Analyzing our role in celebrity scandals

"Before you accuse me, take a look at yourself"

So begins a Bo Diddley hit, popularized by Eric Clapton and CCR. The simple yet human lyrics tell the story of a man pleading with his lover to take him back after suspected infidelity. “Take a look at yourself”, he asks, implying that he is not the only guilty party, and that his lover is, in some way, responsible for the suspected cheating, an act that he committed.

At first glance, this seems preposterous. The action – infidelity – was completely the man’s responsibility. His lover technically didn’t force him to do anything. In an effort to explain the inexplicable, he justifies his actions by telling his lover that she actually was the driving force behind his actions: He tells her. “You said I been spending money on other women, you been taking money from someone else,” he pleads.

Being able to cast an internal audit of one’s actions and the role one plays in others’ behavior can be extremely useful for understanding the motivations for a particular behavior. While not as poetic, I think the message should be, “don’t just take a look at yourself, but think about how your own actions may have impacted the actions of others”. This type of inward thinking can be intimidating, as it may open doors that had previously been sealed shut by simply not wanting to think about something. Once the doors are open, physiologically arousing feelings can waltz right in and create discomfort, something we generally actively try to avoid. Yet it is crucial to truly understand why people make the decisions they do.

It is our failure to look inward regarding the latest celebrity scandal - the public’s reaction to Tiger Woods – that puts me in the awkward position of defending actions and behavior I deem irresponsible and foolish. Yet I believe the public’s outrage regarding Tigergate is endemic of our tendency to completely dismiss our own culpability regarding the conduct of celebrities, high-ranking politicians, and professional athletes. In short, I believe that we are partly responsible for some of the reckless behavior we have witnessed and been appalled by over the year.

The crux of my argument hangs on this one fact: While it is the individual who is ultimately responsible for his own actions, we play an important part in creating the images and egos of public figures that lead to the behavior characteristic of some of the great scandals of our time. Tiger’s behavior, while reprehensible in many respects, is hardly surprising because it is aided by our society’s obsession with him.

For years, we have lauded Tiger as the best golfer of all time. We’ve heaped accolades, awards, endorsement deals, and all sorts of praise on Tiger, pinning our own hopes and aspirations to his success. This constant high praise would surely get to anyone’s head. Who doesn’t like to be complimented (and who doesn’t think true what the complimenter is saying)? It is thus not hard to imagine that being told you are the best throughout your 20s would make you think rather highly of yourself. You might start to think normal rules don’t apply to you, and that you can get away with things without being caught.

So when Tiger does something selfish, why are we surprised? Aren’t we partly responsible for creating the ego of the person who thought he was above the rest and could thus act that way? Isn’t it a little unrealistic and unfair to put someone on a pedestal and expect him not to act like he’s on it? I am not trying to defend Tiger’s actions, but am merely suggesting that we not feel so outraged and “deceived” when a scandal like this breaks without analyzing our own role. We may not be as innocent as we think.