Woods meets the press

America has become a land that is intoxicated by celebrity, and as a pundit I must say that I detest this aspect of the psyche of my country. There was a time when the folks who people looked up to were special in some way, and their achievements were inspiring. But in these times we see people who have little or no talent enjoying the trappings of celebrity, and it really sucks from the collective soul of the country. And even those who have significant talent become deified far beyond the limits of their abilities (think Kanye West, Kid Rock, and just about every face on television). And on the other hand, you have politicians who hold positions that are supposed to be based on experience and qualifications who are elected due to their celebrity appeal, which is how Obama got elected and how Sarah Palin made it onto the center stage.

Part of this has to do with endorsement deals. The more recognizable you are, the more money you get through endorsements. Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, but he was also one of the most sought after marketing icons in the world of sports and entertainment. His enormous celebrity appeal (which I never understood–the guy seem very boring to me) translated into tens of millions of dollars annually. So now that he is in the doghouse, he has to deal with a fallout the size of his celebrity, and it is mighty big indeed.

So today Tiger has faced the cameras and made his big public apology for his marital infidelity. Though it is not to be condoned, statistics show that half of married men will cheat at some time or other, and a significant percentage of women will as well. Many families are faced with this issue, so as Tiger makes the headlines, we say…who cares? Let’s talk about how are tax dollars are being spent and exactly who is printing our currency instead.