It would be really difficult not to mention something "Tiger Woods" in this weeks post. Everywhere I've looked over the past week - newspapers, TV, taxi cabs, etc, Tiger's face is splashed everywhere. The assumption that Tiger had been cheating on his wife or having "transgressions" was confirmed recently by a personal statement. And on his website, there is a personal plea from Tiger that begs for a "simple, human measure of privacy."
Now of course, I am by no means condoning adultery but I can sympathize with the often times embellished attention from the media. It is one thing to be a human being and to make a mistake and another to have every inch of that mistake shared with the world. But personally, I'm conflicted. Part of me feels sorry for him that as a human being he is not allowed to make a mistake without being ridiculed and judged by his fans, sponsors and peers. But the other part of me wants to give him a good shake and say, "how stupid are YOU?"
What celebrities want is selective privacy - the ability to pick and choose when they want to let the outside world into their lives. And let's be real, Tiger gave up his privacy a long time ago for cash in the way of multiple endorsement deals - shoes, razors, beverages, golf courses, etc. He invites us into his world to play - to become his virtual neighbor so to speak but when we peek over the fence after hearing about his crash at 2AM, his car wrapped around a fire hydrant and a smashed out windshield, we are asked to honor a "human measure of privacy." Not to mention he came back with a ridiculous cover up that his wife pulled him from his (non-burning) car, dodged the police for days, came back saying he didn't owe anyone an explanation and then came up with the whole bit about "transgressions". And now he is asking for privacy? Yikes. He sounds like his own PR nightmare! As far as tabloids go, HE wrote the story for them.
Celebrities have no privacy for the most part - unless you make it a point to live a totally reclusive life - like Spirited Woman Stevie Knicks. She is never in the media. If you want to live a private life, then celebrities like Tiger need to make better choices and stop handwriting stories for the media. Even Dave Letterman, despite another cruel mistake, can be greatly respected for his honesty. I guess its fair to say that Tiger is the greatest golfer in the world but has a lot to learn about honesty and playing against the media. I'm pretty sure he was taught "honesty was the best policy" before he learned how to pick up a 2 Iron.
What do you think about celebrity privacy? Please share!
- Elaine La Personerie - www.winkpr.com
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