I'll take a break from the "Myth of Manhood" series and focus on a serious and very important news story: Tiger Woods. Now I won't pile on and make fun of Mr. Woods. He's been getting slammed throughly in the media and blogosphere. That's not to say Mr. Woods doesn't deserve what he's been receiving, it just would be redundant at this point to continue on making jokes about him.
Besides, no one knows exactly what happened and how it all transpired. What we do know is the media has gotten hold of salacious story and they will not be letting up anytime soon.
Although, I'll be the first to admit I'm a bit of hypocrite with this one. Considering all the other far more important stories in the news right now, I to am focusing on a celebrities' relationship that I'll more than likely never meet. The War in Afghanistan, Iran's defiance or the backlash against all felons from Arkansas on parole not being allowed to move to Washington State anymore probably deserve to be written about more than Mr. Woods. But, like I said I'm a hypocrite on this one.
This story has peaked my interest for many different salient reasons, too many to list. The one I'm focusing on is the expectations society has of women. Specifically, our schemas/stereotypes of how women from different races are supposed to behave. Particularly, the idea that white women are easier to deal with in relationships.
For many of the Brothers who I know have dated or married white women, they were genuinely in love with them. Yet, there are quite a few I have run into over the years who were with white women for dubious reasons. Such as the all too familiar "White Women are easier to deal with" or "you can get away with more with White Women." We probably all are aware of the stereotypical comments that some Brothers (society in general) make regarding differences in behavior among Black and White women.
Let me be clear, I'm not insinuating Mr. Woods is one of those men. I have no clue what Tiger Wood's feels internally or what his motivations were for marrying Elin Nordegren.
Yet, many people close to me have joked Elin Nordegren went "sista girl" on Tiger's Woods with a golf club. Basically, this isn't the expectation one would expect of a woman who looks like Mrs. Nordegren.
My question is "Why not?"
I think its safe to say Mrs. Nordegren reaction was a very human response to being betrayed by someone you love. It's not genetically programmed to one race or the other, it just is what it is. Granted, not every woman grabs a golf club and starts swinging for the dude's head (If that is indeed what occurred) after they caught them cheating. But, I'm willing to bet most felt a similar initial type of rage.
Maybe this national incident will normalize this human reaction and thus eliminating "the angry black woman" myth. As Mrs. Nordegren has so eloquently showed the world, Black women aren't the only ones who "snap" when they've been betrayed.
