In 1980, Lisa Birnbach released the Preppy Handbook, which documented the culture and contradictions of some of the last holdouts of traditionalism during the increasingly liberal tilt amongst American elites during the 1970s.
David Brooks’ Bobos in Paradise, published only a few months before September 11th, 2001 also helped to catalog the styles and mores of an era that no one could see had reached its conclusion.
The cover of Golf Digest’s now-infamous “10 Tips Obama Can Take From Tiger” issue was announced on the Web about five minutes before Woods’ career-altering misadventures at the end of November. But when I finally saw the issue on the newsstand around Christmastime, and could read the actual article inside, it occurred to me that it may be a miniature — albeit entirely unintended — version of those same books. (Much of the rest of the magazine, which combines the aesthetic stylings of Birnbach’s book with the contradictions of Brooks is a hoot as well.)
If the American public is lucky, hopefully, the Golf Digest story marks the final chapter of the mythological hagiographic prose from such Northeast Corridor liberal Obama-boosters as Joe Conason, Tom Friedman, and Golf Digest’s own in-house staff. (To the best of my knowledge, the text of this section isn’t online — I suspect it may be quite a while before it does appear at Golf Digest, but bloggers with scanners and OCR software will have lots of fun blockquoting this material.)
For 40 or so previous editions of Silicon Graffiti, click here and keep scrolling and watching.
(Incidentally, Tiger’s woes at the supermarket magazine stand continue. And speaking of Brooks…)
(Bumped to top.)
It would not surprise me in the least if Golf Digest goes bankrupt. Tiger Woods has not only harmed himself financially—he is also proving to be a disaster for countless other people involved in the golfing industry. Virtually overnight numerous people were on the unemployment line and sending out their resumes. The odds are that Golf Digest, in way or another, earned half of its income via Woods. He was the beginning and end of the golf culture. Its world revolved around him. Tournaments depended on Tiger’s appearance to generate ticket sales and advertising opportunities. Much of that is over. Golf Digest was placed in a no-win position. The bosses obviously decided it was better to sell some copies of the current issue even though it would inevitably be held up to ridicule. Might as well bring in the money while you still can.
Oh Lordy! embarrassing doesn’t even begin to cover that perfect storm of a blunder!
Why is tiger different than Barkley, Johnson, Jordan,…Vick.
6. Annie B.:
Why is tiger different than Barkley, Johnson, Jordan,…Vick.
You’re right in that they are all scumbags. What makes Woods different is the fraudulent image he projected and used to make millions in advertising by projecting this squeaky clean image.
So it boils down to degrees of deceit. (and yes, Jordan got off easy)
“yes, Jordan got off easy”
That’s one way to put it!
The media didn’t check out Obama or Tiger. The just fussed over the face put on by both. Obama will eventually have his darker side exposed also.
Thanks for that Will Collier link about Brooks. It is an excellent piece.
Three words: Let it go.
http://vulgarmorality.wordpress.com/2010/01/03/letting-go/
Ouch!
Good one!
Charlie
Let me lend David Brooks a clue .. Bernie Madoff .. not a single member of the “Tea Party” movement gave money to Bernie Madoff to invest. Now tell me who are the gullible ones ? Obviously “educated” doesn’t mean “smart.”
“that’s one way to put it!”
Ed, you’re dangerously close to Al Bundy territory here…
“That’s what SHE said!” oooooOOOOOoohhhh clap clap clap
A few things -
Why, when I press the `Print’ button on this page, it automatically redirects… to the same page?
Moving on:
by my reckoning, `bobos in paradise’ was published in 1999, not `a few months before’ 9.11
the `Preppy Handbook’ was quite influential on the clothing style of 1980s youth: as someone as a youth in the 1980s (like me) could tell you.
Time will tell whether Woods has destroyed his career, as seems to be the case right now.
But contrary to Scott Fitzgerald, there are many many second acts in American life: and third, fourth, fifth and sixth acts (look at Al Gore!)
Oh, well! Sex transgressions get the BIG TYPE and corruption gets page 16. And that’s what’s wrong in today’s society; it has a fracture moral code.
I gave up on Tiger some years ago when he invented a whole new race for himself. Then, there were those strange anti-Black racist jokes he told during a magazine interview…that only he found funny.
Very good site! I like it! Thanks!