Buzz Bissinger's story on Tiger Woods, entitled "Tiger in the Rough" (2010) deals with the issue of Tiger Woods' fall from grace. I have to admit that I have very conflicting feelings about the Tiger Woods scandal and I don't know exactly where I stand on it. What I find more interesting is the level of access the public feels it should have to his sexual life.
This is a question that has probably been beaten to death, but when it comes to this scandal, what question hasn’t? On one had you have the fact that Tiger Woods’ sexual history is a personal issue. He plays golf; he endorses products due to his popularity and success with golf; so where in there does it say that the public should know the intimate details of his life? As Bissinger’s (2010) article described, he is one of, if not the most, aloof sports star in that he does not share his emotions about his sport, much less his life outside of golf. He doesn’t even share his life with his fellow golfers. This man obviously values his privacy and isn’t the complete lack of privacy in the 21st century starting to pinch a nerve?
On the other hand, he was not paid nearly a billion dollars of endorsement money just to put his face and name on a brand due to his golf. He was also paid that money because of how squeaky clean his image was. If there is a case for Tiger Woods’ life being on display before the world, it would be the fact that his fortune was built on a false image. In terms of fraud, this would be on par with the Enron scandal. If he owes anyone an explanation and apology, it is his wife, children, and the companies that paid him millions for the false product of his image.
I don’t know if Woods owed his fans an explanation, apology, or even the truth. In the end, everyone presents a carefully crafted image to the world while going about their lives and doing less then reputable things. Sure, we don’t spend tens of thousands of dollars on prostitutes and sleep with dozens of women behind our wives’ back, but then again none of us have the celebrity status or millions of dollars to achieve vice at this level. There is a reason we worry so much about things like the security of our Facebook pages today; it’s because we don’t want our employer, clients, or many others to know what we really do when we are acting as “ourselves”. So in the end, as horrible as Tiger Woods’ life has been shown to be, I feel a bit of sympathy for the guy who obviously let his abnormal life spiral out of control. And control is something he obviously has an obsession with.
I can understand why you say you are conflicted about Tiger Woods' "fall from grace." When the news about his affairs began to surface, I really did not want to hear the details. I could only imagine how embarassing it must have been for his family--especially his wife and mother. But if I were someone who paid an athlete millions to sponsor my product, and that relationship was predicated on the athlete's image, I would certainly want to know that his or her image was above reproach. So I can see why his 'private life' became a concern to those paying sponsorship dollars.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head! It is not only their sporting abilities that get them endorsements but also their image. He has done a good job at keeping his private life out of the media but, now it makes you wonder if that is because of the things he was trying to keep from his wife. Was this his way of keeping his affairs a secret- by keeping his private life out of the media.
ReplyDeleteI think that, though it has little effect on him as a golfer, his affairs should whole-heartedly affect his sponsorships and endorsements. Many companies would not like the face of their product to be someone who has labeled himself as a "family man" for so many years to be a cheater. Honestly, it would be bad business on their part. Yes, his personal life is that- personal, but he needs to realize how much his actions also affect others!
Interesting observation that you made regarding that people tend to craft their public image so that a person could be like by as many people as possible. While many people are similar versions to who they are publicly and privately, I would bet there would be some great differences too.
ReplyDeleteI respected that you did not take the easy route and simply bash Tiger Woods. Obviously what he did was horrible, but you were able to put it into a 21st century perspective. Tiger Woods' public fallout is much more complicated than a man who was caught cheating on his wife.