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Catherine Townsend
A sex and dating columnist, Catherine Townsend published her first novel Sleeping Around: Secrets of a Sexual Adventuress in 2007, and followed up with Breaking The Rules: Confessions of a Bad Girl in 2008. She also appeared in How To Have Sex After Marriage on Five, and is now writing a third book. Born in Arkansas, Catherine was a gossip columnist for New York Magazine before moving to London in 2003, since when she has had a very interesting - and pretty public - private life...
As adult film star Joslyn James raises Tiger Woods' list of tally to 10 (and counting...when did he have time to play golf?!) I was asked to comment on BBC Radio London on whether infidelity is forgivable under any circumstances.
My answer: Sometimes. I think that every situation is different, but in Tiger's case it would be tough to ignore not only his affairs, but his cavalier attitude toward women in general. I agree with Tracy Quan, who wrote in the Daily Beast that Tiger's biggest problem was that he failed not only at monogamy, but at basic harem management--and common sense. Would Mindy Lawton, the $8-an-hour waitress, have called him a 'selfish, heartless man' if Tiger had been a bit more thoughtful? It sounds counterintuitive, but it may have been better for his family if he had been honest with himself about what his needs were. Then he could have hired prostitutes who may have been less likely to sell him out instead of leading on starstruck girls with totally crazy dreams of being the next Mrs. Woods. Maybe the real question is why we put sportsmen on such a high pedestal in the first place. Just because Tiger is a fantastic golfer doesn't mean that he's a fantastic human being.
Case in point: If it's true that Tiger talked about giving his wife a 'Kobe special' (referring to the $4 million plus diamond ring that the basketball star gave his wife when he was accused of raping a young hotel employee and forced to admit adultery) to make the problem go away, he's lucky that his wife only hit him with a golf club. As I said on the radio, I don't understand why people get married and then continue to sleep around. Finally, I'm really tired of the argument that human's aren't naturally monogamous. There may be some truth to this from an evolutionary standpoint, but hopefully we are also evolved enough as people to have a choice, especially when there are children involved. I mean, if everyone just did exactly what they wanted to do, all the time, I could masturbate and order pizza all day instead of ever working. At some point, we learn impulse control. Tiger's biggest problem isn't his wandering hands, it's his arrogance.( Read more... )( Read more... )
My answer: Sometimes. I think that every situation is different, but in Tiger's case it would be tough to ignore not only his affairs, but his cavalier attitude toward women in general. I agree with Tracy Quan, who wrote in the Daily Beast that Tiger's biggest problem was that he failed not only at monogamy, but at basic harem management--and common sense. Would Mindy Lawton, the $8-an-hour waitress, have called him a 'selfish, heartless man' if Tiger had been a bit more thoughtful? It sounds counterintuitive, but it may have been better for his family if he had been honest with himself about what his needs were. Then he could have hired prostitutes who may have been less likely to sell him out instead of leading on starstruck girls with totally crazy dreams of being the next Mrs. Woods. Maybe the real question is why we put sportsmen on such a high pedestal in the first place. Just because Tiger is a fantastic golfer doesn't mean that he's a fantastic human being.
Case in point: If it's true that Tiger talked about giving his wife a 'Kobe special' (referring to the $4 million plus diamond ring that the basketball star gave his wife when he was accused of raping a young hotel employee and forced to admit adultery) to make the problem go away, he's lucky that his wife only hit him with a golf club. As I said on the radio, I don't understand why people get married and then continue to sleep around. Finally, I'm really tired of the argument that human's aren't naturally monogamous. There may be some truth to this from an evolutionary standpoint, but hopefully we are also evolved enough as people to have a choice, especially when there are children involved. I mean, if everyone just did exactly what they wanted to do, all the time, I could masturbate and order pizza all day instead of ever working. At some point, we learn impulse control. Tiger's biggest problem isn't his wandering hands, it's his arrogance.( Read more... )( Read more... )
After years of blubbering politicians and their crocodile tears, it's pretty ironic that a comedian has set the standard for serious public confessions. David Letterman's straight-talking admission that he's done 'creepy' things, while not his finest hour, was done the right way. No BS public apology, no mention of a higher power, no miserable-looking wife wringing her hands while being forced to stand by her man in the background. He told us what happened (to a sympathetic audience), on his terms, and hopes to move on.
Of course, the press is still trying to dig up dirt--most recently about a so-called secret bedroom that sources are calling 'the bunker' (it's probably closer to a fold-out couch!) But really, if he has had other consensual affairs with staff members, who cares? He cheated because the opportunity was there, and found a pool of willing women after spending intense 15-hour days with them. He's an entertainer, not a politician--so he has no responsibility to maintain a standard of morality. Though to be honest, I respect Dave more than most politicians. Hey, at least he's not a hypocrite.
Of course, the press is still trying to dig up dirt--most recently about a so-called secret bedroom that sources are calling 'the bunker' (it's probably closer to a fold-out couch!) But really, if he has had other consensual affairs with staff members, who cares? He cheated because the opportunity was there, and found a pool of willing women after spending intense 15-hour days with them. He's an entertainer, not a politician--so he has no responsibility to maintain a standard of morality. Though to be honest, I respect Dave more than most politicians. Hey, at least he's not a hypocrite.
