So this morning I decide to run a couple of errands with the toy strewing toddler in tow and then meet a couple of friends for brunch at Papa's Breakfast Nook. While I was walking into the resturaunt I noticed a New channel 7 truck and a reporter and a camera guy interviewing someone outside.
I sat down and ordered coffee and juice while I waited for my friends to arrive. Within a few minutes the camera crew was inside asking a question to patrons. "Oh crap, I am thinking, I decided to go "au natura"l this morning, meaning no make-up and my hair in a semi-neat ponytail, and I am wearing an ancient pink tshirt and horizontal striped sweater. GUARANTEED to make me look even wider then reality. Of course the darling toddler drew their attention and I was asked my opinion of the "question of the day"
Now a smart woman would have said "no comment" because I knew that I didn't look camera worthy. Heck, I never look camera worthy. But I stamped down my inner introvert and gave them a answer.
The question was "what do you think about the Tiger Woods scandal?" I think the golfer is making an appearance some time soon, and I guess they wanted local flavor on what the average person thought. So here are mine, as I am certain that I likely broke their camera.
I will admit to having People.Com on my home page, and do on occasion look at headlines of the rich and famous. Celebrity fascination is nothing new, but it has never taken the tone and flavor that it has lately. I said that I thought that the media has spent far too much time speculating on what happened with this individual and his family, when there are some more interesting and relevant news stories that are getting little to no coverage. There is a lot of speculation, supposed mistresses coming out of the woodwork, whom I suspect are actually hunting their own set of paparazzi to follow them around, rather then have actually have been a actual love interest of Mr. Woods. The did he, didn't he, did she didn't she, shouldn't be making national headlines as it is.
I was asked that because he is someone who makes more money a week then I make in a year that it should matter that he may have had an affair and everyone should know about it. I said no. They have just as much a right to privacy as I do, or the reporter does. Too many assume that just because we see them on tv or in a magazine that they have given up the right to have a private life, and deal with things without everyone butting in to things that are simply not anyone's business. Does they having financial success mean that we can now delve into their private lies, and if we don't know exactly what is happening we can just make stuff up and then call it factual? Would we want that happening to us?
I do hope that the Woods family can deal with whatever is going on in their lives and move on, with as much wisdom and guidance as they can, and with the same privacy that we all deserve. It is quite sad that the media and those of us who are addicted to celebrity-itis feel compelled to follow their every move real or supposed, and give time and attention to those who just want to add fuel to the fire.
Of course I cannot give complete fault to our local television station for wanting to cover this. After all the gossip is running free and people are talking about it, and they are hoping for viewers. But it is rather sad that we'd rather be watching, reading and talking about a celebrity marriage that may or may not be in trouble instead of something actually relevant to our community
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