If you’ve read our recent blogs on sex addiction you know that the term sex addiction is one that is not recognized as a valid diagnosis in the field of sex therapy. The terms sex addiction has an origin rooted in shame, and it’s more useful to treat individuals for the problem sexual behaviors that foster an “addiction” to sex or pornography. Previously, we looked at the media’s portrayal of both Lindsay Lohan and Russell Brand as sex addicts through the lens of Dr. David Ley’s teaching on the myth of sex addiction and problem sexual behaviors. Today, we add Tiger Woods to the list of individuals who the media has labeled sex addicts and look to analyze the way in which Woods exhibited problem sexual behavior. Tiger Woods has a different media presence than that of Lindsay Lohan and Russell Brand in the sense that he’s an athlete rather than a media personality. Part of Wood’s narrative is his immense influence on the game of golf itself, and he was recognized as a respected professional in the sports industry until the media’s portrayal of his struggle with addiction.
Tiger Woods’s Story
Tiger Woods has had a media presence for quite a while and as a result, he is a commonly known cultural figure. Woods began his media career as a golf prodigy and quickly rose to fame as one of the best amateurs turned professional golfers. In November of 2009 however, Wood’s narrative in the media quickly changed, as he was “ involved in an early morning one-car accident outside his home in Orlando, Florida.” (britannica) Woods reportedly “...pulled out of the driveway of his Orlando-area home at 2:30 in the morning of November 27. He [then] steered his 2009 Escalade into hedges and a tree in a neighbor’s yard before crashing into a fire hydrant, dealing serious damage to the front of the SUV.” (biography.com) This car crash led to a series of events in which Tiger Woods was declared a sex addict and eventual drug addict by most major media publications. After the crash, “It was revealed that Woods, who had married Elin Nordegren in 2004, had a number of extramarital affairs, and his infidelity—which clashed with the solid-citizen reputation that had helped him earn hundreds of millions of dollars in endorsements over the years—became national news.” (britannica) The press heavily followed the scandal, as “The details were splayed out across tabloid front pages around the world, the steamy stories from cocktail waitresses and models creating a portrait of a man who sought out illicit experiences during his time on the road.” (britannica) The story was portrayed by the media as follows:
“...the golden boy of golf, the most talented player the world had ever seen, the wealthy champion with the beautiful wife and perfect family seemed to be harboring an SUV’s worth of dark secrets, infidelities and lies.”
In this sense, the media was already beginning to demonize Woods for his infidelity. Shortly after the scandal, in 2010, Tiger Woods checked “himself into a rehab facility for sex addiction.” (bleacherreport) Dozens of articles quickly came out covering the development with headlines such as “Tiger Woods Is a Sex Addict...and Image Is Everything!” (bleacherreport) and “Tiger Woods Puts Spotlight on Sex Addiction”. (reuters) The issue here, as we’ve seen before, is the media’s use of the term sex addiction in reference to Woods’ actions. If we refer back to Dr. David Leys book we see the following:
“Problem sexual behavior can include any sexual expression that leads people to seek treatment or assistance:
Infidelity
Values conflicts
Problematic pornography use
Relationship conflicts over the type or frequency of sex.
Legal or financial problems
Sex-drug linked behaviors”
For Woods, he exhibits the problem behavior of infidelity as well as other possible things. The media also covered Woods’ history of drug addiction and reported alcoholism, both of which can influence the manifestation of what Dr. Ley calls problem sexual behaviors. The tabloid headlines position problem sexual behavior as something that is shameful through the use of the term sex addiction; Russell Brand and Lindsey Lohan had similar headlines written about them as well. As we’ve noted before, the shameful stigma associated with the term sex addiction is more harmful than helpful to those struggling with problem sexual behaviors. Tiger Woods definitely made some morally wrong choices but he did not deserve to have his struggles publicized through a shameful lens, as that is not beneficial toward anyone’s recovery.
By: Alyssa Morterud