Tiger Woods Strips Bare for Vanity Fair

Tiger Woods may be a "sports superstar" - but he is certainly no paragon of virtue as evidenced by the plethora of media attention his sex scandal elicited on the Internet and in the world-wide press. But amid divorce action, sponsor bailouts and sundry other true or rumored events and information, Tiger has become a "cover boy".

Just when we all thought the scandal was taking a break, the February issue of Vanity Fair features Tiger Woods on the cover. The photo shoot by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz is reported to have taken place prior to the subject's sex scandal revelations. A magazine couldn't have planned for this type of "headline heaven" even if it tried. All that was needed was an article that cashes in on the golfer's disgrace. It seems writer Buzz Bissinger has done just that.

The semi-naked shots show the disgraced golfer posing aggressively, staring into the camera while holding a dumbbell in each hand. In the accompanying story Tiger in the Rough - which has been published on the magazine's website - Bissinger charts golf's first billionaire's fall from grace after revelations of his infidelities. He refers to Woods as a "sex addict" with a "harem" and a predilection for crude sexual jokes.

Bissinger also lists in detail the allegations made by Woods' alleged mistresses, which he summarizes as "sex, tons of it, in allegedly all different varieties".

In another quote from the article, Bissinger writes: "For somebody who at the age of two had appeared on The Mike Douglas Show (where, with a perfect swing, he miraculously hit a stunning shot into the center of a net), he seemed remarkably naive and remarkably stupid about the ways of the media."

Here's what Annie Leibovitz had to say about her portrait of Tiger Woods:

"Tiger is an intensely competitive athlete - and quite serious about his sport. I wanted to reveal that in these photos, and to show his incredible focus and dedication."

The upcoming issue will be available on newsstands in New York and Los Angeles on 5 January and nationwide on Tuesday, 11 January.

With such intense media interest in the goings-on of Tiger Woods since news of the sex scandal emerged early on 27 November 2009, copies of the February issue of Vanity Fair will no doubt disappear from newsstands and stores quickly. It could well become a "collector's item".

I consider the Buzz Bissinger article is an excellent summary of a man who portrayed himself as a "good-guy" to the world, yet in reality was embroiled in a sordid, secret life.

Sources:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/tiger-woods-strips-for-vanity-fair-photo-shoot-20100105-lr6w.html

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2010/02/tiger-woods-201002

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/01/annie-leibovitz-comments-on-tiger-woods-cover-photo.html

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