I want to wake up now. I`ve had enough of this dream.
(Schadenfreude – Shameful joy….man, the Germans have a word for everything!)
I admit that a part of me longed for the day when the S.S. Tiger Woods would scrape the reef. In my mind`s eye Tiger would run aground on some ethical or statistical shoal and be humbled. We, the assembled mass of mere golf mortals would all point in awe at the, oh so human flaw Mr. Perfect had revealed. Tiger of course would patiently repair his damaged reputation and continue his mythic progression.
I admit some part of me has dreamt of such an occurrence….but this is ridiculous.
* * *
Not once have I felt anything resembling sympathy for Tiger. Any fragility or fault he has previously shown has been a mere ripple in the tide, only worth noticing for it incongruence to the monolithic norm. I feel it now.
Make no mistake, Elin and the brood will suffer for this long after the furor has died, but Tiger has shattered more belief in the goodness of humanity than a dozen Law Schools. I feel for him for what has lost and, quite frankly, the transcendental nature of the myth that he has broken.
It is hard to fathom a more consequential destruction of a public persona than Tiger`s meltdown. Consider the recent past:
- Bernard Madoff “ Rich man cheating the system”…has anyone even read Das Capital!?
- Bill Clinton “ He was known as “Slick Willie” before the sex scandals and, while made a laughing stock, was viewed as a slightly more disreputable politician that the standard model.
- Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, etc “ We knew, we didn`t know, we didn`t care, wait….we care…I guess”.
- Hugh Grant “ Wowan Hollywood actor in a sex scandal”….next
Of course we put on a good show of being alarmed at their behaviour but deep down (ok shallow down) we were merely disappointed that they were not able to adequately restrain themselves from behaviour we knew was endemic to their position or personality. With Tiger we are just plain shocked.
I feel sorry for the man in the red Nike (for now) shirt because from his grasp has passed a reputation unmatched in modern culture. He has, seemingly with wild abandon, destroyed this veneer of hard won flawlessness. Beyond account and measure, he has smashed the dreams of his father and the naïveté of his fans.
I for one sympathize with a man who has really lost all that may be important to him. I all also mourn the fact that we have lost a brilliant example for our children of a person who, through hard work and relentless expression, had it all.
I wish it could all go back to the way it was, schadenfeude is a truly bitter wine.
