The Tiger Morality Play (Cha-Ching)

Have you seen the new Masters commercial? Nike assumes the fallen Tiger has undergone a moral re-education. The ad was released for the start of the Masters tournament and Woods’s rapid return to the Woods-starved golf scene and public eye.

What I find fascinating is how the company, far from running away from the fallen constructed-American hero (and historic cash machine) has so thoroughly appropriated his nascent but newbie (and highly promoted) therapy experience; his “supposed remorse”; his “supposed moral reeducation”; and, especially, the voice and moral authority of Tiger’s father.

Standing on a golf course ( “of all places,” right?), Tiger looks America and his dead father straight in the eye, blinking in slow motion assent from admonishing statements or questions from Dad (one blink after “what your thinking was” and “what your feelings are”; two blinks and slight nod after “did you learn anything?”) … as if he somehow is baring and has bared his soul to the nation. …Now where’s my check?

Classic.

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Tags: commercialism, Nike, Tiger Woods

Gasho

Nike is willing to exploit children in factories to drive down the marginal cost rate of it’s high priced products. It’s slogan is “just do it” and it’s brand is sporty, aggressive, take-no-prisoners athleticism.
People are going to watch the Masters BECAUSE they’ll see Tiger. Tiger’s scandals are about sex and power, and well…. Just Doing It. Nike isn’t afraid of any of that.
It’s almost obvious that they’d cash in on the scandal and just, just try to stay on the high side of the issue.
George

I am absolutely friggin gagging! They are using his dead father’s voice!!! Tiger is standing there so friggin rich he could tell the world to kiss his butt and he subjects himself to this? Well I guess it’s par for the course in a country where a hypocrite like former NY governor John Spitzer can so quickly return to “publiuc life” appearing on TV and talking about running for office again.
Is this a great country-or what?
Meanwhile our liberal President continues to assassinate and imprison people at his whim, and commit other crimes against “our” constitution and no one gives a shit.
Apple

Wonder how many takes it took to get just the right expression.
thomas

The ad seems to suggest that Tiger exists at such a lofty summit that the only person permitted to scold him is an authority beyond the grave. And even this authority gets only a nod. His wife, friends, fans or anybody else don’t get to challenge him. It’s not surprising that Nike thinks that they (Tiger and Nike) don’t really have to answer to anybody but the voices in their own heads. It’s one of the prerogatives of power.
My personal response to this is almost pity for Tiger as an individual. Being the patron saint of capitalistic competition clearly makes a person neurotic, hyper-avaricious, selfish, secretive, distrustful, resentful, proud, humiliated and probably deeply dissociative. He has to live as the emblem of a very, very fucked value system and I wouldn’t trade places with him for anything in the world. I imagine when Tom Cruise is caught cheating on his wife he’ll have to make a similar commercial for the church of scientology: “I’ve been a fool, I’ve failed this wonderful system that has given me so much.” The church of commercialism needs you back in your cage, Tiger. And you’ll behave now, won’t you?
http://reciprocity-failure.blogspot.com Stan B.

This is actually pretty “sincere” compared to what the Tiger has yet to really address:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-zirin/the-hate-crime-a-question_b_525170.html
Asta

My reaction when I saw this “ad” was how overtly exploitive it is. And manipulative. And then I thought “narcissistic”. After all, everything that’s been said and done has really focused on Tiger, on HIS behavior, on HIS transgressions, HIS sponsors, HIS career and future. His wife and have been conspicuously invisible. Maybe he’d feel better if he could have a “Tiger Woods Cable Channel, all Tiger, all the time”.
And I really have to take the “sex rehab clinic” with a grain of salt. I think he has other issues that have yet to be addressed, and I’d say more, but really, Thomas above posted a much better comment. I thought I might introduce Narcissism as a possible factor.
Craby

How was Spitzer a hypocrite? Did he do a lot of prostitution cases or something? I thought he focused on wall street and most specifically the banking scam, a day or so before being took down. As in he always did hang with whores, everyone knew it and no one said anything until he got too close to their money THEN everyone cared he was hangin wit hoes. Geez TV is killing America.
George

Spitzer, as attorney general, conducted a very visible campaign against prostitution because of it’s evil exploitation of women. I’ll leave it to you to look it up. I don’t care enough about whether you believe me or not to do it myself.
Bill

Well I’ll certainly remember this ad for a while but it sure doesn’t make me want to go out and buy Nike products.
http://www.futurebird.com futurebird

I liked it. I thought it was really effective. We are all so interested in Tiger, I think it’s a little absurd. He should be able to make money off of the voyeurism. Good for him.
joeradish

yeah, something like that. His problems are nothing special, but he’s the best most charismatic golfer ever. He doesn’t owe me anything, and I’m glad he’s back on the golf course. I know with my various addictions, having a Nike commercial to periodically ask me if I’ve learned anything might help me out. South Park did that great commentary on the sacrifice of celebrity with its show on Britney Spears. This makes me think of that, and it’s times like these when I think celebrities earn their ridiculous incomes. Tiger Woods could win the Masters again tomorrow. Amazing. He’ll probably screw up again too, but it really is none of my business or yours, so because we’ve made it our business, he and Nike are turning it back on us. Civilization in all its freaking glory has earned this baloney. I don’t buy Nike anyway, but I like the ad. Its like the ghost of Hamlet’s father. Clever. It’ll probably sell shoes.
pj

The ad as a graphic image continues to work no matter what the voiceover. This one with Christian Bale could actually appeal to a whole new group of people. It’s almost as if it is designed to be mashed, go viral, and continue to sell Nike.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkFGu9KJIiI