Is it me?

Or are more public figures, more big names that aren’t precisely hiding within the shadows…getting caught performing some patently silly things?

take a Look at the somehow-still Mayor of Toronto within the news this week, as an example. If the great Chris Farley was still alive and wanted a stunt double, Mayor Rob Ford would be your undisputed #1 possibility. Forget the fact he smoked crack cocaine, which it sounds as if isn’t addictive in step with Farley/Ford. As a substitute, just take a look at how he earned a recognition of being a celebration animal in the first location: A YouTube video that displays a evidently over-served Ford—slurring, stumbling—just wandering the streets of Toronto searching for anyone to speak to. On cue, a video–which seems to even be from a digital camera cellphone–surfaced these days of Ford ranting and raving that he’s a “sick motherf***er” while threatening to kill somebody.

Yup… this guy nonetheless has a job.

Five years in the past, this seemingly becomes the stuff of urban legend. However in 2013, considering practically each cellphone has a digicam now, stated movies of Ford sooner or later get posted…and you realize what they are saying about placing toothpaste again in the tube.

K, so public figures must simply preserve this sort of stuff personal, right? Perhaps the usage of an anonymous Twitter deal with would do the trick as an alternative. However upon additional evaluate, it appears the deal with of Carlos Risk has come what may been taken through a man named Weiner who New Yorkers have been in reality seriously taking into consideration balloting for as their subsequent Mayor until the legend of Threat–and the electronic path left at the back of–did him in.

How about athletes like the All-American Brett Favre? All he did again in 2008–while lively as a player–used to be send photos via text message of his not-so-impressive-non-public-components to a Jets female reporter. Wager Favre figured that he wasn’t price sufficient cash (incomes over $100 million right through his occupation) to ever to ever be exploited.

Result: Epic fumble ending with a sexual harassment go well with.

Then there’s Richie Incognito, who is anything but incognito at 300+ kilos. If Farley had a younger brother, this would be your guy. The Dolphins lineman it sounds as if figured that leaving racially-tinged voicemails and text messages wouldn’t in reality have any chance of being used as evidence of bullying within the experience his target (fellow lineman Jonathan Martin) used to be pushed too a ways to head public.

With the Exception of…all of those texts and voicemails are within the hands of the league, who will make a decision his destiny.

No he-mentioned, he-said scenario right here… just Showcase A and B (and C, D, E, F).

This type of habits isn’t just relegated to the general public…it’s almost the new normal in the media. Need proof? Look no additional than NBC’s Chuck Todd, who mocked CNN on Tuesday evening for being too slow in the case of breaking information. Todd it appears failed to analyze from his very public boo-boo remaining month of Tweeting out the incorrect identity of the Navy Yard shooter in DC so that you could be first as a substitute of accurate.

In Todd we belief? Not reasonably.

Tweeting first and verifying later is turning into an immense drawback in media across all fronts. It’s to the purpose the place two editors are wanted: One for usual publications, the opposite for rogue journalists without a filter on Twitter.

After which there’s this guy: A Twitter fan with the deal with Afroduck, who posted a video of himself occurring a blistering 26-mile joyride around Manhattan. The video displays he was able to make the trek in 24 minutes, an unofficial file he claims he set in the first situation. Afroduck proceeded to taunt police online that he couldn’t be apprehended.

“That you would be able to’t tell establish who I’m just by looking at a video.” boasted Afroduck.

Nope…just a reckless Tweeter just begging the police officers to arrest him, which they did after the use of, yup, video from side road cameras to hint his registration number plate again to him.

Outcome: His 2006 BMW Z4 used to be impounded. Police additionally say Adam Tang (Afroduck) has a Canadian driver’s license, which was revoked by way of a decide.

A man named Gump once stated, “Stupid is as silly does.”

And leaving an digital trail—text, video, Tweets, e-mail—is a whole new stage of silly.

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>> Practice Joe Concha on Twitter @ConchaMedia