# Olympic Athletes as News Gossip CNN Roasts Amanda Beard on Michael Phelps By Bianca | Published 2008-08-22 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cnn-amanda-beard-michael-phelps-eww References: [deadspin](http://deadspin.com/5040380/beard-apology-not-enough-for-cnn-the-world) & [cnn](http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/showbiz/2008/08/21/sbt.diss.phelps.cnn) Amandra Beard has been roughly criticized on her commentary regarding dating Michael Phelps, even by huge news outlets. She was roasted by three anchors on CNN after used the word, “eww” to describe the possibility of taking the Beijing Olympic 2008 gold medal swimmer. “Everyone who knows me knows that I can be a jokester, but I guess I took it too far,” Amanda Beard said. “I never meant to say anything rude about Michael. I am 100 percent sorry for what I said.” While it wouldn’t be anything noteworthy if the buzz surrounding Amanda Beard and Michael Phelps had stemmed from tabloids or gossip sites, but it’s the fact that the mainstream media has latched onto the story that makes it really interesting. Even the traditional news media is facing the conundrum in which they are forced to choose pop culture and celebrity gossip over hard news stories and real journalistic features. The fact is [celebrities, sex and scandal sell](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/travis-kelce1). Amanda Beard, who [Playboy](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/playboy-magazine-1) named, “The World’s Sexiest Athlete,” is the perfect person to star in such a feature. Branching out to encompass more pop culture doesn’t sound like something CNN would be emphasizing, but alas, it looks like this is where the media is headed if they want to keep their content relevant to the mainstream. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.5/10 - Popularity: 93% | Activity: 63% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Media](https://www.trendhunter.com/media) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Celebrity-ification of Sports News:** The trend of mainstream media focusing on the personal lives of athletes rather than their achievements presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the field of sports journalism. - **Pop Culture Dominating News Media:** The trend of popular culture dominating over hard news stories presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the field of journalism. - **Celebrity Endorsements on Media Outlets:** The trend of more media outlets incorporating celebrity endorsements presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the advertising industry. ### Where This Applies - **Sports Journalism:** The trend of mainstream media focusing on the personal lives of athletes rather than their achievements presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the field of sports journalism. - **Journalism:** The trend of popular culture dominating over hard news stories presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the field of journalism. - **Advertising:** The trend of more media outlets incorporating celebrity endorsements presents a disruptive innovation opportunity in the advertising industry. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Athlete-Centric Bingo Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/share-your-bingo-moment.md) - [Athlete Hair Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/athlete-hair-campaigns-schwarzkopf-professionals-up-your-hair-game-celebrat.md) - [Athlete-Approved Hair Accessories Brands](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/laurie-hernandez.md) - [Athlete-Backed Menstruation Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sportyourperiod.md) - [Athlete-Endorsed Cleaning Product Lines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whole-darn-arm.md) - [Athlete-Backed Stigma-Addressing Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/anna-leigh-waters.md) - [Athletic Nail Polish Ambassadors](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sally-hansen-and-jared-mccain.md) - [Athlete-Centric Beauty Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/athlete-centric-beauty-campaigns.md) - [Athlete-Centric Cosmetics Partnerships](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/canadian-ambassador.md)