Ryan Lochte Is Not a ‘Boy.’ #LochteGate Is Not ‘Boys Will Be Boys.’

Ryan Lochte, the ur-jock, he of “Peeing in Pools” fame, he of the 8-episode E! reality show and 2012’s worst catchphrase (“Jeah”), finally gave us a more compelling reason to dislike him than everything I just mentioned. As our host RJ Aguiar lays out in the video above, he is accused of peeing on a gas station bathroom’s floor, breaking down the door, making up an insane story about the incident (claiming he was robbed at gunpoint)… and is now apparently getting away with it.

That last clause is the focus of this article. Ryan Lochte likely committed vandalism and gave false testimony. Both are on video. (For what it’s worth, TMZ reports that sources close to Lochte claim the former video is missing three minutes that back up Lochte’s story.)

Yet IOC spokesman Mario Andrada came out with this insane official statement in response to the controversy:

Hold the phone. Lochte “had fun”? What part of “deliberately lying to people so that you’ll seem like less of a douchebag” is fun? Equally important: Lochte is not a “kid.” He is 32 years old. I can maybe possibly understand a statement like this one being released if Lochte were, like, 16. But again: he is 32 years old. I’m south of 32 myself, and I can clearly recognize that acting like an asshole and lying about it is totally unacceptable at my age. So why is Lochte getting a pass?

People on Twitter were quick to point out the insanity of Andrada’s statement, especially in light of the recent absurd, manufactured controversy over Gabby Douglas not holding her hand over heart during “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Here are a few of our favorite tweets on the subject:

As of this writing, Lochte himself has yet to comment on #LochteGate. Unlike his U.S. Olympics swimming teammates, he made it out of Brazil before getting pulled off a plane by police and confronted for his alleged lies. What repercussions, if any, he’ll face for his behavior remain to be seen. Even if he does get away with it, we hope he learns that he shouldn’t have.

What do you think? Should Lochte face consequences for #LochteGate? Let us know in the comments below or @WhatsTrending on Twitter!