TIGER
WOODS
VS.
THE
MEDIA
Copyright © 2009, 2015 by Jim Hull
(Please cite the author if you quote from this work)
We
worship
our sports heroes, averting our eyes to their faults. Tiger
Woods swore and hurled clubs, but others kept handing him
gimmes. Now that the dark side of his private life has
spilled out, everyone turns away, shocked. People will hate
him for awhile, as much as they loved him before. Both
reactions seem extreme. Tiger's a person who just happens to
be at the top of his game. And, yes, he thought that gave
him a 'bye on morality.
One thing troubles me about this entire affair (pardon the
pun): the press is hounding Tiger to come out with details
of his indiscretions. They assert that such confession will
restore him to good graces, and that without it he'll suffer
continuing public rejection. My concern is simple: this
demand appears self serving. After all, whether it helps
Tiger regain his life or not, it certainly adds to the news
cycle! I've yet to hear anyone in media suggest the
alternate theory -- that Tiger has already confessed, that we already know what
happened, and that further details would merely harm others
who ought to be left alone, to say nothing of the damage it
would do to his case in divorce court. (In this country,
even if confession is good for the soul, it's bad for
litigation.) But then, watching Tiger's fortune get
dismantled in court would
make for a great news series.
It's true that Woods is a famously difficult interviewee:
his answers to press questions tend toward bland soporifics.
I don't blame the news services for feeling frustrated with
him. But does he owe them more than he's already admitted?
Tiger's December 11 mea
culpa about his infidelity was a great press
victory. Sure, he owes his public that much simple honesty.
But more? Let's see: "I had a steamy night of sex with
so-and-so, and we murmured sweet nothings into each others'
ears while I forgot all about my wife." Detailing it would
keep the press happily busy for a while, and it would make
for great soap opera. But it would sully us all.
David Letterman admitted his indiscretions to head off an
extortion scheme. A-Rod confessed about his steroid use
because he was the last person to say publicly what the rest
of us knew already. Celebrity confessions are, perhaps,
about getting on the same page as everyone else, so that we
can begin to trust them again. Tiger said, "I'm sorry; let
me heal my family." That's a confession! But the media wants
more from him. When they demand that he give out salacious
details -- with the implied threat that the press will hound
him mercilessly until he gives in -- it creates the
impression of another kind of blackmail.
...One other thought: maybe Tiger should go back to Stanford
and finish his degree. It would humanize him in the public
eye as he studied hard, sweated the grades, ate in the
cafeteria, dated a few coeds -- oops, too much.
If
you find any part of this work quoted without credit to the
author, please let him know! Thank you.
jimhull@jimhull.com
But caveat auctor: Jim reserves the right to put your little screed on his Web site! (And he has no dignity about this, so be careful what you say...)
THE ARTS! CITY LIFE! PHILOSOPHY! POLITIX! NATURE! HUMOR!