The Curious Case of Tiger Woods: Scott Hinkley

I am sad for Tiger Woods that his toe has slipped off the pedestal, but I don't worry for his fate, because the crowd loves a fallen hero the most. I can't say that I blame those blaring his story across global-news-media either. He is paid to be watched, and the rule of celebrity is that if your are watched at all, you can be watched all the time. I think he behaved wisely by staying out of the lights and letting reporters brew their rumors, but I am fairly certain he will have to say something publicly at some point, just to settle things down again.

I think the reason Americans, and people around the world, enjoy celebrity dirt is because we want to be close with them, and flaws make them human again. I think the more weighty emotions people deal with regarding celebrity are feelings of envy, jealousy and discouragement. I am not trying to say that people seek these negative feelings when they admire someone, but after an extended period, it seems to me that these deeper, more menacing feelings come out. It is at this point that I would say a celebrity's public is hungry for failure and flaw. In Tiger's case, he seems to live a carefree life with a beautiful family, plenty of money, and recognition everywhere he goes. Now that there is a taste of drama, his public seems to be learning what they might have in common with their idol. The irony is that now some of his biggest fans are rooting for him to reveal failure, just to feel a bit closer to the man.

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