Tiger In The Rough
Tiger Woods with his wife Elin Nordegren
‘Nuff said about Tiger Woods “alleged transgressions.” As countless buxom blondes and brunettes tumble out of the closet with their claims of having an affair with the golfing superstar, it makes me wonder, why do we even care about what Woods does.
Sure- it’s gossipy and I do enjoy watching the crap on TV and reading it in the papers and blogs. We all love that – feeding off celeb gossip, tittering amongst ourselves, sniggering how “the mighty have fallen.”
Social scientists say we enjoy reading tripe about celebrities so much, because it humanizes them – brings them down to our [base] level- and shows that they too poo in the morning, have cellulite and are human – warts and all.
Others suggest that being a celebrity also weirdly enough makes you public property.
You endorse Wheaties, therefore we have the right to pry into your public life, after all my 6 year old is probably watching your commercials, buying your cereal, looking upto you as a potential role model.
AP Sports Columnist John Leicester, however, presents a different argument. He contends celebrities aren’t public property. He says purchasing a razor, drink or sportswear endorsed by Woods doesn’t buy you a piece of the man, too.
“That Woods is on his way to becoming or has already become the first athlete to top $1 billion in earnings says plenty about how easily led consumers are. But it doesn’t entitle them to know everything that Woods does behind closed doors.”
And then there are the others that suggest Tiger Woods should come clean a la David Letterman. Wait, that’s absurd! David Letterman made an entire career of mocking politicians for their transgressions and he was being extorted for $2 million.
No one is asking Tiger for any money and Hey! Tiger didn’t poke fun of Pols caughts with their pants down. So, that argument truly doesn’t hold.
Whatever Tiger does decide to do – come clean, go into hiding, not care- play golf – his saga will continue to play out in the tabloids. Last heard, big O – Oprah Winfrey was trying to get him to come on her show.
Till that happens, Tiger can rest in the infamous Hall of Shame with fellow cheaters, Mark Sanford, John Edwards and the like and like any true celebrity be voluntary fodder for late night jokes.
Read more Tiger Woods tripe here.
