Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Tiger is not out of the woods yet

So, he is back eh.

Tiger is out of the cage. He racked up a dozen porn stars and waitresses. But he will be received as a hero when he returns to the fairway next month. All is either have been, or will be, forgotten and forgiven. Tiger's personal life is none of my business. It should neither be yours or the media. The thought that irk me is: is it not unfair that celebrities especially sportstars are given a little bit more leeway than the common man? Just because they play professional sport should not mean they are not expected to uphold the same standards and abide by laws of general society. Tiger apologises and says something like "The only clubs I know from now on are the ones I used to hit the golf balls with. Even if I cheat, it'll only be in golf. Golf is after all only a game. Family life is not, like I found out in the last few months. Thank you very much.". We croon and cringe hearing the apology and forgive too easily. If a common man, Joe Bloggs, had done what Tiger did, would you expect his partner to take him back? Would you take back a partner who has had extra-marital affair with a dozen people?

Recently, Michael Clarke has been blasted from pillar to post for leaving the Australian cricket team during their New Zealand tour to support his girlfriend. He has been criticised by many for having his priorities out of order. But there is no doubt, if Clarkey comes out on Friday and blasts a century in the first test against the Kiwis, all will be forgotten & forgiven. Had Joe Nallathambi - our common man - abandoned his mates on a trip for a girlfriend who is clearly not dying or remotely sick, wouldn't he cop it big time?

I am all for forgiving. I believe in giving people a second chance. But I do not understand the disparity between treatment meted out to celebrities and the rest of us. Hell, they are not that special!

13 comments:

  1. Yeah Sriram, I agree with you. They are not special. It's all about the media though. They fluff all celebrities' lives up and make even their flea bites newsworthy. Unfair but that's the way it is I am afraid...

    ReplyDelete
  2. 'Special' is to be seen through the beholders eyes ! It is 'we' who make Tiger woods or anybody 'special' !

    The moment we see his game and nothing else, he is another human being out there, swinging his ware. I mean, golf as a profession !

    Ultimately it boils down to individuals. Would i tune in to find out what Tiger woods is going through...well, if the answer is no, and if thats the answer that a majority give...nobody is going to bother !

    The Joe Nallthambi's actions still take place and can cause 'effects' in his immediate circles. If they care !

    Ask an. The only celebrity he knows are his mom and dad ! Everybody else is immaterial !

    ReplyDelete
  3. What happened in Woods' personal life is between him & his wife. While he has to accept responsibility for his 'act(s)', it shouldn't interfere with his sport!He's a sportsperson & they are human too,..they didn't fall off the sky.

    ReplyDelete
  4. i reckon tiger can do whatever he wants to do, as long as it is not illegal, adultery is not illegal, therefore he's still a champ in my book.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Pearl, thanks :)

    Kavi, yup. true. I didn't get the last sentence. thanks for the comment!

    lostworld, I agree. Professional life and personal life should not mix. Still, I wonder how the society would've reacted had Tiger been an ordinary guy. Oh well..who cares! I guess posts like these are the result of getting sucked in by the media quicksand. Thx :)

    Mukund, lol. you are the man!

    ReplyDelete
  6. what mc did was right
    friend in need is indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I don't think Tiger is out of the woods yet and he still has to prove that he means his apology.I think in Tiger's case as it happens only in America that big businesses and television ratings took a mega hit in their viewings and returns that the Tiger was bombarded in all sorts of angles and had to return back to the sports.
    I agree with you partially that only a man gets away with all these in sports ,say if it had been a woman LO behold she would have been swept under the carpet by now and by now the world would have forgotten her.So it is very much a man's world out there.
    We don't hear about a common man's infidelities as the ripple effect is small and still he would have his mates supporting him
    or looking the other way around.It is the media's fault for making him a legend and toppling him as well.He is just a bloke who swings a golf club well but who has failings like other human beings

    ReplyDelete
  8. Dude,

    I really dont understand why people make a huge issue out of Tiger Woods. Come on, not all his fans are his followers. Just fans..are people going to take him as example in moral science classes in schools about a great sportsmen?? No..def not..

    Sachin, Federer or Steve might be taught in school..but not Woods.

    Not all sportsperson have a clean history. Take Shane for example, i would pay and watch him live in Chennai not for his offield scandals but his talent in bowling..he just turns you on.

    So..imo..sportsperson must be admired only for sports..they are entertainers..and we must take them to high pedestal.

    Really dont understand why he sent apologies..What he did was bad..very bad..but its his personal life...he's got money...he can do watever he wants..

    I dont see it as man's world..all i see is world with money...and whoever throws cash at something get whatever they want!! :)

    Nice on Sriram!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. We all ve our lil secrets.But when it comes under the media scanner, its not all that nice.To be famous means to give up on your privacy atleast I wld like to think.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I wud say we shud respect each others privacy in any circumstance! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. true. esp disgusting how this Sania mirza wedding affair is 'national headlines.' disgusting really. theyre not all that. its time our country stopped saying stuf like "Sachin is GOD."

    ReplyDelete
  12. whatever,

    i WISH i was tiger woods.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I don't know...celebrities do get special treatment, a Californian jury could not even convict Phil Spector after the no of women he killed. Same can be said for the OJ Simpson trial. But those are criminal cases. What Tiger Woods did is unfair to his wife, but none of our business. Frankly, if he plays well, all the golf fans should shut up and receive him with the respect an elite golfer receives.

    ReplyDelete