As much as I might hate to admit it, I'm one of those people who would be easily overwhelmed by meeting a celebrity. If, say, Carrie Underwood approached me and asked me a question — which I'm fairly certain happened in my dream last night — I imagine I would turn into a drooling, blithering idiot. I mean, I was pretty star-struck when I saw David Hyde Pierce in "Spamalot."
So when my friends and family become absorbed in celebrity culture and when E! suddenly turns into the most popular channel in my house, I try to understand — after all, it's very easy to get hooked.
Sometimes, though, our fascination with actors and athletes goes too far. Way too far. For example, I have always been opposed to the very existence of the paparazzi, which puts innocent lives in jeopardy every day.
I am also opposed to the recent circus surrounding Tiger Woods. Yes, I know he's Tiger Woods. And I'm well aware that an athlete of his caliber — or anyone, for that matter — doesn't often back his car into a tree at 2:25 in the morning.
But what I can't understand is why this has become such a big deal to us. It seems obvious to me that there is something going on between Tiger and his wife, Elin, and I'm more than willing to let it go at that.
Certain things, like over-the-top media attention, come with the territory of being a celebrity. A golfer who has won pretty much every golfing competition known to man and who has established himself as one of the greatest athletes of all time knows that his every move is going to be publicly scrutinized. But maybe we should back off just a bit.
The fact that Tiger can hit a ball 250 yards without trying doesn't mean he can handle family issues and a turbulent home life any better than the rest of us. Rumors are beginning to get out of hand — I recently heard that this whole ordeal was part of a kinky fantasy shared by Tiger and Elin — and it would be a shame to let them tarnish his image.
He may, of course, be in the wrong. Maybe he really was leaving his house to rendezvous with a mistress, as numerous outlets have reported. But still, it's a private issue that athletes and non-athletes alike would want to keep private and we should respect that.
I felt the same way when A-Rod was spotted with that mysterious blonde woman some time ago. While I welcome any additional excuse to hate any member of the Yankees, Red Sox or Patriots, the way that story got blown out of proportion was borderline offensive. And don't even get me started on that "A-Rod as a centaur" business. Is it strange that he fantasizes about himself with a tail and cloven hooves?
Yeah, that's pretty freaking bizarre, and knowing what I do about A-Rod, he was probably thrilled by the attention he received from it. But I always wondered who found out about the painting and how. As amusing as it might be, particularly in comparison to the Tiger Woods ordeal, it still seems like a blatant and unwarranted violation of privacy.
Like I said, celebrities, athletes and their escapades are just as fascinating to me as they are to most everyone else. And the lack of a true personal life seems a small price to pay for the lifestyle they can enjoy. But sometimes we just need to leave these people alone. Tell your friends you finally outdrove Tiger Woods, and let that be the end of it.
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Rory Parks is a senior majoring in international relations and Spanish. He can be reached at Rory.Parks@tufts.edu.
