Let me begin this post with a disclaimer: I am not football’s greatest fan – not by a long shot. To be honest, I consider it an incredibly dangerous sport, especially in light of the evidence that continues to emerge on its long-term effects on head and brain damage. I only watch it when I have to (read: when my husband gives me no other choice and I want to bond with him).
Now, that’s out of the way, what are your thoughts on the constant media stories on supermodel, Gisele Bündchen’s statements defending her husband, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, after being heckled by a Giants fan? Immediately following the Giants’ win against the Patriots, Giselle tried to leave; she was obviously and understandably very upset and frustrated. While making her way to the elevator, a Giants fan heckled this already frustrated woman by stating that Eli Manning (Giants star quarterback) “owned” her husband. As I would have expected any wife to do – particularly one whose nerves were already frayed – she jumped in to defend her husband stating, “You have to catch the ball when you’re supposed to catch the ball,” she said. “My husband cannot …. throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time. I can’t believe they dropped the ball so many times.”
It might be true that it wasn’t right for her to blame her husband’s team mates, but again, take into account the timing of this confrontation and her state of mind at the moment. However, whatever side of the fence you’re on, the continuous replay of that moment by the media is not what angered me. What angered me was something else entirely: during the recounting of the incident by one particular entertainment show, one of the 2 hosts began to state how this incident might spell trouble for their marriage. Somewhat inexplicably, this infuriated me! The approach just rubbed me the wrong way.
In life and in the media, most stories can be looked at from either a positive perspective or a negative one. That host could very easily have talked about how a wife’s defense of her husband is a positive thing (even if she might have said the wrong thing), but decided to somehow conjecture that their marriage might be trouble because of Gisele’s statement. Why is the media so fast to jump on stories about celebrity marriages in trouble? Is it because it creates more headlines?
You tell me! Am I looking at this from the wrong perspective? Or do you think I have a point?
{Image Credit: Sports Illustrated}
Because that is what draws the attention of their viewers and readers. Sad. We care more of the destruction and sensation of hollywood devastation than the success of marriages. Just the new 21st Century blood sport.