Gouldylox: Now With More Lox!

Riddle me this. How icky are people these days that it isn’t uncommon for your friends to sell naked pictures of you to the tabloids? If you haven’t heard, Pippa Middleton was on a boat, five years ago, sunbathing amongst friends, revealing her nekkid upper half.

First of all, who even cares?

I suppose I care because I don’t understand when people turned into such greedy, money-gobbling arsey wankers. Presumably, she was among friends, including her sister and the Prince. Which means someone who wasn’t in line for the throne took and sold pictures of her sunbathing. Someone who she thought was a friend, someone she trusted. And that someone held on to the photos for five years, waiting for the right time to make some cash.

Apparently, I am one of the only people left who wouldn’t sell out a friend to make a quick ten thousand (or hundred thousand). A few years ago, I had a debate with a co-worker over pictures that surfaced of Michael Phelps allegedly smoking weed at a party, after returning from the Olympics. She saw nothing wrong with taking photos of someone noteworthy in a compromising position because it was her opportunity to “make some”.  In fact, she thought if a celeb was stupid enough to do that in “public”, then she deserved to make bank off of their bad fortune.

I don’t understand why people can’t “make bank” on their own, instead of capitalizing on other people’s ups, downs and nipples. When did everyone decide they were entitled - not make it on their own, but make it by chance, by throwing away the friendship, trust and respect of someone they know? Why does trust and respect suddenly mean nothing? I get that people in the public eye have to watch their P’s and Q’s, but when they aren’t in public, aren’t they allowed some privacy? And some real friends?

Can people just stop being so assy and be nice again? While we are at it, can we make an effort to bring back common courtesy and manners? And lose the entitled attitude? Am I asking too much?