Tiger Wood's Rocky Romances

Tiger Woods is still 'persona non grata'. I am not sure how well his 15 minute speech - or was in an apology - went down in the US, but it bummed in the UK. People assumed it had been written by his PR guy and the fact that he read it all made it seem rather insincere. He mentioned his wife three times (am I right) and his sponsors many more times, which made it look like he was more worried about his sponsorship deals than his marriage. I hear he is now back in rehab for 'sex addiction'. I am really not convinced that sex addiction is a clinical problem...it's just good old fashioned messing around. If sex addiction really was a problem then they would need a clinic the size of Argentina to deal with all the 'sufferers'. However this addiction excuse may well be handy for others.....the bankers who caused the economic crisis should just say they have greed addiction, enter a clinic, make a tearful apology and then get back to normal ie million dollar bonuses.

At least good old Tiger was doing his stuff with random chicks, not other players on the tour's wives and girlfriends. I can immediately think of another person who was not so discreet.

I think that the crux of the matter is that in the UK 'Celebrity Following' has become a rather unhealthy obsession akin to religion. I don't say this lightly. There are also way too many poor quality magazines (I could name at least 25 off the top of my head.....they are foisted upon one at ever supermarket, petrol station and newsagent) which are entirely devoted to celeb gossip, celeb bashing and general swill for the mind. There are many trashy papers as well. Unfortunately many celebs ie Jordan, Kerry Katona and Jade Goody take the view that any publicity (even the worst sort) is good publicity and they encourage and stoke up intrusion into their lives in order to generate interest in their pathetic meaningless existences and keep themselves current. It is hideous the extremes they will go to. The public seem to love it and so even the more respectable newspapers begin to cover this salacious garbage. When a person like Tiger makes a mistake (which everyone does); the newspapers and media in general dine out on it as they know the public have an insatiable appetite for this kind of public moral mauling. Millions of men cheat, it's not a character defect, it's not unusual and is really nothing to do with the public. I think the mass attention makes it harder for Tiger's wife as well. However Tiger did not do himself any favours by mysteriously crashing his car late at night and then going into hiding for two and a half months. He would have been better advised to come out and make a statement right away and then things would have petered out rather than the speculation exploding.

Italians say that us folks in the US and UK are way too concerned about this whole cheating business: apparently in France and Italy philandering politicians and sports stars are revered and respected; no body cares how many times they drop their pants. Can you imagine the furore if Barack Obama cheated on Michelle - people would be outraged, reminds me of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. I am not convinced that French and Italian women share this admiration for the Jigilo or love-rat, do you?