On Tiger and the Media

I just have to get something off my chest and I hate that in doing so, I am adding to the blogging frenzy that surrounds the Tiger Woods melodrama but since not many people read this anyway, I don't feel like I will be doing all that much damage anyhow. Here goes...

I certainly think Tiger Woods has screwed up. Plain and simple, if the reports are true (and I have found that there is usually a inkling of truth even in the tabloids), Tiger is an adulterer and has seriously failed his wife and children. If he's been successful on the golf course, he's been just as unsuccessful in his role as a husband and father. But I have some serious qualms over how this whole thing has played out in the media and I think for me it's been different with Tiger then other celebrities because he's made me realize, although I always knew it under the surface but now it's come straight to the front of my mind, that everyone messes up and the media loves a good screw-up. I have always admired Tiger for trying to stay out of the limelight as much as possible even with his huge successes. He doesn't roll over for the media. He doesn't hold press conferences to announce otherwise minor events in the normal person's life. He didn't sell his baby's pictures to the highest bidder. He always seemed to do his best to stay out of the tabloids. To me, that showed humility and sincerity.

Well, now he's allegedly been involved in some very unbecoming behavior and still he has refused to bend to the media's pressure to become public. After the initial shock of hearing the allegations, I really was not all that surprised. People do stupid things. Why would we expect any more of Tiger? I mean, of course, I didn't WANT him to fail, but that's just what people do. It's our sinful nature. What I am somewhat shocked about is the way the media has reacted and continues to react. It's as if THEY can't believe that Tiger Woods, role model to all children, world's best golfer, man who can (apparently) do no wrong, has royally messed up. Why must they continue to pick and stab and dig at the wound that Tiger himself caused? I think I know why.

The media has always annoyed me because it's two-faced. It's rarely trustworthy. I never know if the story I'm hearing is the truth because the media's goal is no longer to report the news; it's all about ratings and delivering news that is going to cause great ratings. Media is a business first and foremost and that drives me crazy. But since it is a business, the media reports on news that it thinks the people want to hear. So I've been thinking about all this hype about Tiger and how the reports say his game will never be the same again because he will never be able to shake the paparazzi and his image is marred forever and opponents are no longer going to be intimidated by his awesomeness and all that and I wonder "why is this what the media thinks we want to hear?" Have we, as a people, placed our hopes and dreams in celebrities/athletes to such a point that we care when they screw up? I mean, I mess up. A lot. And I know you mess up. And I know our very best friends and family members mess up. But do we want any of that reported on the news? Do we want to read about it everywhere we go day in and day out? I know I don't. When I mess up, I like to try to forget as soon as possible. And depending on the severity of the mistake, I may live with the consequences for awhile but generally speaking, I don't really want to talk about it. I just want to avoid doing it again. And I prefer that others give me some grace and not bring it up either (given that apologies have been made and all that). Well, I think that is what Tiger has tried to do in keeping his private life well, private. I don't blame him one bit and I HATE what the media is doing. I hate that the media always has to find the negative and report on it 24/7. It's just so boring! (And really it truly is boring when all these stories are based on alleged actions, not even real ones yet. That just fuels my fire here.)

So, again although I don't condone what Tiger has done, I feel like more than ever the invasion of the media in people's private lives is so very apparent here. I hope Tiger NEVER feels the need to make a public statement or apology. What he's (allegedly) done has scarred his family. It's hurt his wife deeply. It's probably broken his mother's heart. And Lord knows what his father would say if he was alive. But why does he have to apologize to us? Why is the media and PR "experts" spouting about the need for a public spoken apology or statement? Why do we care?? Tiger's life is his own and ours should be too. We should rest our hopes and dreams on just that, OUR hopes and dreams. Not the aspirations and successes and failures of celebrities and/or athletes. Our hopes and dreams should lie in our families and with our closest and dearest friends who we actually legitimately invest our lives in. What if we stopped caring so much about the personal lives of celebrities and athletes? What would the media focus on then? Perhaps NEWS for once.

UPDATE: Tiger IS an adulterer, by his own admission, and has become part of the scum that sits at the bottom of the celebrity barrel; however, I still stand by this article and don't think he was obligated to apologize to us or anyone but his family.