If Tiger Woods died today, would you be able to pay your mortgage? Would your kids still wake up? Would your dog still love you? Why care about Tiger Woods? We care about Tiger Woods because they want us to.
Think about how many people are F5'ing the Drudge Report to see what's new with Tiger (we're all on a first-named basis). Why care? Because he is a close personal friend and thus his intimate doings are so important to my life? In fact, he is so close to me that I will be receiving updates from TMZ and Drudge rather than receiving e-mails and texts from Tiger himself?
Obsessing over Woods will not strike me as ironic or pathetic, because I've been conditioned to obsess over celebrities. An obsession with celebrity is an outgrowth of the need for mythical figures - which almost always means authority figures! He who worships a movie star today will worship a president or judge tomorrow.
It's teaching us to worship that is important. For once you've conditioned someone to worship, the only fight becomes: Whom will they worship?
Since the power elite have the same interests, it matters only at the margins whether you worship a Democrat or a Republican - a liberal or a conservative. The 2-trillion-dollar bailouts started under George W. Bush and continued under Barack Obama. Do you really think Goldman Sachs cares whether there is a Democrat or a Republican in office?
Stop caring about celebrities, team sports, and other pop culture silliness, and suddenly you'll find yourself less deferential to those in power. You'll become an individual who finds meaning in himself or herself rather than in myths.
The battle is fought over framing. Are you a follower or not? If you care about Tiger Woods, you most certainly are a follower. The only question is the name of your shepherd.
