Melanie Oudin Victimized: America's Newest Sweetheart Claimed by Media Monster

The media really is a powerful tool. Not only does it expose our interests, it also has a very heavy influence on our perspective in our general lives. However, it can be abused, and very easily.

Basically, the good and the bad balance out, and as an aspiring journalist who is constantly monitoring sports press to learn tricks of the trade, I learned of its powerful influences this past week.

I am no tennis fan—as a matter of fact, I can honestly say I would watch bowling before I watched tennis—but for the past week it was all I watched.

Why? The media informed me, as well as thousands of others, of the incredible Melanie Oudin story.

The story alone is phenomenal. The 17-year-old, who is unranked, nearly fought her way to the top of one of America's most prestigious sporting events.

This was the Boise State vs. Oklahoma of tennis.

However, the story is a little bit more special down here. Oudin is from the metro Atlanta area, specifically Marietta, where I live.

I do not know Melanie personally, but I have plenty of Facebook friends who do. For the past week, with no exaggeration, probably 75 to 80 percent of my Facebook friends' status had something to do with Melanie.

Handfuls of them know her and her family personally. So, this seemingly impossible climb had magnified implications down here.

The story got me hooked and even made me kind of like tennis...

But man, did things go sour. All of a sudden Oudin is a national celebrity and has her name on the front page of just about every online newspaper site out there.

However, for the past few days, it hasn't quite been about tennis.

For some reason, the media found a certain story regarding Oudin's parents more than worthy of covering.

As I logged on to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution website yesterday, like always, I proceeded to click on a link...a link that was filed under the "sports" section.

That link contained the story about Oudin's parents. No, her parents are not professional golfers, and no, her parents have not brought back jousting.

Her parents seem to be moving towards a divorce.

Now, I will not tell you BR readers why the divorce is on the horizon, because that would make me a part of the craze I am trying to run into the ground here, but I will say that the details are nothing to be proud of.

By nothing to be proud of, I mean for the parents and Melanie.

If you are wondering about the details—that is, of course, if you have not already read up on them—then any visit to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Fox Sports, ESPN, CNN, or the like will catch you up.

This girl has been thrust into the national spotlight, something we all dream of, and is living the life.

But she is human, and the effects of this latest story regarding her parents have definitely started some fires.

All of those Facebook friends are royally ticked off!

What in the world does this story have to do with sports? More disturbingly, why did every single newspaper and media monster out there find it worthy of posting?

The relationship between Oudin's parents is not my business, it not my friends' business, and it definitely is not the business of people who have the power to release incredibly personal details to the entire country.

I guarantee you the details are nothing anyone would want even their closest peers to know about. Oudin must be embarrassed. Her family must be embarrassed.

And I am embarrassed for the media.

The girl is 17 and was just your everyday American teenager a few months ago. She initially became a powerful reminder of the relatable lives celebrities live in contrast to ours. She is still your everyday American teenager (just with endorsements and really cool shoes).

So, why should achievement and impressive success correlate with exposure of your personal life?

Why is it that every news group was OK with making a 17-year-old's parents relationship a public matter?

What in the world did the media think would actually come of the story? Why should we care?

The story will not influence my view of tennis or Melanie Oudin. It will not even influence my view of the legal system, which is honestly the only category this story could even fit into.

Considering that Melanie Oudin is in the spotlight because of sport then articles about her (and her family...), which are filed under the sport section, should really be about sport shouldnt it?!

I do not know Melanie's perspective or opinion on the situation. I may not know the logic behind these pundits reasoning for posting the story. I may not know if the family was aware or minded at all.

But, guess what, I do not have to. Why? Because the story itself has nothing, and I mean NOTHING to do with Melanie Oudin and her journey! Even on the surface, disregarding the implicatons of the controversial content, the media still fails.

But, they did suck up a story they has no business in the media.

Great power comes with great responsibility, but it should not come with vulnerability.

She is just like the rest of us, except she is excellent at tennis. That should not translate into the indecent exposure of her family's personal issues.

As for the "Great Power, Great Responsibility" cliché, that also entails having a heightened sense of taste and regard for the lives of people.

Honestly, that might be one of the few things the media lacks.