I thought I'd weigh in on the story of the moment. Ah, Tiger Woods.

To be honest, I tried not to pay attention to the coverage at first. Then, it became impossible not to, since ESPN is devoting hours to it, not to mention CNN and Fox News, etc.

Here's my thought: while it's fair game for us to moralize about how folks in the public eye live their lives, I'm really only interested in the private lives of famous people if they are being hypocritical. Politicians who espouse one thing and live another, for instance. But to focus on the screwed up private life of the world's most famous golfer doesn't interest me.

Why I steer clear is that we do this over and over again in our culture: we (the media leading the way) love to build people up to iconic levels, and then we revel in tearing them down. It's like a national sport. Michael Jackson, O.J. Simpson (OK, bad example), Jon and Kate, Britney Spears, Mark McGwire. The list goes on and on.

Part of the issue, it seems to me, is how we place people on a pedastal to begin with. I have nothing against rejoicing about a public figure who does something really well, but when we make them more than human, we set them up to fall. And I understand the concept of schadenfreude, finding satisfaction in the misfortune of others. It's human nature. But it does seem a little sick to me how much fun we seem to have as a people, watching the crash and burn.

I'm really only interested in whether someone is having an affair if it's me or my partner. Beyond that, I don't care. I don't know Tiger Woods. I have no basis to judge his behavior. I have never been in his shoes. Is he a sex addict or is he just a cheater and a jerk? I dunno. If he wants to write a book about it or talk about it on Oprah, I'm sure he will. I probably won't read it or watch, though. I have my own life to live.
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Waldorf to Your Astoria
Waldorf to Your Astoria
Waldorf to Your Astoria
The blog of author Bill Konigsberg
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Tempe, AZ, United States
Author of Lambda Literary Award-winning novel OUT OF THE POCKET (Dutton). For more information, go to www.billkonigsberg.com
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