Lochte in White Privilege
Ryan Lochte. 32-year old, US Olympic Swimmer and 12-time medalist. In 2016 Lochte profited Speedo USA, Ralph Polo Lauren, Airweave, and Gentle Hair Removal sponsorships.
But not anymore.
His sponsors have all left him in the dust after a lie that he told while competing in the Olympic games in Rio.
According to Lochte, he had been stopped in a taxi returning from a party at France House and confronted by men with police badges. The men with a badges told them to get down on the ground and Lochte was the only one to refuse. Lochte went further to explain that his response prompted one of the said men to cock a gun and press it up against his forehead. He and his teammates got on the ground, handed them their belongings, and were allowed to return safely back to the taxi and back to the Olympic Village.
This story was made public and caused an uproar and the IOC denied that it occurred which prompted an investigation of the US swim team. Before the civil police could get to Lochte to take a statement, he had already left back to the U.S. while his teammates Conger, Bentz, and Feigen were to deal with the aftermath. Eventually video footage was released and evidence was shown from witness statements that none of what Lochte said was true.
Basically, Lochte and his teammates decide to get a little drunk at a party at France House and need to use the restroom at a gas station. What could have possibly gone through their heads when they decided to vandalize the gas station while cameras were rolling, I have no idea. Armed security officers of the gas station confront the team and Lochte gets a bit confrontational because he’s drunk. They are all demanded to pay reparations before going free to the Olympic Village.
Ryan Lochte is the definition of white privilege.
He goes out to have fun thinking nothing bad is going to happen. He thinks he can do whatever he wants with no consequences whatsoever. He vandalizes a bathroom in another country, gives a false police report, has the balls to flee the country before police can take him in for a statement, and even paints himself as a victim.
Congratulations Lochte! You’re under media scrutiny for your behaviour.
But wait… what’s this?
“Let’s give these kids a break. Sometimes you take actions that you later regret. They are magnificent athletes,” said Andrada. “Lochte is one of the best swimmers of all time. They had fun. They made a mistake. It’s part of life. Life goes on. Let’s go.” — Mario Andrada, Communications Director for Rio 2016
“We all make mistakes, but they’re rarely given front-page scrutiny. He’s a great guy who has done incredible work with charities. I’m confident that Pine Bros. fans will support our decision to give Ryan a second chance.” — Pine Bros. CEO Rider McDowell, New Endorsement for Lochte
“Doing DWTS (Dancing With The Stars) will be great for Ryan’s image! He will be able to show America that he’s a good guy who made a mistake. He’s still an Olympic champion! He will be great on the show.” — Insider for US Weekly
WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!?
So let me get this straight. He’s getting a second chance, more opportunities in fact, just because he apologized and he feels bad? He just made a mistake? I can definitely draw some parallels between Ryan Lochte and Brock Turner, the Stanford rapist. The media paints Lochte’s picture as if he’s a teenager with very little self-discipline and lackluster responsibility. You’d think that a 32-year old Olympic swimmer would be able show as much responsibility as he does training to get gold medals for the U.S. in swimming.
So what if Lochte was not white? A minority?
“Where systems of race, gender, and class domination converge, as they do in the experiences of battered women of color, intervention strategies based solely on the experiences of women who do not share the same class or race backgrounds will be of limited help to women who because of race and class face different obstacles.” — Kimberle Crenshaw
Now there’s Gabby Douglas. 20-year old, African-American Olympian gymnast. She failed to put her hand on her heart during the national anthem and also decided to style her hair and face to her own liking. Because of her “transgressions”, she was widely criticized for being “disrespectful”, “unpatriotic”, and “un-American.”
There’s the problem.
Crenshaw’s argument on intersectionality highlights the fact that racism and sexism is deeply rooted in our social systems. Gabby is publicly shamed for not doing some simple actions while Lochte and his teammates are given the benefit of doubt for such a simple “mistake” as breaking the law in another country.
Time and time again, we have seen such things in media, but still nothing has changed. White privilege runs rampant in even more serious cases while those of color, especially women of color, are shamed, humiliated, or even killed for their attempts to undermine the system.
