Understanding Tiger Woods: finding the man behind the tiger

Just as we need heroes in modern society, we love to pull them down

There are thousands of variations on the old idea of “pride comes before a fall”. The higher a man ascends, the further he falls. And the more fame the man has, the more his success, the more dramatic is his fall from grace. A hero to some, a villain to many. And he is someone who no doubt many men envy, whatever the things they say about him.

Race is the issue that can barely be spoken about

Tiger himself is said to have alluded to the myth of black men and their large appetite, and capacity, for sex. I once travelled with a white American who could tell jokes about black men all day for a week without repeating himself. Rampant black sexuality was the constant theme. Yet in today’s times, such ideas can merely be hinted at. Behind the counter at the sex shop, and on the internet, there is ample material on this theme. These issues were explored in an earlier piece I wrote on blackface in the context of black American history.

Men like Tiger risk their happiness, family stability and security

Sensible people ask why it has to be so. But men’s lives are about risk and danger. Consider the vast number of popular movies in which a male hero risks his life for fame or the admiration of women and other men. No wonder men’s health advisors say “Warning: Masculinity is a Danger to Your Health”.

The Tiger Woods saga has much in common with many earlier issues that set American hearts beating. Sex, money, a tall success being chopped down. And a good-looking black man made good, who came undone. One recalls the OJ Simpson trial and later events which ran on American TV live for weeks. OJ, too, was once one of America’s most admired athletes. Tiger is not precisely black, but a man of many races: that hasn’t hurt the story but helped it run. Almost any American can find something to identify with and comment on.

In today’s world, many people look for escape from their humdrum existence. They want stories about illicit sex, wild philanderings, hushed-up call-girls, racial stereotypes. The American working man talks to his buddy over a beer. You see! Men of colour do want a lot of sex. And guess what! They want white women. We were right all the time.