Image Versus Reality

The other day I had a conversation with a family member who commented how upset they were at the revelations that have been coming out over the past few weeks about the golfer Tiger Woods. My relative expressed sadness over the whole Woods situation because "he seems like such a good man." My response was, "How do you know that?" The great majority of us only "know" Woods by watching him on the golf course or by seeing him in various advertisements. And that is about it. Any conclusion we might draw from such limited exposure is flimsy at best. This is not to pick on my relative or, for that matter, Tiger Woods. It is obvious that, up till now, his handlers have done a great job of controlling his public appearances and therefore ensuring he is always showcased in the best possible way. As one of Woods' legions of fans, all of us, including my relative and me, for that matter, bought into it. It is no wonder, then, that this new reality is such a shocker.

Everywhere we turn we are surrounded by celebrities. Some of them have become well known because of circumstance and talent, while how others maintain their fame is a mystery. Some of them we gravitate toward to the point where we feel like we have a good sense as the human beings they are. My own sense of famous people is unless we actually do know that person in the same way we do our next door neighbor, old college roommate or the person who works down the hall from us, then all famous people need to be taken with a grain of salt. They are to be admired or even appreciated for their skills, but going beyond that is a mistake. 

At least part of communication is image building. But when does creating an image became an outright lie? If a politicians is actually not very bright, yet their image makers seek to present them as an intellect, for instance, then isn't that doing society a disservice? If image makers seek to present a would class athlete as a good family member and loyal husband when it turns out he is neither, then aren't they actively participating in a lie? The answer to both questions is a loud "yes." I call upon all image makers to stop doing that. Sure, your client may be offering you tons of money to perpetuate a falsehood. But remember: those who knowingly support a falsehood lose their credibility just as shady as the person they represent.