when I used a benjamin to light my next blunt.
Posted by Sweets on February 6, 2009 at 9:01 PM
11
Drugs are what fund the 1,000,000 are in violent gangs in America.

Every time a well heeled SLOG reader lights up, another life is snuffed out in Rainier Valley.
Posted by Hugs Not Drugs on February 6, 2009 at 9:18 PM
12
Wake me when it's time to start caring about what Michael Phelps does in his private (not!) life. He swam his ass off so Amurricans could be proud - he deserves a joint if anyone does! The same judgmental crowd dissing Michael might be the same judgmental crowd peeved that President Obama has failed to address their own private Idahos during his first 17 days in office.
Posted by Whiny, whinier, whiniest... on February 6, 2009 at 9:31 PM
13
“I engaged in behaviour which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment.”

I liked his apology, given the circumstances. Because you are right, the bad judgment was not smoking pot, but getting caught on camera with 3 foot bong.

If he decided to become a pot crusader, I'd be behind him 100%. But, he's got a lot to lose right now. Plus, he's young. Give him a few years, Dominic. Let him play out his endorsements and retire at age 30. Then maybe he'll be another Woody Harrelson.
Posted by Mahtli69 on February 6, 2009 at 10:07 PM
14
I respect his choice not to be a martyr for this cause. Leave the poor kid alone. He's getting it from every angle.
Posted by pffft on February 6, 2009 at 10:15 PM
15
Hugs@11: Criminalizing normal behavior drives up the price, and the gangs are just following the money. Just like prohibition in the 1920s. Is this REALLY that hard to understand?
Posted by Karlheinz Arschbomber on February 6, 2009 at 10:44 PM
16
#11. Why do you think drugs like prescription opiates and benzos don't fund street crime? Because they're legal. Prescription opiates kill more people in King County from their effects than all the murders or deaths from other drugs in King County, yet because it's legal, it rarely causes violent crime. Marijuana causes zero deaths, and if it were legal, any associated crime problems would go away too.
Posted by prog on February 6, 2009 at 10:54 PM
17
No one cares!
Posted by bored with stoners on February 6, 2009 at 10:59 PM
18
15 and 16
so are you insisting that the needs of drug users trump the needs of the innocent people who are harmed by the drug wars? yeah sure, the criminalization of drugs is evil. but until drugs are legalized, the truth is that the demand for drugs kills people. just take a look at what our need for a high is doing to Mexico.
i'm sure all those people dissolved in vats of acid and all those corpses dropped on roadsides "deserved" it.
or think about what it has done in California (and elsewhere)- thousands of acres have been deforested and polluted so Phelps and co can take their bong hits.

I think pot itself is nice. It should be legal. But until we get off our asses and make the guvment legalize this stuff, the cliche is true - every hit kills someone, hurts someone.
Posted by onion on February 6, 2009 at 11:15 PM
19
Dominic- We get it, already: You are a drug addict. How about you stop breaking the law and stop bitching about the 'man', tool.
Posted by god, you are a tool Dominic on February 6, 2009 at 11:25 PM
20
@18

Buy local! Hell, grow it yourself.
Posted by Amnt on February 6, 2009 at 11:25 PM
21
@20 Yup, and just think of the government revenue if it were decriminalized according to a scheme that basically rewards small local farmers with a few plants but throws the drug lords in jail. I've got it all worked out.

As for Phelps, millions of dollars are on the line. I would probably make that dickish little apology for the money, and anyone who says they wouldn't has been smoking too much. "No way man, I'm not going to apologize just to keep my Speedo contract." Bullshit. Of course you would. So I wish Phelps every success in his continuing sports career, as well as awesome bong tokes, and hope he becomes a marijuana activist when he retires.
Posted by Heretic on February 7, 2009 at 1:08 AM
22
well i can see why all the "pot is a gateway drug" paranoids would not want to let the cat out of the bag that, yes, you can, in fact, lead a productive and successful life and still be a pot smoker but this is ridiculous! what if he were spotted taking a shot or drinking a beer underage? not nearly the consequences he's suffering now for this also illegal thing. it's a fucking travesty the way he's being attacked from all sides.

just as an aside:

did you guys ever play the telephone game when you were kids, you know, to see the way a story gets distorted the more times it gets told? how's this for funny ... when i went to pick my kids up from school today i heard this little guy (1st grader, maybe) say to his mom: "did you hear about michael phelps? he was caught smoking in a drug store." HAHHAHAHAHAHAAA!!
Posted by go, michael! on February 7, 2009 at 1:39 AM
23
SLOG potheads kill the children of the ghetto.
Posted by Lib Guilt on February 7, 2009 at 2:17 AM
24
@19 & 23: I'll be sober in the morning, but you'll always be morons.
Posted by W.C. Fields Forever on February 7, 2009 at 2:23 AM
25
Dominic, you are an asshole. If you're serious about phelps, then you are a super asshole. His current and potential sponsors aren't going to accept him saying nothing. He has to play by their rules so that they'll give him millions of dollars. I guarantee you would do the same.
asshole.
Posted by chilla flavor on February 7, 2009 at 3:32 AM
26
when did slog get filled up with these reactionaries?
Posted by Max Solomon @ home on February 7, 2009 at 5:43 AM
27
What happened to Charles Muhdik and all his retarded Marxism-n-Tits posts? Did we hound him out of town yet? I sure hope so. Maybe we will hit the jackpot and he will go back to live in the dirty toilet bowl of TNB that is Zimbabwe.
Posted by Whurr Duh Wite Wimminz At? on February 7, 2009 at 7:41 AM
28
Very nice 27, great post. I can't believe you are so creative and funny at 7:41 am.

I'm surprised there are people who honestly believe weed spurs violent crime. Weed is a correlation, not a causation. Legalization is the only way to regulate a highly demanded natural substance. Just ignoring the high demand and easily-created (try it sometime, easy as pie) supply through prohibition doesn't work...that is the point of the argument. Legalize it.
Posted by Sorry Kelloggs, I'm Kashi's Bitch on February 7, 2009 at 8:06 AM
29
@28 - #27 is funny because it is true!
Posted by and you know it too on February 7, 2009 at 8:18 AM
30
I don't smoke myself, but if you want to, I say knock yourself out. I've tried it, didn't do much for me.

Legalize it or don't, doesn't matter to me...although I do see the logic behind the argument for legalizing and taxing it.
Posted by Not_A_Weedman on February 7, 2009 at 8:36 AM
31
@14, getting it from every angle? Dude, you get a picture of THAT and I'll bet Kelloggs goes fucking Defcon 1...
Posted by Jubilation T. Cornball on February 7, 2009 at 8:44 AM
32
Wow, things must be really slow over at Sound Politics this morning - Welcome, Right-wing Nutjobs!

I might be the only one around here who hasn't missed the irony in the fact that a multi-national corporation that pushes processed foods laden with sodium, hydrogenated vegetable oils and high-fructose corn syrup -substances proven to have disastrous health effects on Teh Youth Of Amurka - is suddenly running around like a chicken with its head cut off over a photo of an Olympic athlete huffing ganga. I guess I'd be a lot more sympathetic to their "concern" if the company in question perhaps took a moment to reflect on its own egregious behavior in pursuit of the almighty dollar.

And let's not kid ourselves here; this is precisely what all this non-controversy is all about. It's not about Phelps losing an endorsement contract - that's already happened, as Kellogg's has issued a statement to that effect - so, at least so far as they're concerned his apology is moot. What they're really afraid of is losing tens of millions of dollars in revenue because of the rather remote possibility that a bunch of suburban housewives will stop buying their product for their little Johnnys and Suzies because a POT SMOKING GOLD-MEDAL WINNING OLYMPIC ATHLETE is on the box.

Right. Like mom, who probably spends a good portion of her busy day washing down Vicodins with a piquant California Cabernet really gives a shit. She doesn't. In fact, the only people who DO are the same gaggle of religious do-gooders that call for a national boycott of some company whenever it deviates a fraction of a point from their already anorexically narrow moral code.

As for Phelps himself, well, yeah it would be great if he had the guts to be able to stand up and say, "I won EIGHT FUCKING OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS, bee-yotches! AND I smoke pot! Fuck you and your hypocritical sanctimony", but clearly thats not going to happen because, apparently everyone agrees that whoring yourself out to a corporation that sells sugar-laden swill, turning Americas children into obese, lethargic diabetics is morally defensible, while taking a toke or two on your own damn time isnt.
More...
Posted by COMTE on February 7, 2009 at 9:34 AM
33
The only thing regrettable is that some asshole took pictures of him smoking a bong. Definitely not cool.
Posted by Catman on February 7, 2009 at 9:53 AM
34
Yup Phelps is a moral coward and so are Obama Bush and every politician who did pot, or coke, and sits there happy to let hundreds of thousands of other people rot in jail for the same "offenses." The media is complicit -- this means you, Slog -- because the media does not (a) ask them what drugs they did then demand to know (b) why they are in favor of them holding office having done drugs whilst keeping others rotting in jail for having done drugs? Seriously this should be part of every endorsement questionaire at every level.

And to be fair, we are all complicit because we don't demand change on this enough, and most of us, too, don't come forward and say hey yeah I smoke pot and it helps me write sofwtware programs if you want to know the truth.

This whole issue is just another one where the left is cowed and submissive and doesn't have the balls to take on the right. Everyone saying "well you wouldn't speak out either!" is just subscribing to the philosphy of life that can be summed up in one word:

pussy.
Posted by PC(JStewartsaiditsoit'snotsexisttosayitokay?) on February 7, 2009 at 9:58 AM
35
stoners are lazy losers with no motivation right. haha this is great. the greatest athlete in olympic history tokes up. how can anybody judge him for smoking weed. it should be legal, apparently his lungs are fine, and he works at his craft harder than maybe anyone ever, 4 years till the next olympics. give him a break.
Posted by remy on February 7, 2009 at 10:03 AM
36
Phelps is smarter than Holden.

Go for the money, and more and more GOLD.

Potheads never make sense, one of the attractions of the stuff. Giggle, giggle, munch.

Swimmer boy and his endorsement is shee r business, in this real commercial make money world- sure he should die for Stranger staff rights to puff all day.

Hardly.

(small point, he has passed all drug tests, doubt he is a pot head at all - very party casual - he won't miss it - NOT addicted)
Posted by No toke for you Michael on February 7, 2009 at 10:42 AM
37
AMEN COMTE!
Posted by mAlissa on February 7, 2009 at 10:44 AM
38
#32

Oh honey - do get a grip - Kellogg started and still boxes ALL BRAND - good laxitive stuff. You sound like you need a joint as your mind is straying into nooks and crannies.

Cereal makes are guilty of - duh, boxing cereal.

Most of which most of us do not eat - perfectly cooked oatmeal is my favorite, with fresh fruit.

Curious, who in American business is not criminal in your mind?

If I were a pot head right now I would focus big time on the Peanut Butter thing - NOW, that is serious.
Posted by No toke for you Michael on February 7, 2009 at 10:58 AM
39
At Dominic Holden's suggestion I just went to the Hate Kellogg site - ONE comment - ONE.

A bit of a slow start to bring them down - have some good reefer while waiting for the movement to build the boycott.
Posted by Michael from Montana on February 7, 2009 at 11:01 AM
40
Jesus, guys. Kelloggs didn't drop Phelps because of the pot. They dropped him because his contract was up and they NEVER renew their contracts with Olympic athletes. That's just how they do things, and they said so in their press release (which was misquoted, by the way).

Also, batshit John Harvey Kellogg didn't really have much to do with the company. He ran the sanitorium in Battle Creek, MI, out of which the company sprang, but his much less crazy brother W.K. Kellogg was the cereal guy. AMUSING SIDE NOTE: C.W. Post used to work in the sanitorium as well, before he started his own cereal company, and was like super nemesis-y with W.K. One time, he was walking down the street and ran into W.K. and was all "You're a dog," and W.K. was like "Yes, and you know what dogs do to posts..." And so really, W.K. Kellogg deserves our admiration and respect for having such a bad-ass come-back.

Oh, and @ 32: you need to get laid so bad. Shit.
Posted by Jocelyn on February 7, 2009 at 5:19 PM
41
A grown women who is worth millions, smoking weed out of an apple that gets caught on camera by a peeping tom sure is an outspoken critic of the war on drugs. Whenever Cameron Diaz and Drew Barrymore go on Leno and Letterman all they talk about is how much weed they smoke. And Clinton could have done more to change pot laws in this country in one day then Phelps could do in a lifetime. What should Phelps have done, said nothing? Lied and said it wasn't him, then you'd still call him a coward. But a real man would risk losing millions of dollars and his future to be a martyr to potheads all over the world.

Dominic, I've never noticed many of your posts but from now on I will, something tells me your an average Stranger employee who got called a fag in high school by a football player and still can't let it go. You probably will give ECB and Savage a run for dumbest stranger staffer.
Posted by Thought I Saw A Bum on February 7, 2009 at 6:52 PM
42
Dominic - the boycott actually has little to do with trying to redeem Phelps. I'm upset that Kellogg's had no problem signing on someone who had a conviction for underaged DUI in 2004 that could've harmed someone, but then turns finger-wagging moralist for private marijuana smoking that could never have harmed anyone.

Plus it's a win-win: if Kellogg's caves and re-hires Phelps, it's a pothead victory. If Kellogg's stands firm (they will), it keeps the story alive a bit longer, forcing people to confront the cognitive dissonance of the world's greatest athlete also being a regular smoker of those reefers that will make you a slovenly loser.

But the link is stash.norml.org/boycottkelloggs or the now easy to use boycottkelloggs.net. You can post your picture of creative ways to boycott Kellogg's.
Posted by RadicalRuss on February 7, 2009 at 9:40 PM
43
Damn, things are REALLY slow over at Sound Politics this weekend - the Wing-Nuts have gone a'slumming on Teh Slog.

@38: Kellogg Co. manufactures some 300-odd breakfasty-type foods, "All BRAN" (sic) being just one of the least offensive - read some of the nutritional labeling on some of the rest for a real "edjumacation" on how much processed crap goes into 'em.

@40: Kellogg Co. has said they're not renewing Phelps' contract SPECIFICALLY because of the pot-huffing photo; I guess you can try to spin it however you want, but when their own PR Dept. weighs in, you sort of have to take them at their word, now don't you?

And yes, many of us have already read "The Road To Wellville", so we're quite aware of just how bat-shite crazy J.H.K. really was, and how that didn't stop his brother from cashing in on his pseudo-scientific health regimen.

And BTW, that's exactly what your mama said when I did her last night...
Posted by COMTE on February 8, 2009 at 12:12 AM
44
#43 --- did (sic) make you feel better

really, what you put in your mouth is your choice

arrogant as you are, I agree, get laid three times a week, better than granola for a sense of well being

grain flakes for breakfast is likely the biggest boost in nutrition in the history of eating, sorry, suspect it is true

oh god, many are kellofgg products

(sic)
Posted by Michael on February 8, 2009 at 6:49 AM
45
You're drunk again, aren't you Michael?
Posted by COMTE on February 8, 2009 at 10:41 AM
46
#45
dolt
Posted by Michael eats flakes on February 8, 2009 at 11:37 AM
47
Oh, ouch! Bet you'll be bragging to all your buddies in the warehouse about THAT comeback tomorrow morning, eh?

Cretinous philistine.
Posted by COMTE on February 8, 2009 at 11:46 AM
48
Using Philistine as an insult makes you sound 60 years old COMTE.
Posted by Or like a rich white man whose been indignified on February 9, 2009 at 8:41 AM

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