I Don’t Care
Two or three weeks after his name first started making headlines for reasons other than golf, the newspaper I subscribe to is still dedicating a fair bit of ink to Tiger Woods’ off-the-course problems. Newsflash: I don’t care.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t really know much about what he was alleged to have done. I know there was talk about some sort of car accident and about him having done something that might have displeased his wife. The reason I don’t know more about it is, whenever I see an article with “Tiger Woods” in the headline, I skip the article. Why? Did I mention that I don’t care?
If you live in at least a moderately densely populated area, there’s an excellent probability that someone living within a few blocks of you did something much more morally reprehensible than whatever it is that Tiger Woods was supposed to have done. Why the hell do you care any more strongly about what Tiger Woods did or did not do than you care about someone living within a few blocks of you who did the same thing or worse?
I’m not a sports fan, so my lack of caring is doubled in this instance. But, taking a broader perspective, I think there is something terribly sick about the news media’s priorities or, more to the point, the priorities of the audiences the news media cater to. But that’s just my opinion.
There are wars and insurgencies going on in various parts of the world that might spill over and have implications for the rest of us. I can’t come close to naming all of the conflict areas because many of the sources I turn to for news think that those conflicts are less important than the doings of a golf star.
Some countries that aren’t the most democratic, don’t have the highest of ethical standards, and don’t have the most peaceful of intents (all of the foregoing is to say the least) are developing nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons have a potential to cause considerable inconvenience if they are, say, exploded on someone’s forehead. But, based on what you read or see in many “news” media, you would think that I should care less about that than I do about Tiger Woods. Um, I don’t think so.
Without considering climate change, which does get adequate press, there are likely a few environmental issues that we should pay attention to if we think it noble to attempt to stave off the premature extinction of Homo sapiens, even though that premature extinction isn’t likely to happen during the few decades that we would normally expect to be alive.
I’ve never had the problem myself, but I imagine that premature extinction would be a serious impediment to your enjoyment of a full and healthy sex-life. Then again, I’m not exactly enjoying a full and health sex-life either, so maybe premature extinction wouldn’t be such a bad thing. But I digress.
I said, “there are likely a few environmental issues” rather than “there are a few a few environmental issues” because the truth is, I’m not certain of that. Why? Because the news media ran short of electrons or paper and ink as a result of how much of those commodities they spend reporting on Tiger Woods, so they don’t get many opportunities to report on those environmental issues; that’s why.
I don’t mean to pick on Tiger Woods. He’s only the latest example of this nonsense. What’s more, the amount of coverage that the news media devote to him is certainly not his choice or fault.
There have been many other examples in the past.
For instance, I also didn’t care about Madonna’s successful or not successful attempts to adopt one or two kids from Malawi. Why can’t I tell you if she was successful or not and if it was one or two kids? Want a hint? It’s spelled “I D-O-N-’-T C-A-R-E.”
I don’t have the slightest of ill-will toward Madonna. If I ever got to know her personally I might come to believe that she was the most wonderful person alive. If she also turned out to be the one woman in the world to have the hots for me, that would seal the deal. However, none of that’s going to happen, so, not to put too fine a point on it, I don’t care.
And if Madonna is trying to help the one or two children she adopted and she gives them her love, that’s great. Good on her.
However, there are thousands of people who devote much of their lives to helping deprived children in desperate situations. These people build orphanages. That set up, stock and staff feeding stations. They establish schools. Collectively, they’ve probably improved and/or saved millions of children’s lives.
Many of these humanitarians toil anonymously in their gallant efforts, struggling to raise funds that, I suspect, are equal to only a fraction of what Madonna earns from each concert tour or CD release. Maybe, just maybe, a reporter will stumble on one of these tireless humanitarians and write a one-off, two-column “human interest” article on their work. But that is about it.
Yet, when Madonna tries to adopt a kid from Malawi it’s front-page news for weeks. I think that’s wrong. Why? I might have mentioned this before, but in case not, allow me to say, I don’t care.
I also didn’t care about Michael Jackson’s death and, particularly, about the circumstances of his death.
A great many people die every day. Some of them spent their adult lives searching for a cure for cancer or for another dread disease. Some of them spent their lives doing diplomatic work in the world’s trouble spots to try to bring a modicum of peace to this troubled planet. And, at one point in my life, I might have met and forged some sort of personal bond with one or two of the many people who die every day. (Although, being a lonely, near-recluse, that latter group is an infinitesimal fraction of the size of the other two groups I mentioned.)
Will somebody please tell me why I should care more about Michael Jackson’s death than about those other people’s deaths?
Don’t get me wrong. I had nothing against Michael Jackson and I feel sorry for the loss that his loved ones no doubt felt, but beyond that … wait for it … it might come as a shock to you … but I don’t care.
I also didn’t care when Michael Jackson’s sister, Janet, exposed one of her nipples on national television. Although, in the interest of full disclosure (pun not intended, but strongly hoped for), I should say that, being a lonely, sex-deprived guy, I had a sufficient prurient interest such that, when I heard about the incident, I searched the Internet to find a site that showed me a clip of the nipple being exposed. Very nice.
I could probably come up with dozens more examples of excessive “news” irrelevance if I wanted to think about it. But I don’t want to think about it. Why? You know why. Because I don’t care.
So, what is my point? I’m glad you asked. To my mind, the time and resources that the media spend investigating and reporting on the foibles, peccadilloes, and even the major crimes of the rich and famous is excessive to the extreme. Why do I think that? At the risk of being redundant, I think that because I don’t care about that nonsense. Not in the least.
There are a great many other things going on in the world that are worth caring about. Note to the “news” media: Please tell me about those other things, because enquiring minds should want to know.
By the way, if you’re a blogger and you choose to blog about a piece of celebrity gossip, please title your blog post appropriately so I’ll know to skip your post without wasting much time on it. Thanks! You’re a pal.
I am so with you on this one, I don’t care either about all those rich people with all their problems they are nothing to me and they aren’t even on my list of people I care about. I do care when some tragedy happens, but I care more when they are tragedies for the people I know.
Jude: That’s exactly my point. Care about people and events that truly matter to you or to the world, not about people who have merely had really good publicity people (and maybe now wish their publicity people hadn’t been so good because they’re finding the limelight a trifle hot).
*Stands up, applauding*
Hear! Hear!
I wish the media out there would find something worth while to report on. I mean, important stuff DOES happen, but it doesn’t sell newspapers or get traffic. I could add to your list, but it would be more of the same, nonsense about nonsense. I couldn’t have said it better (or, at least we’ll never know because, if asked, I’ll just link your post).
But the problem isn’t just the media, it’s the public that seems obsessed with tripe, useless personal details on people they will never know that would be called gossip of the worst kind if you were talking about people they know. And why? To what purpose? Celebrities lives, for all the good stuff, has the same trials and tribulations as everyone else, only it gets to be front page news, from every tragedy, embarrassment and disappointment. All because the public eats it up.
Perhaps more people need lives of their own, know what I mean?
Stephanie Barr: Re your point about the problem not being just the media: Exactly. That’s why I put “or, more to the point, the priorities of the audiences the news media cater to” after “I think there is something terribly sick about the news media’s priorities.”
I only half blame the media–or probably much less than half. The media wouldn’t report on this crap if they didn’t think people wanted to read/watch it. They’ve got expenses to cover and they’d like to make a profit. In fact, they’d like to make an enormous profit if they can. Being self-employed, I understand that and I welcome profit. If people stopped buying newspapers or watching news programs that covered this crap then there would no longer be any profit in publishing/broadcasting it and the news media would start filling their programs and pages with stuff that actually matters instead. I would welcome that day. I would also welcome world peace. I don’t think I’ll see either of those things.
As to people needing lives of their own, I don’t have a life. But I don’t want to fill my emptiness with reading about the minutiae (good or bad) of some celebrity’s life.
Speaking for myself I think that I enjoy reveling in the misery of the rich and famous simply because it makes me feel better. Their misery is a drawing card for me and those like me that absolutely love the destruction egos, vanity, greed, narcissism and masturbation (okay…not that) can bring to even the “best” of us.
After the hoopla is over with, I still relish knowing that some miserable self centered slug has been ruined if not only temporarily. Again…I feed off of their pain. Hehehe. Besides that I do not care!
RedRaider: I admit that one of life’s great pleasures is laughing at the trials and tribulations of people who desperately strove to gain as much prominence as possible in the public eye and are now upset about having their miseries viewed by the public eye, but that’s entertainment, not news. Put it on the entertainment channels, if you like. Hell, use it as fodder for more reality show pap. People will love it. But reserve the news networks and newspapers for real news. That’s all I’m saying.
I have to agree with you on this one. I don’t care either. He didn’t cheat on me, he cheated on his wife. Why should the whole world care? How many of us can say that we have not done something as terrible or worse in our lives? It’s just like the Bill Clinton affair. I absolutely did not care what he did in that white house as long as he did his job as president. He could have had orgies there every night and so what? What I think is wrong is that Tiger had to distance himself from golf as a result of this. The media needs to get a clue and start reporting on things that matter.
Joanne Olivieri: I wish I had enough of a life that I could say I had done something as terrible or worse in my life. (I’m joking, but only half. I honestly believe that I would never cheat if I was in a committed relationship, and that’s only partly because it’s unlikely I’d ever get the opportunity to cheat. It’s a question of honesty, not screwing around. As far as I’m concerned, screwing around is morally OK as long as you haven’t implicitly or explicitly promised anyone you wouldn’t, but it is morally wrong if you have made that promise. Personal integrity is very important to me. If I promised a woman that I would be monogamous, I honestly believe I would keep that promise. Then again, my many neuroses, inhibitions and insecurities have resulted in me not being in many situations where I’ve made that promise, so I haven’t been tested much.)
I absolutely agree with you. When it comes to politicians, yes, absolutely, tell me about things that directly affect their ability to do their jobs. I’ll use that information when I consider my vote in the next election. But when it comes to things they have done in their personal lives that have little or no effect on their ability to do their jobs, don’t tell me. It’s none of my business and I don’t care. And when it comes to non-polical celebrities, I never care. It doesn’t affect me in the least.
Gee, I wonder if they do have orgies every night in the White House. If so, I’m going to be agitating to get rid of that native-born American clause in the U.S. constitution. I’d like a shot at the President’s job.
Tiger Who?
Heh. Kidding.
I don’t care what’s going on with him, either. I’ve got bigger issues to worry about in my own community to pay attention to a celebrity who has (apparently) done something stupid.
I’ve got a wife and kids — as long as they’re doing fine, I’m not going to fret too much over anything else.
The Hawg!: That’s a terrific attitude. It’d be nice if more people felt that way.
Obviously those of us who agree with you are in the minority. Maybe all this attention to some one else’s stupidity, misfortune, and other miscellaneous peccadilloes keeps people’s minds off their own.
Grace: Of the people who submitted comments, the vast majority agreed. Then again, that is an exceptionally small and not at all randomly selected sample.
You can sign my insignificant penis, if you want to. Tiger did.
Doctor Faustroll: You must be exceptionally proud. Or not. I’ll pass on the signing.
Obama’s next. There’s still room.
Doctor Faustroll: Um, OK. By the way, are you off your meds again?
I’m in retox, abusing the Serenity Prayers, pun intended.
Doctor Faustroll: OK, well, that explains it.
Yeah, never mind important stuff. We’re going to focus on Tiger Woods, natural disasters, and drive by shootings.
Such is the American media.
Knucklehead: No question, the media overdoes it with natural disasters and drive-by shootings. And, yes, they play those things up for the sensationalism. But I don’t mind so much about reporting about natural disasters and drive-by shootings. Natural disasters directly affect a lot of people and there might be ways we can help the survivors. And drive-by shootings? Reporting on them might result in some serious discussions about the nature of our society and, possibly, also about our gun laws. That wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Sure, those discussions, if they’re happening at all, haven’t helped so far, but who knows? Maybe they will in the future. So sure, report on natural disasters and drive-by shootings as long as the media keeps them in their proper perspective. I just wish they’d remember that there are, after all, also other important things happening in the world.
But reporting on one person who managed to learn to swing a golf club very well and then went out and proved himself to be a flawed human, as we all are? Please. That’s just unadulterated voyeurism. Move along; there’s nothing to see here.
I don’t want to know either. What a colossal waste of time, energy and money spent by the media to bring me something I could care less about. There’s something seriously wrong with our society when more people tune in to Entertainment Tonight than the evening news. Of course, CTV News is anchored by that dead guy. Replace him with Mary Hart and people might watch!
nonamedufus: I wouldn’t know about that. I cancelled my cable a couple of years ago and now use my TV only to watch DVDs. The sensationalism and inanity of television news was only one reason. I was paying my cable bill one month when I realized that I couldn’t remember the last time I had turned on my TV other than to watch videos.
When I called Rogers Cable to cancel, the customer rep asked me if I would reconsider if he could get me a better price. (Note to self: Never be a good customer if you want to get the best price from a company.) When I said “no” he asked me why I was cancelling. I said something to the effect of “because there’s nothing on worth watching.” The rep responded by saying something to the effect of, “You are absolutely right.”
I kid you not.
When I asked the rep why he was working for Rogers if he felt that way he told me that he had to drop out of college for a while and get a job because he couldn’t afford college anymore. That was the job he was able to get.
Go Get ‘Em Tiger!
They’re making money from the scandal that’s why it’s hyped to death.
Ya think?
With all the excitement in 2009 with a bunch of people who mostly have no talent or marketable skills (OK maybe Tiger can hit a golf ball) I can’t wait what 2010 will bring us.
Wishing you and your entire family a Happy and Blessed Holiday season. Your friends at MOB
Man Over Board: What will 2010 bring us? Call me a cynic or maybe a realist, but I suspect more of the same.
Happy holiday right back at you. Blessed? Well, thanks, but I guess you’re new here. Check out the religion category here. But thanks anyway. And backatcha.
LOL Joel I am actually an Agnostic, so I cover all my bases regardless. Hell you never know, maybe the Google Gods give you extra points towards your PR with every blessed post. So here’s an extra bottle of BLESSED Holy Water for you to do what you like with.
Man Over Board: Google Gods and Holy Water. I’ll drink to that.
Hmm. “Google Gods and Holy Water.” That sounds like a great title for a book. I wonder if anyone has used it yet.
Well then you’ll want to skip my 16-part series called “Tiger Woods: An Introspective of His Meals, Hygiene, Grocery Shopping, and Household Chores”. Because apparently that’s what EVERYONE wants to hear about him these days. Don’t bother subscribing to the Tiger Woods Cable Channel either.
Margaret (Nanny Goats): Yes I think I’ll give those a pass. Sorry about that.
This just in. Church & Dwight Co., Inc., makers of Trojan Enz, has withdrawn its proposed endorsement deal with Tiger owing to “the growing snigger factor.”
Doctor Faustroll: Yes, well they would, wouldn’t they.
But Eli Lilly is up for Cialis Supreme by Tiger
Doctor Faustroll: Um, OK.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Excellent.
PS don’t read my site… you won’t care
Natalie: Thanks. OK, if you insist, I won’t.