Smoking weed is great.

For web traffic, at least.

I wrote a basic piece about Michael Phelps’ weed-smoking Saturday night, and it has become the most viewed page on my website (click here for the link).  Right now, it has 1,590 page views over about two and a half days.

It’s too bad I don’t run ads on my page, you know?

But here’s the follow-up to that story, where Ashton Kutcher sticks up for Michael Phelps by blaming the photographer.

“I don’t smoke and haven’t in quite some time,” Kutcher admits. “But I’m not immune to a lapse in good judgement from time to time. The real douche is the idiot that put out the pic.”

The lapse in judgment he’s referring to would be where he recorded and posted a video online where he’s yelling about how his neighbor is pissing him off by working on his house at seven in the morning.  That was pretty stupid.

“He’s a good kid. He could be a real douche but he’s not. Maybe the media can quit dragging his dick in the dirt.”

How does Kutcher know he’s a good kid?  Do they hang out a lot?

I’d say no, so Kutcher shouldn’t be commenting on the merits of Phelps’ character.

“I’m not saying it was a smart move. But he doesn’t need to be publicly outed for it. Who ever put the pic out is an ass!”

Here’s how the tabloid publishing industry works…

People take pictures like this, and then they sell them for a ton of money to tabloids.  And when I say a ton of money, I mean millions of dollars.  That’s life-altering money. It’s enough to get rid of debt from college, start your own business and cover your parents medical expenses for the next 40 years.

You know what?

If I were at that party, I’d take a photo too.  Then I would sell it.   And if Kutcher was in the same financial position as 99% of the country, he’d undoubtedly do the same.