Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleSUN EDITORIAL:
It’s a mad, mad world
Woods’ crash, party crashers make headlines in celebrity-crazed culture
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.
Professional golfer Tiger Woods asked for some privacy this week, acknowledging it was an odd request given his very public role as a star athlete and high-profile pitchman for Nike, Gatorade and others. But after a week that included a bizarre late-night car crash and allegations of infidelity, Woods was worn down by the constant media attention.
As Woods was desperately trying to escape the spotlight, a Virginia couple — Tareq and Michaele Salahi — were desperately trying to enter it.
The Salahis made headlines because they crashed last month’s state dinner at the White House for the prime minister of India. The Salahis have a reputation for cozying up to celebrities and politicians. They also are accused of having crashed a Congressional Black Caucus dinner. Michaele Salahi has claimed to be a former Washington Redskins cheerleader and even bluffed her way into an alumni performance.
It is no wonder that Bravo TV is considering the couple for inclusion in the reality show “The Real Housewives of D.C.” and has had a film crew trailing them.
The situations surrounding Woods and the Salahis tell a tale about Americans’ obsession with celebrity. Woods is known around the world. The Salahis want to be known and are apparently willing to do most anything to achieve some fame.
The downside of that celebrity is when someone such as Woods makes a mistake — and he admitted he has — the spotlight burns. In a statement, Woods apologized to his supporters for unnamed “transgressions” and added, “Personal sins should not require news releases and problems within a family shouldn’t have to mean public confessions.”
He is correct, but that is the price of admission to the celebrity culture, which is fueled by reality TV, the Internet and 24-hour news channels. The Salahis are learning that lesson through the fallout from their jaunt to the White House — Congress is holding hearings regarding their actions. (Isn’t it ironic there has been equal or greater outrage about the unarmed Salahis lying their way into a state dinner than about angry protesters bringing guns to a presidential town-hall meeting?)
The Salahis’ painful efforts to become “celebrities” are undergirded by human nature and the desire to be popular. There is another part of human nature that comes into play with Americans’ fascination with Woods and the Salahis — the urge to slow down and view the wreckage of a disaster.
The A-listers understand this; it is the vicious circle of celebrity that can quickly turn from public adoration to humiliation, complete with societal rubbernecking. Woods, we assume, will likely be back on the golf course — and the mea culpa circuit — and life will go on. Media attention will shift to some other celebrity, who will ask for privacy after being accused of some salacious behavior. And yet there will be more people like the Salahis who so desperately want inclusion in that world. They can have it.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- UNLV can move forward without the burden of losing streak to San Diego State
- A wife’s wisdom shows birth control issue needn’t be divisive
- Surprise links, negotiated deals addressed by commissioners
- Motorcycle accident claims life of man in northeast valley
- Hope and change and … what’s missing?
- New York mayor has the right idea
- We don’t need a CEO in charge
- Paying our own way
- Country has ‘given’ citizens a lot
- Jerry Tarkanian: Mike Moser impresses yet again on a day to remember former Rebel greats
Blogs
The Kats Report
Color from scene at Thomas & Mack: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
Your closing statements are right on the money. I once read that, if you think you want to be rich and famous, you should get rich first and see if that's enough. I think it would be great to be rich, but I would hate to be famous.
America has become a completely insane society with all this celebrity nonsense and the wannabe celebrity nonsense. I put more of the blame on the media then on the masses hungary for this stuff. It seems that the media in this country is constantly on the hunt for the next publicity seeking, no-talent moron (Paris Hilton, Kardashians,octomom, balloonboys dad etc, etc) they can build up and tear down for our viewing pleasure. The thing is I feel like a captive to this garbage because I can't hardly open up a paper, turn a TV channel or click on a website without seeing or hearing about these cretins. Meanwhile, the guys manning the front lines doing the dirty work for this country go about their jobs in complete anonymity, unless of course they get a little rough with some murderous muslim terrorist they capture.
Fellow Doers of Good - (those who cast in favor of Obama) God, did the people enjoy all the coverage of that idiot Ken Starr going after Pres. Clinton for a five minute fling? They said it was about lying. HHHaaaaa. Sure. Now, that's what I call insanity, stupidity and being an idiot and a fool. What a complete waste of time and money by the Republican Party and Congress who are collectively the stupidest bunch of idiots ever accumulated ( with the exception of course for the Democrats ). Watch out for the brother Jeb of AWOLBush, he's waiting by the septic tank for his turn to run for the White House. If he gets in all the poor sick who are on respirators won't ever have to worry about the plugs being pulled because he says they are still alive, brain or no brain. Sciavao, remember her? Looneycie. And don't forget that war in Iraq where they said the people would be in the streets hugging our troops for freeing them from Saddam. Real complete idiots without any intelligence about the middle east. Wow. The media does a fine job of keeping us informed on their criminality. Woods will make more money next year than ever. He basically controls the tour now. One thing, he can join the club with Greg Norman the Princess of Home Wrecking Crissie Everrett.Thanks.
We need a stimulus bill for real newspapers, paid for by a "syndication tax" on talk-radio.
Maybe Tiger can pay for those retributions mandingo is always screaming about.
What Mr and Mrs Salahi did by crashing that white house event was stupid just stupid.
See if L.V. Metro was on duty at the White House, they would have just shot the Salahi's. End of story.