Ascribing so much importance to Phelps' apparent enthusiasm for a sugar-coated breakfast (and to be fair, given his 12,000 calorie-a-day diet, it seems, at the very least, like an authentic endorsement) disregards the issue of personal responsibility. After all, parents' buying habits have a much more direct effect on rates of childhood obesity. As for Botox, one would hope that an adult interested in injecting his face with botulism toxin would do some research of his own, as opposed to being convinced by Comaneci's well-preserved middle-aged face. A celebrity's marketing influence is only as important as we make it.

This isn't to say that an irresponsible endorsement is excusable, only that to rely on celebrities, even if they are Olympic champions, to safeguard society's well-being is foolhardy. These athletes form a nexus point between our holiest desires and the world's most profane rewards, and hopefully the controversy their decisions have generated will spark a larger conversation about the ways in which we use hero-worship to distract ourselves from life and death issues. Perhaps we can use it as a starting point to reassess our priorities and formulate real-life solutions, instead of looking for a scapegoat. This outcome might sound naïve or unrealistic, but then again, the greatest Olympic triumphs have all been rooted in impossible dreams.

© 2008