Activision Unworried About Michael Phelps Bong Hit

[Andy Chalk]

Activision Unworried About Michael Phelps Bong Hit

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Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps' errant bong hit may have cost him his sponsorship contract with Guitar Hero [http://www.kelloggs.com/] ad in which he appears.

A USA Swimming [http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/05/kellogg.phelps/index.html?iref=newssearch] despite the fact that he didn't actually violate any anti-doping rules, and the sheriff's office in Richland County, South Carolina, said it had launched an investigation into whether Phelps had actually taken a toke while at the University of South Carolina, where the marijuana smoking allegedly took place, and that it would file criminal charges if it was determined that he had.

None of which seems to bother Activision too much: The company said that while the ad campaign featuring Phelps and other athletes is nearing its conclusion, there are no plans to withdraw it early as a result of his actions. Unlike products from Kellogg, the Guitar Hero franchise is unlikely to suffer any sales losses by including an occasional pot smoker in its ads, noted sports business consultant Marc Ganis."The target market for Guitar Hero is younger counterculture youth for whom this kind of behavior is not considered very negative," he added.

The Guitar Hero spot in question was one of several Risky Business [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086200/]-style ads created to promote Activision's hit music game. In this one, Phelps appears alongside admitted steroid cheat Alex Rodriguez, accused rapist Kobe Bryant and Tony Hawk, who hasn't actually been caught doing anything wrong yet.

Source: GameCulture [http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/2009/02/09/2009-02-09_two_guitar_heroes_are_with_banned.html]


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[Alone Disciple]

Perhaps each game will be packed with coupon for a free bag of Doritos or Micky D's.

I smell a cross promotion in the works!

 

[HobbesMkii]

"The target market for Guitar Hero is younger counterculture youth for whom this kind of behavior is not considered very negative,"

HAHAHAHA! That's a great quote! He just called his target audience potheads!

 

[Sigenrecht]

At least he'll get the fuck off of my corn flakes. I don't appreciate wet half-naked men grinning at me as I'm eating, thank you very much.

And it's weed, for Christ's sakes. It's not like he's on steroids or hitting old ladies in his car while under the influence.

 

[Beffudled Sheep]

Why is everyone so worked up about this? Its only weed. Its not like he is making meth in his basement and selling it to preschoolers.

 

[Toastngravy]

Perhaps each game will be packed with coupon for a free bag of Doritos or Micky D's.

I smell a cross promotion in the works!

Finally! A reason to actually get the abomination of a game!
<3

 

[Beffudled Sheep]

Why is everyone so worked up about this? Its only weed. Its not like he is making meth in his basement and selling it to preschoolers.

That we know of.

He better not be. Thats my market.

 

[AceDiamond]

I love how this and not A-Rod admitting he used steriods it the big problem for America in general. Way to have your priorities straight.

It's not like weed makes you a better swimmer unless someone is dangling a mallomar at the end of the lane.

 

[Earthmonger]

If I were Phelps, this ridiculous outcry would be enough to prompt me into doing something reckless, like giving Kellogg Co the finger in a public press interview. His career in swimming is coming to an end anyway, time to invest or get a real job. The ethical charade is revolting.

 

[WingedFortress]

What is happening to Michael Phelps is a complete outrage. Not only is his very well deserved career being unnecessarily tainted, but I heard that 8 people have been arrested over the alleged "pot party"(CNN's words, not mine). This is bullshit, and a complete waste of resources and money in tight economic times. What the fuck is abnormal about that picture? The USA is becoming more of running farce by the day, and if they keep wasting theirs, and every bodies time on petty shit like this, they deserve the worst economic crisis since 1940.

And half of me can only think that if Phelps were Canadian, we could get a couple more medals in the Olympics, and he could get away with a Bong hit in University.

And, shame on on you Escapist for printing this as news! it's not!

 

[GonzoGamer]

If Activision dumped him, they would be shooting themselves in the foot.

What's completely pants is that the American news media is lumping him together with the mutant steroid baseball players. Weed is not a performance enhancing drug and he wasn't even using it while performing.

The kid's 23 years old, he won more gold metals than anyone else, and he deserves to party a little and taking a few bong hits is as little as you can party. Why didn't they make this big - deal about his DWI: he could've actually killed someone in that situation.

F*** Kellogs, they got crappy munchies anyway. Next thing you know they're going to take George Washington off the dollar bill because he smoked, hell... he farmed weed.

 

[This Country Puts Stupidity at the Top]

I think it's pretty comical how much of an issue this is causing in our counrty where other drugs you can get off the shelves do far worse damage. "A furor erupted last week when a photo of the wealthy, famous 23-year-old Phelps indulging in the evil weed was made public," in what way is it evil? This isn't an arguement to be for or against anything, but can citizens of the U.S. please stop using the word evil, devil, and so on, we sound like a bunch of ranting religious nutjobs. Have you ever listened to the symptoms at the end of one of those menstrual commercials or even basic cold medicines, the symptoms are more shocking then relieving. I think he should have just came foward with what was really going through his head instead of what they had written for him to say.

This is my 2cents...back to the news

 

[Flying-Emu]

At least he'll get the fuck off of my corn flakes. I don't appreciate wet half-naked men grinning at me as I'm eating, thank you very much.

Quoted for truth and lulz.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

And it's weed, for Christ's sakes. It's not like he's on steroids or hitting old ladies in his car while under the influence.

it's because it's weed and in the states weed makes hitler and osama seem like Mother Theresa, it's the evilest substance known to man

but yeah they wouldn't care cause most of the ppl who play guitar hero are pot smoking beer drinking rockers

 

[Avatar Roku]

I love how this and not A-Rod admitting he used steriods it the big problem for America in general. Way to have your priorities straight.

It's not like weed makes you a better swimmer unless someone is dangling a mallomar at the end of the lane.

I know, I've been arguing that the weed would actually have been a handicap since this whole thing started.

 

[I III II X4]

The only reason there's an outcry is because he's a hero who's adored by countless people, many of them being children. In short, he's a role model, people pattern themselves after their heroes...so, that means kids who can't think for themselves will smoke weed because they see their hero doing it.

Yeah, yeah...the whole "monkey see, monkey do" is nature's way of cleaning the gene pool.

 

[scotth266]

The Hawk is awesome! One of the few celebs who hasn't done anything illegal...yet.

But yeah, who cares if he smokes weed once in a while? He just swept away the mother-freakin olmypics!