The tabloids advance two main arguments for invading privacy to reveal someone’s sex life. The first is that their victim is a role model who must be exposed if he has not behaved impeccably. The second is that it’s their job to expose hypocrites who mislead the public by saying one thing and doing another. Both arguments are flawed.
The role model argument is hopeless. A famous sportsman is undoubtedly a role model when practising his sport. You would not want a famous footballer to foul consistently lest other, lesser footballers followed his example. But he’s not a role model in his sex life. Sex is not the reason for his fame nor the reason he’s admired. It’s irrelevant to his ‘role’ which is playing football.
