Nude Photo Leaks: Why Apologize?

[Jack-Hammer]

As we know, Seth Rollins is the latest celebrity to be part of some sort of scandal, albeit pretty minor in comparison to others, involving nude photos of him being put on the internet. His fiancé posted them after nude photos of Zahara Schreiber, a female wrestler currently in WWE developmental, were posted using Rollins' Twitter, Facebook & Instagram accounts. The last I read, this was due to Rollins' account being hacked and this has led to the speculation, and probability in fact, of Rollins having an affair and his fiancé posted the nude pics of him in retaliation. Rollins later apologized for the whole thing and in the grand scheme of things I have to ask: why?

Whenever nude photos of celebs are leaked online, they always issue a statement in which they apologize to friends, family and fans for what's happened. I simply don't understand why because, unless it's all just some sort of scam cooked up to generate publicity, I don't see how they've done anything wrong. These were photos they took for their own enjoyment in their private lives, they claim that they weren't meant to be seen by anyone else, so I don't see why they apologize. Everybody's got the same basic parts, some are more aesthetically pleasing, depending on personal tastes, and it's not as if they committed a crime.

Personally, I think it has a lot to do with the stigma that still exists to this day regarding sex and nudity. American society have instilled this notion in the minds of kids generation after generation that being naked is shameful and that sex is something dirty. It's heavily influenced by religious beliefs, though it's generally beliefs taken out of context seasoned with a healthy dose of personal belief added in and called religious.

At the same time, unless you're someone who honestly doesn't care if nude photos of you wind up on the internet, I think you have to be idiotic to take them and store them on phones, computers, tablets, internet accounts or whatever.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

They apologize because it's the PR thing to do, as a means of "getting ahead" of the drama that the leaks create. I don't personally agree with the fact they do so either, but sex is stigmatized in this country like no other, so until that's not the case, this is going to continue to occur so long as these images continue to be stolen and posted by the criminals getting their hands on them in the first place.

As to your last line, you're treading awfully close to victim blaming here... again.

Unless you're someone who honestly doesn't care if you get raped, you really shouldn't wear short skirts and walk anywhere at night. These are crimes being committed. This is theft and a form of extortion. That's what needs to be addressed and remedied, not the people taking these photographs of themselves or their partners. They've committed no crimes, both literal or figurative. If you, as a person, disagree with their practice, you don't have to share in it. They are not "wrong" or "evil" or anything of the sort for engaging in perfectly legal activity, even if you disagree with the practice.

 

[L@RISANO]

It's the moralistic thing to do, I guess.

Even though these celebs didn't post them... they got out into public domain, and thus, saying sorry is a way to save face and a good form of PR.

Though, if they didn't want their nudes up in public, they should've never took the pics and stored them in the first place...

 

[Thriller Ant]

Though, if they didn't want their nudes up in public, they should've never took the pics and stored them in the first place...

Look, more victim shaming!

When it comes to celebrities, everything they do is scrutinized. I don't think an apology is necessary, especially since about 99.9% of the time, the person apologizing is clearly a victim somehow. However, since celebrities are held to ridiculous standards of conduct, I look at it more like an apology for not being the pinnacle of perfection that some expect them to be be. It's dumb, but hey, so is most of society today.

 

[L@RISANO]

Look, more victim shaming!

When it comes to celebrities, everything they do is scrutinized. I don't think an apology is necessary, especially since about 99.9% of the time, the person apologizing is clearly a victim somehow. However, since celebrities are held to ridiculous standards of conduct, I look at it more like an apology for not being the pinnacle of perfection that some expect them to be be. It's dumb, but hey, so is most of society today.

It comes with the fame.(Check C.Ronaldo's pre-planned Birthday party causing a stink at Madrid after they lost the Madrid derby a couple days ago.)

I get where you're coming from, but, in the case of Rollins, for instance, he is working for a PG company, and his twitter feed has been getting loads of attention for the past couple of days. It actually ties in with what HHH said about Chyna on SCSA's podcast the other day, in that children look up to a top guy like Seth and thus, them seeing these pics ain't really a good thing. Even though he isn't at fault for putting them up, he should have been aware of the risks when taking such pics on his phone.


As they say, revenge is a dish best served cold... and it seems that Seth got served real good.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

I'm not sure the details behind Rollins and the woman working for WWE's developmental, as to whether they posted those images themselves accidentally or had those images intercepted and posted without their consent, but if its the latter, you cannot blame them for it. Ever. I don't care who they work for. They could be on the cast of Sesame Street for all I care. They are adults engaging in adult activity that is not being conducted through their company. Meaning, it's not an issue of this person posting nude photos of themselves or others on accounts run through WWE, or shared through WWE email, etc. So guess what? Its their private business, and they are operating perfectly within the laws of the nation in doing so.

If two adults decide to share nude photographs with one another, and those photographs are stolen, they share exactly zero percent of the blame. Zero. None. Not even a god damned spec of it. I'm so sick of hearing this "well, if you don't want to risk having your photos stolen and posted, don't take them!" horse shit. It's victim blaming/shaming that just contributes to the stigmatization of sex in the U.S.

People have sex, folks. They enjoy seeing other human beings nude, because, shockingly, sex is actually hard-wired into all of our neural pathways. It's an enjoyable practice, and we all reach an age where it becomes part of our every day lives, whether we're single, married, gay, straight, trans, Christian, atheist, Republican, Democrat or whatever the hell else you might be.

It's time to get over this "shock" that celebrities engage in the same behavior you do, or would, were you in their situation or sometimes not. And we most definitely need to stop BLAMING these people for having their fucking personal files stolen and redistributed without their consent.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

Though, if they didn't want their nudes up in public, they should've never took the pics and stored them in the first place...

There is always one


You apologize because that's what people do these days. "Sorry to anyone who was disturbed by seeing that"....Just because it isn't your fault doesn't mean you can't think of the children.


I was just chuckling to myself that once upon a time this would be a great opportunity for some heel heat, in numerous ways. Alas.

 

[A11oftheLights]

I'd say apologising to your family because it can be embarrassing for them is probably appropriate though that doesnt need to public. Your company has had their name dragged through the mud a wee little bit but again probably doesnt need a public apology. I do think the fans deserve some kind of apology, even though Rollins didnt post them himself there would be people, in this case pretty much everyone, that when they went on social media werent expecting to see Rollins or Schreiber naked
Is it something he has to do? No not really.
Is it the right thing to do? Probably

As for society thinking that being naked is shameful i feel that'll change in a few generations if not the next, just look at film and television these days its sex scenes galore compared days gone by when showing a man getting out of a bed to get dressed after having sex was pretty much taboo.

 

[Poop Master Flex]

Although it's just easy to apologize and move on there is absolute ZERO reason why anyone should apologize for that and that goes double for Seth Rollins. Rollins didn't post the pics, the pics were supposed to be between him and the girl he sent them so I fail to see what he did wrong. If he was cheating on his ex fiance then the only person that deserves an apology is his ex fiance, no one else should expect an apology and no one else deserves an apology.

I'm sorry if society doesn't see it that way but the fact is the problem isn't with Rollins and the celebrities, it's society and people ridiculous standards for these people. Why do you care if Tiger Woods cheated on his wife? Why do you care if Schwarzenegger had a kid with Consuela from Family Guy? Why do you care if Michael Jordan and John Daly gamble their asses off? It doesn't really matter, it doesn't affect what they've brought to the table and quite frankly I don't watch NFL to see humanitarians play football, I watch NFL to see great football players and coaches do their thing. What they do in their personal life is a moot point and I think its absurd that society gets so hung up on the stuff that. Rollins dick pic falls into the same category.

 

[Alastor]

Because the sponsors care and the sponsors pay the celebrities.

Sorry if some of you are so liberal in your thinking that flashing the world whether intentionally or not isn't something that deserve at least a simple apology. These people aren't porn stars. I guess you don't expect an apology from your children if their nudes get leaked online and is seen by your friends and family?

 

[Mighty NorCal]

I guess you don't expect an apology from your children if their nudes get leaked online and is seen by your friends and family?

Well, no, if their pictures were posted without their consent, then they are a victim, and 99% of the time, a victim doesn't need to be doing any apologizing.

 

[jmt225]

I think the rape comparison is really unfair, and it bothers me when people make it because it is nowhere near that traumatizing, more specifically for adults, especially for adults in the public eye who make their money off of publicity.

But I do agree it's silly to judge these people. Here's the thing, how often are wrestlers on the road? 5 days a week at least? So think about being away from your loved ones or simply just sexual partner(s) 5 days out of the week (sometimes weeks on end). Unless you're traveling with your better half, of course this kind of shit is going to happen with people who spend a lot of time on the road in this day and age we live in. It's more safe than banging every let's say "groupie" that attends the show like the wrestlers of the past did.

But anyway, in this case we know who leaked the photos. If it's that serious then why hasn't Rollins pressed charges? Why is HE the one going out of his way to apologize?

I'll tell you why... it's because this kind of crap isn't a big deal unless someone makes it a big deal. Rollins knows that, he's a smart guy, which is why he apologized and let it end there. And then if he wanted to make it a big deal, he could for the publicity. And that's why I disagree with comparing this kind of thing to rape. You can't sweep a rape under the rug. It'll be apart of your life forever. This though? Who will care about it 3 months from now? When Rollins is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame 20 years from now.... will anyone remember this? In the grand scheme of things this means absolutely nothing, unless Rollins/WWE want it to mean something, which they obviously don't.

I'm with Norcal though where my head can't help but think in the direction of how big of a heat getter this possibly could have been. I'm not one to bitch about the PG stuff, but this is definitely a case where it really holds them back. If there was ever another "boom" period in the next 5 years or so, it would have to come from controversy like this. Truly using the internet to stir shit up. That's the ultimate key IMO to make pro wrestling "cool" again and having massive amounts of people tuning in live every week. Look how big this stupid Khloe Kardashian/Amber Rose twitter beef is. I mean, why does anyone give a fuck about either of these idiots? I have no idea, but they do, and you can't tell me they wouldn't invest in pro wrestling internet drama either, especially when you can incorporate reality shows not just on the E channel, but also now on the WWE Network. Sky would be the limit.

 

[rmp0012002]

Why do celebrities apologize after an incident like this? Because it works. People are just naive to the PR machine. If you didn't intentionally do something or post something you have no reason to apologize but people are consumed by hearing the simple phrase 'I'm Sorry" that it will absolve you from anything that may have happened.

 

[Kodo Sawaki]

As Alastor has said, its basic curtesy. We dont care but their familys and sponsors does.

And as much as you people think its normal thing to have nude photos of yourself in todays society and that other people should just accept it, it isnt like that. I mean, probably nobody gives a crap if you do it in private, but if you show them wheather intentionaly or not, somebody who see it will give a crap. So its not without repricusions.

Oh, and Seth did it more because of WWE. With company so desperatly trying to promote PG that isnt gona induct one of their best Divas ever because of her porn work, I am guessing that they do care if one of their employee is involved in something like this. Madden even said somehing about punishing Seth, but highly doubt that its gona happen being that they are building him heavily now to be future World Champ and that dont think they will pull his push because of it.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Because the sponsors care and the sponsors pay the celebrities.

Sorry if some of you are so liberal in your thinking that flashing the world whether intentionally or not isn't something that deserve at least a simple apology. These people aren't porn stars. I guess you don't expect an apology from your children if their nudes get leaked online and is seen by your friends and family?

Well, no, if their pictures were posted without their consent, then they are a victim, and 99% of the time, a victim doesn't need to be doing any apologizing.

Not to mention my child would likely be underrage, which makes those images a crime.

But that's fine if you want to feel sorry for me for being so liberal, Alastor. I certainly don't. I feel exactly the opposite, because I believe that personal freedoms should be a natural award to everyone to any and all avenues that person wishes, just shy of producing harm.

 

[Alastor]

Well, no, if their pictures were posted without their consent, then they are a victim, and 99% of the time, a victim doesn't need to be doing any apologizing.

Fair enough if you think that way. Personally I would feel the shame of having friends and family exposed to the scandal and at least feel some remorse from the 'victim'.

Not to mention my child would likely be underrage, which makes those images a crime.

But that's fine if you want to feel sorry for me for being so liberal, Alastor. I certainly don't. I feel exactly the opposite, because I believe that personal freedoms should be a natural award to everyone to any and all avenues that person wishes, just shy of producing harm.

Have a little imagination and project when your child is of legal age then. People you know has access to the pictures and bring up the issue. You will be willing to let your child go without at least an apology to you for creating an issue do deal with?

I can even humour you for taking my point so literally. It is a crime since your child is underage. He/she has taken the picture and is subjecting themselves to child pornography laws. If you still think no apology is OK then you are more forgiving than the majority of us then.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Have a little imagination and project when your child is of legal age then. People you know has access to the pictures and bring up the issue. You will be willing to let your child go without at least an apology to you for creating an issue do deal with?

I can even humour you for taking my point so literally. It is a crime since your child is underage. He/she has taken the picture and is subjecting themselves to child pornography laws. If you still think no apology is OK then you are more forgiving than the majority of us then.

Of course I would. What harm have they caused me? Why would I be embarrassed of my legally of age child participating in normal sexual behavior? It's up to them if they want to share nude photographs of themselves with others. If they do, good for them. If they don't, good for them. They're of age, and it's entirely their choice. My input is irrelevant, and I see absolutely no issue with an of-age person acting sexually, especially around the age of 18-28.

The only time this would be an issue I'd need to be involved in is in the event these photographs were from when he/she was underage because of state child pornography laws.

 

[Boring]

some of you are too obsessed with what is law and don't have any common decency.

Laws are made by perverts and the corrupt, protect the kids, protect the women you care about, don't just let those you care about exploit themselves willy nilly.

Fuck it, no ones listening.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

What is your idea of "common decency"? You understand statements like that are to be dismissed by default, simply because no such thing actually exists, right? It's a form of the No True Scotsman fallacy.

Your idea of "common decency" may not actually be common. The West Boro Baptist Church, for example, have a wildly different idea of "common decency" than I do.

 

[Boring]

Life doesn't matter then.

There are no rules, just those we wish to accept. Pedophilia doesn't exist either!

This is the kind of discussion where I guess (atleast) two sides just say "Why don't you get it?"

 

[It's Damn Real!]

Life does matter, actually. We can demonstrate this.

There are rules. We can demonstrate these as well.

Pedophilia also exists. We can also demonstrate this.

Here's an idea — if you're confused about a position I've taken, ask for clarification instead of throwing your hands up in frustration, blabbering about sensationalist nonsense.

In fact, I'll do it for you. You said "Some of you are too obsessed with what is law and don't have any common decency". What do you mean by this? Can you give a better, more detailed example?

You also said "Laws are made by perverts and the corrupt" — can you actually verify this? Literally all the law-makers in this country are perverts and corrupt? How did you determine this? What was your baseline? What do you define as "pervert" and "corrupt"?

 

[Boring]

You also said "Laws are made by perverts and the corrupt" — can you actually verify this? Literally all the law-makers in this country are perverts and corrupt? How did you determine this? What was your baseline? What do you define as "pervert" and "corrupt"?

Nothing, just forget it. You win Ron Kuby.

"Life does matter, actually. We can demonstrate this.

There are rules. We can demonstrate these as well.

Pedophilia also exists. We can also demonstrate this."

I wanted to just drop this whole thing, but whatever, I'm old and I'm sad so I brought it back up.

1. Too whom does life matter and when does it matter, at conception? at birth? How do we demonstrate this? While the govn offers after school programs and bombs the shit out out foreign schools?

Yes, we can demonstrate man made rules all day, but where are there rules stopping anyone from doing whatever they want? Some people consider homosexual sodomy the same as murder, where can you justify that, aside from some man made law or rule?

And pedophilia. Pedophilia is in the dictionary, it's a word, a lot of people know about it... it's "man made' like everything else. I don't fucking agree one bit with it, but whose to say it's wrong. Atheists don't believe in a higher power, so whose deciding at what age a boy or girl or man or woman can have consentual sex?

Religous people say don't have sex till marriage which might not be till 63 for someone like myself.

The law, where you live, might say between 16-18 yrs old, but that's the law. There's no universal rule and centuries ago it was casual for a much older man to marry a teenage girl and younger.

W/o a higher power, there is no absolute power, just opinions. That's all laws are.

 

[It's Damn Real!]

1. Too whom does life matter and when does it matter, at conception? at birth? How do we demonstrate this? While the govn offers after school programs and bombs the shit out out foreign schools?

To all of us as societies, and to anyone who understands the basic principles of what makes us human in the first place — things like compassion and empathy. We can demonstrate this by pointing to compassionate acts and empathetic behavior between members of the species. We can further substantiate this by then pointing to numerous laws and requirements moral societies put into place that protect these interests — laws against murder, cruelty and violence, for example.

What does this have anything to do with this thread?

Yes, we can demonstrate man made rules all day, but where are there rules stopping anyone from doing whatever they want? Some people consider homosexual sodomy the same as murder, where can you justify that, aside from some man made law or rule?

They don't. Rules are in place to dictate the manner in which we all should act. If and when someone violates these rules, they pay the cost that society determines is the penalty for that violation — often imprisonment.

I don't consider homosexual sodomy the same as murder. How do I justify this? Simply — Murder takes away another human beings' right to live. It causes irreparable harm to his/her loved ones as we can demonstrate by looking at any number of cases where a family lost a loved one who was murdered. "Homosexual sodomy" does not when the act is consensual, as it is in the majority of homosexual cases. Gay men have gay sex. There's no "violation" happening. They are, in the vast majority of cases, consenting adults participating in a sexual activity they both agree to.

What does this have anything to do with this thread?

And pedophilia. Pedophilia is in the dictionary, it's a word, a lot of people know about it... it's "man made' like everything else. I don't fucking agree one bit with it, but whose to say it's wrong. Atheists don't believe in a higher power, so whose deciding at what age a boy or girl or man or woman can have consentual sex?

We are. As a society, because we understand it to be a naturally occurring behavior, but a behavior that can have a harmful effect if it's performed too early. Do I really need to explain to you how this is the case?

Atheist, theist, Buddhist — doesn't matter here. Age of consent is determined by the Nation or the State and is based in evidence. Each state determines the age of consent based on what their peoples determine to be an appropriate age. The youngest in the nation, I believe, is 16.

But again, what does this have anything to do with this thread?

Religous people say don't have sex till marriage which might not be till 63 for someone like myself.

The law, where you live, might say between 16-18 yrs old, but that's the law. There's no universal rule and centuries ago it was casual for a much older man to marry a teenage girl and younger.

W/o a higher power, there is no absolute power, just opinions. That's all laws are.

So what, and what does this have to do with this thread?

If two consenting adults choose to share nude photographs with one another and those images are stolen and posted without their consent, those two individuals are victims of a crime. They shouldn't be shamed into apologizing for having their fucking dignity stolen. This is an absurd way of thinking, and is victim-blaming.

And even if those images aren't stolen, but are posted accidentally, they have little reason to apologize. They can, if they want to, and I'm sure there'd be some people who'd appreciate that, but I see little reason for an apology to be required in most cases, because in most cases, it's a form of victim blaming, and is designed to shame these people for acting on their sexual impulses.

 

[Alastor]

Of course I would. What harm have they caused me? Why would I be embarrassed of my legally of age child participating in normal sexual behavior? It's up to them if they want to share nude photographs of themselves with others. If they do, good for them. If they don't, good for them. They're of age, and it's entirely their choice. My input is irrelevant, and I see absolutely no issue with an of-age person acting sexually, especially around the age of 18-28.

The only time this would be an issue I'd need to be involved in is in the event these photographs were from when he/she was underage because of state child pornography laws.

They caused you embarrassment if people in your lives had access or have knowledge of the incident. That's the 'harm'. You have thicker skin than most people if such situations are easily brushed off.

As mentioned by Kodo, there are repercussions when such incidents occur. Jobs can be lost, relationships changed. You seem to think that even when these are being considered, you don't expect even a simple apology for fear of being labelled victim shaming.

Curious if it were your own nudes that were leaked and posted on an inappropriate medium, would you feel compelled to apologise to anyone?

 

[It's Damn Real!]

This all would depend whether or not these images were stolen, or posted by me accidentally. As I mentioned earlier, in the event they were accidentally posted by me, sure, I could at least understand why embarrassed family members (my wife, for example) would be deserving of an apology on my behalf. They are drug through the mud, potentially, because of my mistake. In this case, certainly above theft, I can understand the sort of public outcry over this kind of mental gaff.

However, were those images stolen and posted without my consent, my response would be largely the same as a lot of the celebrities who had their images leaked during the original Fappening — a promise of legal action to be taken against these thieves who have shared private moments of my life they had no right to view or share with others. Nowhere in the statement would there be an admission of guilt, an apology for embarrassment or otherwise. These images were representations of my sexual desires, activity and appreciation for the individual they were sent to (lets say my wife). They were designed and delivered through the understanding that the method in which they were delivered was secure and private, for her eyes only. That security was breached, illegally, and my privacy was compromised and profited from where these images, my property, were disseminated without my consent to eyes they were never intended for.

It's not that I don't accept apologies for things like this. It's that I don't think they're necessary. It's that I think they're a form of shaming someone who has already been victimized when we should be rallying around them and supporting them in a time of need, apologizing to them for being victims of theft and abuse. They're the ones in need of apology, not you. Again, I realize it's sensational, but if you have a daughter and she's raped and you are the head of some corporation with a higher profile public view, her rape could absolutely be conceived as negative press for you. Should she apologize for being violated? This is the lens I view this sort of thing through. She gave no consent to her rapist. Her rapist took advantage of her and abused her. Now the social pressure around you, the non-victim, who at best has to deal with the discomfort of being a person whose daughter was raped, is so great that she should apologize for your embarrassment? Fuck that.