Editorial: Photos of fun could have negative consequences
by Alex Johnson, posted April 27, 2009
The MU student-run spirit group, the Antlers, gained online buzz for displaying a picture of a drag queen at this past season's basketball game where the Tigers battled the Oklahoma Sooners.
The picture was actually of Oklahoma's starting basketball player, sophomore Blake Griffin, in a wig and a dress. The photos of Griffin were taken from a freshman orientation video Griffin participated in during his sophomore year in high school.
The Antlers used a blown up picture of Griffin in the dress in hopes of distracting him from completing free throw shots during the second half of the game. This may or may not have helped the Tigers claim a victory over the Sooners, but it raises the question of what should be allowed at games from spectators and also what good sportsmanship is. Although the images of Griffin were not something that was so detrimental that they cost him his basketball career, it still raises the question of what type of images we want to portray to the world.
Another prime example of images leaking is that of Miss Nevada, Katie Rees. In 2006, Rees was crowned Miss Nevada USA. However, in December of 2006, she was stripped of her title after risqué photos of her surfaced online. The photos featured Rees at a nightclub in Florida, prior to her Miss Nevada win. The photos were not pornographic, but Rees was kissing a female friend of hers and drinking.
One would think this would be an example that would deter students from doing the same thing. Yet with the increase of popularity in social networking groups such as Facebook and Twitter, more and more photos like these are posted daily. Students continuously post photos of themselves with alcoholic beverages and doing things that could damage any potential future career.
Although it is legal to consume alcohol if you are over the age of 21, students need to keep in mind that one day they will want to pursue a career. Posting images of yourself and peers with alcohol or displaying questionable behavior could leave a negative impression on your future boss.
Sharing the images and the memories is fun but consider what is at stake before deciding whether or not to post photos. In Griffin's case, the photos just led to a distraction while shooting free throws, but to Rees it led to being stripped of her state title as Miss Nevada. This could happen to anyone and we should all think twice before deciding to post images online for the world to see.
