IUC Lifestyle: Method Acting – More Demanding Than Winning Golds

So the big news this week is that Phelps is one of the zillions of twenty-somethings who smokes the reef. And while one might be tempted by such lowbrow responses as: duh, whatever, or duuude, who cares? Apparently lots of folks do care. A lot. The verdicts are in: Kellogg has trashed Phelps’ deal as the Corn Flakes kid, Michael’s Mom is pissed to all hell, and he’s officially suspended from competition. Tough break for a little chillax time, although at least he has all those shiny gold medals to console himself. As opinions about the twenty-three-year-old hurl about the inter web, the question I have is not why does a high pressured Olympian light up on his spare time but why isn’t Christian Bale smoking any? Bale’s terror-inducing tirade against unfortunately named directory of photography, Shane Hurlbut was a far more troubling display of character for a role model. Hey kids: be actors! You can be a huge asshole! Treat your co-workers like shit!! And get away with it!!! While Christian’s peeps rally around him, insisting that his verbal abuse is “no big deal,” mere “method acting,” and a “non-event,” Phelps’ folks have him nailed to the cross. I mean seriously—who has a problem: Flipper or Jaws? Simon and Garfunkel or Rage Against the Machine. But then what am I thinking, in Hollywood you can hop in your Beemer, light a spliff, rail a line off the ass of the call girl in the passenger seat, and rage at anyone who tries to use the crosswalk. The world’s ass-backward. Now if only we can just get Bale to give Phelps a tongue-lashing in front of an audience of Kellogg execs, throw it on YouTube, and call it a draw.

(IUC Lifestyle Editor Emily Southwood)