Lindsey Lohan and Tiger Woods send Mel Gibson flower bouquet More proof that there is no such thing as good press

BEVERLY  HILLS, CA—Profanity laced, anger-dripping audio bites of Mel Gibson shouting and emotionally abusing his girlfriend, Oksana Griorieva, have been making their way around every conceivable media outlet and blog on the Internet. Not wanting to be left out, KP is taking advantage of the opportunity the latest celebrity schadenfreude.

Aside from the unbelievable theater this gives gossip hungry Americans, Brits, and Aussies, is the sad tragedy we here at KP have long railed about—the sensationalizing of a tragedy such as this. Mr. Gibson needs serious help and owes more than an apology to his fans, his children, and Oksana.  

We all know celebrities live public lives and must trade privacy for fame. But some things are too egregious to keep private and this certainly qualifies. While Gibson is not the poster child of pity, at least two other celebrities are ecstatic that he has taken them off the news cycle.

-- Killswitch Politick

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Tiger Woods: Forgive me, now buy my products The golfer proves he has put himself before the public

Forgive us for again writing about Tiger Woods, but the latest news is a chance to say, we told you so! Last week, this publication asked a question about to which end the golfer is asking for the public’s forgiveness, “To rebuild a brand for the financial gain of one individual at the expense of the public trust?”

With the release of the new Nike ad, we apparently now have the answer to the question—yes.

Mr. Woods has a phenomenal talent and work ethic. The public was sold this image over and over again, by Mr. Woods himself, the PGA, and his sponsors. But since the truth of the real man has come to light, we know the reputation/his brand, to be a complete lie.

While it certainly does not mean he has no talent, it does mean that he has the will to perpetrate an image fabrication for the express purpose of professional and financial gain. In the wake of one of the hugest scandals in sports history, the golfer is asking for the public’s forgiveness so that he may return to his family and to the sport in a commercial designed to guilt consumers into granting their forgiveness and then go buy the products he endorses.

Before granting Mr. Woods forgiveness, fans should ask themselves would they give TV evangelist Jim Bakker the same chance?

-- Killswitch Politick

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A tale of two TigersThe adulteress golfer and his comeback

The week of April 5^th will certainly be an exciting one for the world of golf. The PGA’s Progidal Son, Tiger Woods will return to compete at The Masters in Augusta. Ratings will surely burst at Nielsen’s seems with curious viewers wishing to see a car-wreck in slow motion. Will Tiger perform well? Will he suffer heckles that break his famed concentration? Will his return be overshadowed by some new bombshell?

Only time will tell.

But what is most interesting is the phenomenon of building up a celebrity, then gleefully tearing their brand apart with sordid details, innuendo, and voyeurism. Mr. Woods was presented to the public by way of his marvelous talent and by extension, so too must be his personal life (and we all know what an assumptution makes of you and me).

But over the 2009 Thanksgiving weekend, that façade was shattered by an early morning auto collision—the image of a superstar in a mortal predicament. Following the exposition of several extra martial affairs was the predictable forgive me for my transgressions speech. And now begins that rehabilitation tour—but for what purpose? To rebuild a brand for the financial gain of one individual at the expense of the public trust?

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Tiger Woods: the man, not the image

The revelation that pro golfer Tiger Woods had extramarital affairs strikes this publication as not only unfortunate, but tragic. There is no doubt the famed athlete brought this scandal upon himself, but it is perturbing none-the-less. Among the facts known still swirl countless speculations and allegations, some of which will never be proven yet still assumed true or accurate given the totality of the circumstances.

We can now count Tiger among a long list of celebrities who have “fallen short” or “regret” contravention of their marital vows and societal mores. Among this publication, the feeling is mutual, a man whom so many looked-up to and garnered genuine respect, a man that has done more for his sport and arrived to be the most recognizable athletic ambassador the world over is now sadly a sinful individual.

We don’t wish Mr. Woods ill, but his wife, Elin Nordegren is well within her right to leave the marriage, though as of this writing, she and Tiger are (or have) renegotiated their prenuptial agreement – a sad fact indeed, reflecting on our society choosing to place a monetary value on the institution of marriage. Among his other concerns are now fleeing sponsors, which have contributed much to his station and to his image, an image that will forever carry a blemish no amount of money or obscurity can remove. Now in full doubt will be the golfer’s ability to retain his sponsors, but it will take a sincere effort and a suave public relations motif.

One wonders why a person whom is so gifted, adored, famous, and wealthy could risk his reputation for sex. And that is precisely what has been bargained. With time, there will be healing and a forgiving public but for his family the betrayal will always be in the public’s mind and we as the public will probably forgive but not forget. For it was in his inspiring story, his pristine image that we trusted and now we must face the fact yet again that our heroes are all too human and falter like any other.

-- The Editors, Killswitch Politick

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