34 Of The Biggest Scandals To Rock Mankind Since Adam And Eve Ate The Apple

Our dear friend Wikipedia defines a scandal as "the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way a social norm."

And boy have we seen our fair share. But not all scandalous acts result in a scandal or produce the same consequences. Some people suffer a fall from grace while others remain unscathed. Seemingly immune to scandals despite their blatant scandalous behavior. Experts believe it has a lot to do with the media.

The media are more likely to create a scandal when transgressions disrupt established norms, notes an article published on the University of Alberta's website. "When public figures who hold themselves up as paragons of morality are revealed to violate the social order they purport to uphold, a scandal is sure to follow," it reads.

So basically, if you paint a picture of yourself as someone with a squeaky clean image, and a moral compass that always points in the right direction, don't be surprised if the house of cards comes crashing down when you're caught in a compromising position.

The university adds that media coverage of wrongdoing only activates a scandal when it speaks to powerful and interested social groups.

"Audiences are not homogeneous: what is egregiously offensive to some is unremarkable to others," explains the site. "Those who operate at the intersection of multiple, diverse interest groups may seem immune from scandal because only some constituencies find a particular behaviour objectionable."

A scandal is only likely to emerge if the most powerful audiences are willing to act upon the transgression, say the experts.

Scandals often come to light on social media but they don't always blow up to the point of damaging reputations, unless a well-known or prestigious media outlet picks up the story. But the status and credibility of a media outlet also plays a part.

"The media not only publicize transgressions but also shape scandal narratives," reads the site, adding that any attempts to delegitimize the media could help someone caught in a scandal to escape bad publicity.

For example, an outlet is often attacked and accused of producing "fake news," as certain individuals (follow my eyes but don't look now) may remain unjudged, and untouched, despite their blatantly scandalous behavior.

Some public figures are politicians who are purely able to weather the storm, and resist creating a scandal better than others.

"Political figures have status, authority and legitimacy that can protect them, but also visibility that can pull them down," notes the University of Alberta article. "Corporate leaders answer to a different set of stakeholders but the activation and fallout from corporate scandals are similar to those in politics."