Oh how the mighty fall.
America loves to build up celebrities, tear them down and give them reality shows. The latest black sheep is Jared Fogle, the Subway spokesperson who somehow ate his way to being skinny, famous and rich.
So what atrocity did the smiley Subway mascot commit to fall from our good graces?
Fogle used websites to “solicit commercial sex” and “traveled to engage in sexual acts with minors” from 2007 until June 2015, according to the Washington Post.
Since the story broke, Fogle’s wife has filed for divorce and Subway has dropped him like a hot Italian sub. The Washington Post also reported that Fogle will plead guilty and pay $1.4 million to 14 victims. Fogle’s fate hangs in the balance as he enters a plea deal.
Lucky for Fogle, the punishment for child molestation in the United States typically involves time in prison and compensation paid to the victims. Some countries have considered more permanent forms of punishment. In 2012, the rape of a seven-year-old girl in South Korea caused the President to consider more severe punishment for offenders, including chemical castration.
Don’t get excited.
Despite the misleading name this has nothing to do with soaking pedophile’s genitals in hydrochloric acid. The actual procedure is much less gory. The offender is forced to take medication that renders their sexual organs useless.
Though for a pedophile it may in fact be worse to go to prison. The ABC news article, “Prison is ‘Living Hell’ for Pedophiles,” stated that “…the reason pedophiles can be so reviled is that some inmates are parents, and many were themselves sexually abused as children.”
This puts pedophile inmates at a greater risk for abuse from fellow inmates.
Pedophilia is a despicable crime and whatever punishment the justice system doles out is well deserved. But there is a larger issue at play here. It is not uncommon for celebrities to be under the impression that their fame puts them above the law.
In 2013, when Reese Witherspoon’s husband was pulled over for driving under the influence she demanded of the arresting officer, “Do you know my name?” I guess all the free food and VIP access goes to their head.
In a society that worships celebrities like the Greeks worshiped the Gods, it’s understandable why these socialites feel invincible. The only way we can reverse this affect is by bringing them back down to earth when they break the law. Celebrities need to realize that with fame comes exposure, and when you’ve got illegal skeletons in your closet perhaps it’s better to remain an average Jared.