When the Tiger Woods madness first ignited in late November, I was all over it. I read with great interest some of the many scandalous allegations, and watched with jaw-dropping shock at how one of the most celebrated icons of modern pop culture crashed from his pedestal into the ashes of total self-annihilation.
In the aftermath, I tried to look at Tiger’s whole fiery downfall with some perspective (here’s my blog way back then). I tried to look at it with some empathy. And I tried to figure out where – aside from Tiger himself whose behavior was so reckless and pathological – the blame lay for what happened to him. As a consumer of media, a buyer of the myths that sneaker outfits, sports drinks, and car companies create to hawk their wares, I pointed to myself. I helped create the Tiger myth by buying the slick, fearless, perfect image of him that Nike and Gatorade and Chrysler souped up and sold. And so I swore to myself I wouldn’t buy the hype again when it inevitably came back.
Because I knew it was coming. I just didn’t expect it this fast. And to be honest, I’m kind of infuriated by it. Today, in advance of Tiger’s return to the links tomorrow at the Masters, Nike released a new commercial featuring Tiger – embracing him and all his flaws, and of course exploiting them to the very end in order to, of course, sell more wares. Watch the commercial yourself so I don’t have to describe it. It’s just a single long shot of Tiger while his deceased father goes on about how bad Tiger f’ed up and what he was thinking and feeling when he was doing it. Go crazy with your own crude jokes….now.
Look, Nike’s doing what Nike does. They stood by their man and they damn sure are going to make sure Tiger earns back a few pennies for them, if even it means picking at his fresh scabs to see if there are some dollar bills hiding beneath them.
Tiger, yeah I guess he’s willing to soil himself (pun intended) and once again start tapping that well (pun intended) to get back in the good graces of consumers. Admittedly I find the whole thing distasteful – Tiger’s willingness to so quickly exploit his and his family’s shame to make a buck. And Nike’s using his dead father’s voice – a celebrated philanderer himself by the way – to resurrect Tiger’s brand.
But who I really am pointing the finger at, once again, is us: the consumers. Are we going to go along for this ride? Are we going to play stooges again? Buy into Tiger’s comeback, his resurrection, and spiritual awakening story, imprinted with a Nike swish for good measure? Come on people, just don’t do it all over again.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m watching the Masters this weekend and with great curiosity to see if the brother’s golf game is as strong as it was a few months ago when he was ploughing not just through the competition, but well seemingly everyone else as well. But spare me Nike. Don’t tell me what to think about the dude. Don’t just do me the same you wan’t me to just do it. And well, yeah thanks for dropping the Just Do It from Tiger’s new commercial. Way to stay classy.
love it, Love It, LOVE IT!!! Nicely worded Mr. Chopra! Love, ~Annie
It is always interesting to see the truth behind too perfect people.
Hi Gotham,
I watched the ad last night and boy it is strange and just kind of sad. Who could have thought that this type of "comeback" ad would be anything but sad. Nike's bad ad blunder.
Very well said, Gotham. No more Nikes in my house–ever! Thank you for the insight.
Namaste
BRAVO GOTHAM!!!…Somebody had to say it OUT LOUD!!!
Deep Breath…. My family helped finance and build Augusta National, where the Masters are held every year. These gentlemen, including my Father, had dignity and respect for others. I have taken from them, and my graceful and brilliant Mother, that when we fall, it does not matter how we get back up, only that we do.
My son is a PGA member. We will continue to purchase only those products that did NOT drop Tiger Woods.
I have written to Billy Payne at Augusta National and told him of the shame and embarrassment his critical remarks of Tiger Woods caused. Mr Payne did not welcome Tiger Woods and Mr Payne owes all of us an apology.
I have lost my Father and Mother. I know the depth of grief that this event can cause inside someone. I know how society does not honor grief, how emotional pain is a considered a weakness.
Please join me in embracing the wisdom that compassion can heal, not only Tiger Woods, but all of us.
Much Love for you and your beautiful family, Gotham.
Jules.
"Man is worse than an animal when he is an animal."
Rabindranath Tagore
It's a creepy commerical indeed, most people feel that way, I think Gotham the consumer generally gets it right, I don't know why you always think the public is so stupid that you have to lecture "us" about not falling for the evil corporate duping. And if we do, so what? We spend a few more bucks on an American based company that can only help the local Oregon economy, is that so bad? Do you lose sleep over this? They stuck by Tiger, it's a big gamble, if Tiger wins the Masers, then the gamble pays off and just wait and see how the other corporations come running back to the Woods brand.
In either case, Woods is nice diversion from the really scary things going on in this world and in particular, from our leadership. You may want to lecture the public for falling for that Obama charm, but then again, I don't think that will happen.
Tiger, please do us a favor and don't do another Nike commerical with your dad's voice again. Otherwise we are going to get another lecture from Gotham
Cheers
You write very well Gotham. I used to enjoy reading your more frequent articles on the previous site. Hope to see/ hear more from you here.
With love, R x
Gotham,
I agree with the awareness that you bring and at the same time, I am conscious of my attitude towards the commercial world. While bringing the attention to the fact that we must be careful of what products we endorse thorough our purchase, I was also looking forward to some endorsement for the attempted come back. Some elements of "Tiger we forgive you and we will pray that you will express and stand for a role model that for eternity will look back and admire."
Tiger no doubt has talent and skills that we most likely will not see again in our lifetime. He is unique and I hope we all can pray and help him express the elements that he is supposed to express. Good or Evil – I pray that he lives his purpose. And by all means I don't think there is anything Evil in his expression's. Yes there has been mistakes which I hope we can take responsibility for as well, since the same mistake is happening all over the world. Let's not beat Tiger only. I hope Tiger can come up and be a role model for all those who are on a path together with him – made the dreadful mistake, realised it and is coming out clean.
The world of commercial, and the world of business will do what it needs to do. I personally work to bring my understanding of God to the world of money. Money is probably the closest concept in the conscious world to the concept of God. Literally all adult's think about it everyday – either in how to earn it or how to save it or how the lack of it is causing them pain, or finding joy in the use of it, or relieve in the dreaming of it. The mordern spiritual world needs to endorese the concepts of money, need to take the concepts of spirituality and practise and preach it to the world of business.
This includes, Nike and Tiger Woods. I hope we have more of mordern Monks – people who attempt to practise the purest of spiritual concepts in the world of business and that includes forgiving any mistakes and positive competition.
Tiger Woods is a legend in his own game and he proves it! It must be nice to have a golf course in your backyard wether or not one plays the game, though. Who knows this drama might become a "soap opera". Dont' even park it there, bro!
I am so happy to live in a time where all of us have a place to share our thoughts! Love that learning stuff…
My perspective is also from being a former accomplished athlete. I know what it is in that moment when you see Tiger Woods pump his arm, and the basket that wins the game, and the home run, and the hand of the swimmer touching the wall 1st. There is not another moment in life that can compare.
This moment is one when extreme preparation, the event, and success collide. This immediate moment is pure.
Also I have spent the last 26 years looking within. I certainly know why most don't ~ it takes courage to expose ourselves to ourselves. It's big time easier to look to someone else to be a hero, role model, than it is in being our own.
I adore you all and thank you for your contribution to my life.
Now to watch some golf!
Love,
Jules
Thank you for all the responses. Of course i feel obligated to the one critical one by Steven Gray!
Steven – I didn't really think about it in the context of supporting an American company/workers. I knew that Nike is based out of Oregon, but don't believe all of their products are manufactured there. Please correct me if that's the case.
Interesting that you interpreted the article as a lecture because that's not what I intended. I didn't even mean to impart some sort of embargo on Nike – I'm actually a fan, especially of the LIVE STRONG brand which I believe is aligned with Nike.
In any case, I think the article was more or less a self-critique and self-check about not falling into the same trap that advertisers – in this case Nike – so skillfully set. It's the great American tradition of putting an icon on a pedestal, propelling it way up high, and then taking even greater glee in toppling it so spectacularly. It's a dark cycle quite honestly, and one that I'm ashamed to admit that I've contributed mightily to.
For the record, I watched a lot of the Masters over the weekend and paid special attention when Tiger was playing. I suppose to that extent, I remain addicted to the drama of it all, because there was a part of me that was very much cheering for the guy, because I suppose it would have made one hell of a mythic story to see him resurrect himself from the ashes so dramatically. But then, Phil Mickelson won and he kissed his cancer stricken wife and invoked his cancer stricken mom, and well shit, that's a hell of a lot more hopeful story.
It's sad to me that there's some part of me that assumes that Mick has some dark skeleton in his closet as well. For today though, I'm blissfully ignorant of it and buying in (once more) to his great mythic story.
Gotham
The Masters came with multiple interest this year for me as well, Gotham. When ~ not if ~ I slip and fall, there is nothing more treasured than the hand available to help me. I am addicted to the courageous spirit of Woods and Mick… neither one had to be there and their choices lifted my own spirit.
We are the world indeed. Love, Jules
PS. I no longer live in the South but yes, the course at Augusta National is really that beautiful. The grounds were a plant nursery and the timing of the Masters shows all in bloom.
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