Tiger Woods Comes Down To Earth

16 Dec, 2009 by Melissa Clouthier

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Salacious.

The topic has produced obscene interest. Different theories are put forth: Yes, Americans like to see achievers fail. Yes, people are petty, small and voyeuristic. Yes, it’s a relief for some people to focus on the travails of others rather than their own miserable existence. I think Tiger counted on Americans being just this way, since his behavior seemed rather indifferent to the inevitable consequences. I mean, the guy didn’t have one woman, he had more than you can count on fingers. Never mind the handlers, the hotel staff, etc. People talk. He knows this. He didn’t care.

Why?

My take: Tiger tired of appearing perfect. Tiger wanted to be and feel human. Tiger is rich and accomplished and entitled. Couple emptiness and feeling robbed of a normal life with money and power to fill the emptiness, add in resentment and those who will cover and coddle him and there’s a recipe for Tiger Tantra. He’s a competitive man who lived an emotionally ascetic life to serve his father’s dream. Was it Tiger’s dream? Does he even know?

Tiger Woods reminds me of Michael Jackson, actually. Child prodigies, dominant fathers, deprived of adoration, driven by discipline, cowering mothers (thus the contempt for women and simultaneous desire to screw them so the bifurcation madonna-whore thing –good mothers protect, whores are meant as sexual objects), materially indulged, in service to an image created before the age of consent, resentful, trapped. [Thinking of Britney Spears here, too.] This combination of drives can be crazy-making.

One way to take power back behind closed doors is sex. But Tiger got reckless. He is probably sick to death of serving this robotic image. It was killing him. It was a lie.

So now, he’s exposed. He is free to be more real, if he’d like to be. Michael Jackson ended up doped and dead and more than a little freaky. Britney Spears ended up doped and rehabilitated, one hopes, for the sake of her children.

Tiger Woods is now real. Flawed, human, mixed up, more than a little warped (but probably no more than anyone else who had his means) and it’s exposed.

He might as well be authentic. He has an opportunity to reevaluate everything. Does he want to be married? Does he just want to be a sexual conquistador? Does he want to golf? Does he want to be a businessman?

He can choose. The illusion, I’m guessing, is that he felt he never could. He believed that he was stuck in this life created for him, maybe to an extent by him. He could have chosen differently. He can choose differently now. He can, because of his prodigious gifts, really decide to do just about anything.

I hope he redeems himself….it would be nice for his talents to not go to waste. When I see Robert Downey Jr. act, I’m thankful that this man I don’t know decided to get his life together. He’s really good. Tiger is really good at what he does, too, but he’s more than just a robot golfer conquering titles and courses. He’s a human. It is possible to be human and great. It’s a choice like any other.

More thoughts from a sex therapist here.