The Day I Lost A Little Faith In Humanity | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

The Day I Lost A Little Faith In Humanity

Our desire for fame should never cloud our moral compass.

26
The Day I Lost A Little Faith In Humanity
123 Live Sports

You may or may not have heard that the 2016 Olympics are happening right now in Rio de Janeiro (hopefully you aren't living under a rock). What I think is amazing about the Olympics is how well it brings people together. Michael Phelps won God knows how many medals, or Simone Biles and Aly Raisman took gold and silver, respectively, in the All-Around competition.

The Olympics can awe us, they can amaze us, but most importantly they can unite us. However if you have been keeping up with media coverage of the games you have probably seen or heard about comments being made from news outlets and commentators that have not sat well with some people. Now to a certain degree when you work in a field that is constantly in the spotlight there will always be groups of people that will not agree with what you are putting out there.

We have all seen some of the sexist article titles and statements that in all actuality were more than likely not meant to be sexist, but still make us say, "How did they not catch this?" Yes, these stories did make me shake my head a little, but a story that was published by the Daily Beast absolutely disgusted me.

Now if you have not heard of or had a chance to read this article, you're too late. There was such a backlash when the article came out the the Daily Beast has retracted the article and replaced it with a note from their editors.

Here is the short story though: Nico Hines is a straight, married, male writer for the Daily Beast who decided he wanted to report on the environment of sex at the Olympics, particularly gay sex. Now this may not seem too outlandish when considering that the story was meant to appeal to gay men and especially considering there is a record number of openly gay athletes at these Olympics, still a somewhat risque topic to cover though. However, the means that this writer went about uncovering the information that he used for this article is what is so distasteful to me. You see, Hines went about finding information through dating applications such as Grindr, Tinder, Bumble, etc. to gay-bait athletes.

Hines claimed that he was honest about who he was to every athlete that he talked to, in the article he writes, "I didn't lie to anyone or pretend to be someone I wasn't - unless you count being on Grindr in the first place - since I'm straight, with a wife and child." I am not sure if Hines thought this would allow him to disclosing the information of the conversations he had on the various apps, which included some details that could identify some of these athletes. Now had he just used the experience he had (without including identifying details) to write this article I think it would have been at least somewhat acceptable, but instead he decided to publish personal information on athletes, who are not out of the closet might I add, that essentially identifies and outs them to the world. Some of these athletes which he described came from countries where it is still illegal to be a homosexual.

I am sorry, but what the actual hell is wrong with you Mr. Hines? I accept that you, as a journalist, are allowed to write what you wish to write about, but at what point did you lose all of your morals? At what point did you decide that it would be okay to essentially out these athlete? Who are you to decide that their private lives should be put in the spotlight, just like every other aspect of their lives? Who are you to decide when these athlete come out? And for what, a way to get your name out there there? To have your fifteen minutes of fame? To get your name to go viral? Well you certainly have gotten your wish, but you will also fade, just like your worthless article.

Internet fame has become a feat that is ever so desired in our modern society, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing. The internet allows us to express our interests, connect with friends and family around the world, and it has a vast amount of information that should be taken advantage of. However, let's not allow our desire for internet fame to cloud our moral judgement. I have, and always will believe that humans are all good, but it's actions like Mr. Hines's that make me lose some of this faith. We can all do better than this, because we are better than this.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

644
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less
people  in library
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

College involves a whirlwind of emotions, whether it’s from the stress of an assignment (or twenty), or from fighting with your roommate. It can be overwhelming at times and it’s important to take a step a back and calmly think things over. Maybe gain some perspective. The following aren’t foolproof tips and may not apply to you, but I was able to find success with them (hope you do too!)

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

How The Holidays Have Changed

It all started when we learned the truth about Santa.

3669
best wishes for Christmas
Pinterest

It is no secret that many American traditions have changed over time. As we grow older we change in so many ways that it only makes sense that we also change the way we celebrate special occasions. Of course when it comes to the holidays there are some family traditions that many of us still excitedly look forward to, whether it is eating your favorite dish or seeing favorite cousin. However, we all know that the holidays have overall changed a little from what they used to be.

Keep Reading...Show less
theatre cast

Everyone who has done musicals knows that once you go there you can never go back. It's like a virus. It never leaves and you find yourself attracted to all types of theater things. You're drawn to it like a moth to a flame. There are certain things you know to be true, whether you did a musical once or have done them your entire life.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments