Is Michael Phelps A Sellout?

Michael Phelps has been catapulted into the stratosphere of stardom. After his record-shattering turn at the Beijing Olympics, people can’t seem to get enough of this guy with the freakishly long arms. He’s all of a sudden an international star and everybody wants a piece of him.

Weeks after the closing ceremonies, he’s still the biggest catch for daytime talk show hosts like Oprah and the ladies at The View. He’s the guy every girl wants to date and every guy wants to hang out with.

All of that makes him something very important – marketable! His is the face that will launch a million ad campaigns in the months to come.

But, some critics are a little miffed at his choice of endorsement deals. Two of the first products he chose to plaster his mug on are Frosted Flakes and McDonalds.

The food police are crying fowl. They say the super buff Olympian should never have agreed to lend his likeness to sugary and fat foods linked to childhood obesity. The fact is, Johnny Q. Adolescent doesn’t have the same mega metabolism as Michael. While Phelps can scarf down a Double Quarter Pounder and not think anything about it, the rest of us are asking for an elastic waistband if we indulge like that.

So the question really… does Michael Phelps owe us anything? He earned every one of those medals through hard work and dedication. His fans are in no way responsible for his success. Can’t he choose what he wants to endorse? I think so.

I mean, he’s not exactly endorsing Frosted Shards of Glass or Box ‘O Bullets.