Celebrity Scandals: A Lesson In Humility

I tried not to write this. I really tried, but my hands took matters into their own hands. I didn’t want to add to the overkill.

By now, anyone who watches or listens to the news knows about the Tiger Woods scandal.

Just like in sports, it’s not enough that we see a play once, when it goes into instant replay, we see it over and over again from different angels.

While the announcer commentates, we see a close up, slow motion, freeze frame, then they replay it from the beginning and circle the play. Then they talk about it again.

No one has spoken about the ramifications of a man cheating on his wife, the possibility of a marriage breaking up, trust being perforated or how two small children are being affected, they just keep replaying the indiscretion over and over again and circling it.

I don't think any of us would want to be on the other side of adultery. Remember there was a time when indiscretions were kept private? The couple either worked it out or went their separate ways quietly.

Now non gossip news stations have dedicated hours discussing gossip. They talk about how much money the wife stands to make if she leaves him, how she’s re-upping the pre-nup, and how if she stays with him their marriage will appear to be unscathed and he won’t lose any endorsement deals.

Like an archaeological discovery, they keep digging to discover more. 911 calls are released to the media with text messages, and pictures and audio round out the saturation.

The coverage is exhausting and consuming. It seems to have gone into another no-holds-barred arena where everyone involved with a celebrity becomes a celebrity.

While the celebrities try to hide the facts, the “new celebrities” get lawyers, make deals, sell magazine, book and film rights and are booked on talk shows capitalizing on their fame to sell secrets to the highest bidder.

What has the world come to that we are spending so much time on gossip and not what really matters to us in our own lives? What does all this gossip and sensationalism do to us?

Some people happy to see others fall. They are relieved when a celebrity whom many hold in high esteem is  “normal,” or flawed like the rest of us.

It brings more attention to the grass not being greener on the other side. It should help us tend our own gardens, but it just makes us want to watch the weeds grow in the neighbors garden.

There are people who love when scandals break because they can cash in on them. Lawyers and publications are not the only ones that snatch cash.

A website has offered Tiger Woods $5 million to be the new face of cheating. The new face of cheating? They don’t want to get cheated out of the cash effect of a scandal.

Why is bad behavior rewarded? Does a Tiger ever change his stripes? Do you think the media rewards bad behavior by reporting on it or are they doing their job?

How can scandals help us to become better people?