Defamation seems like an all too familiar concept for celebrities as of late.
In recent news, ex-spokesperson for Subway and IU alumnus Jared Fogle plans to plead guilty to charges of distributing child pornography and engaging in sex with minors.
Looking back, we all wonder what went wrong and, of course, the nature vs. nurture argument always comes into play.
Are people like this, who abuse others for their pleasure, born this way, or are they taught it?
We can’t help but ask: Was Fogle always like this?
Was he a monster the first time he walked into that Subway, or did something like this develop over time?
And could these instances of crime, abuse and scandal be connected to the fame these icons have?
No one argues against the tremendous harm fame can have on an adolescent.
The idea is children who would have grown up to be normal adults are warped into children in adult bodies, constantly fighting to keep their heads above water.
But what if men like Fogle, Jerry Sandusky, Roman Polanski and Bill Cosby experience a similar exposure experience?
In no way are we condoning their actions of abuse, and the Editorial Board finds these actions completely inexcusable.
However, is it possible that — had these men been left to lead ordinary, plain lives — they would have suppressed these dangerous and harmful desires instead of acting upon them?
Though none of us can speak from experience, it’s a common belief that fame opens a lot of doors for people.
Opportunities galore.
The American Psychological Association does not categorize the sexual desire of children, pedophilia, as a mental disorder, but rather as a paraphilia.
Only when a pedophile chooses and participates in acts that harm others is it classified as a disorder.
But is fame that pushing factor that sends these specific men across that thin line?
As much as we could argue fame is an amplifier of these instances, the Editorial Board believes they are not causes or determining factors.
Pedophiles exist in all the dark corners of our world, and a large amount of them have managed to destroy lives without a TV show or a fast-food restaurant sponsorship.
However, we do believe fame acts as a door-opener for these predators to conduct their crimes and find victims more easily.
In a way, these instances seem different from a “normal” child-abuse story because they are printed in newspapers across the country and we see them being presented as topics of discussion on debate news.
These crimes are typical crimes, typical because of the way our culture normalizes them, that are thrust into the spotlight because of the recognizability of those who commit them.
According to the Crimes Against Children Research Center, 1 in 5 girls and 1 in 20 boys are victims of sexual abuse.
These are children all across the country who are exposed to malicious acts against them.
The 2003 National Institute of Justice report found three of four adolescents that were abused sexually were victimized by a person they knew well.
These news stories, which flash on our screens and tell us the horrors that were committed, do not pay the due justice to the boys and girls who experience pain daily.
Awareness is not enough.
Action is needed to thwart the problem fully.
In Fogle’s case, he will go to prison and receive treatment for his mental disorder, and whether the public will remember him or his misdeeds is up to chance.
The only mention of any type of healing for his victims is restitution of $100,000 per victim, amounting to $1.4 million.
But the amount of mental anguish and disorders victims experience in the future is enough to make us wonder if sandwich money will be enough to heal those scars.
We suppose only time will tell.
