Judge not. Possible?

The other day a discussion on TV about prying into celebrity private lives had Gul Panag defend Tiger Woods and the scrutiny he was facing in the media. Her take started with a treatise on the game of golf, about how many people didn't really understand the game, and the finesse required to play it. Tiger, according to her, is the greatest golfer ever and her admiration she said stemmed from his play. About Tiger being judged, she said it wasn't anyone's business.

I am amused.

Really, Gul, the fact that people rarely understand Golf elevates it to the status of fine art? Tell you what, it requires the masses not to engage, to elevate anything to a status of high rank. Don't you agree?

I am irritated too.

At the condescending nature of the discourse. We need the hoighty-toighty's of the world to remind us our lack of class. Because, guess what, we don't play golf. Or maybe because we've never nibbled on a canape'. Or nursed a glass of sour tasting vintage wine. Or sat through a bout of shrilly yet depressing stage play. That makes us mere mortals, doesn't it.

Dare I say, sensible perhaps?

The scene reminds me of the liberal-conservative divide. Conservatives have to take to bumpkins like Sarah and George. Liberals, ah, of fine class, take to Obama. For you see, George and Sarah are the winking, hunting types. Obama, on the other hand, is a fine gentlemen given to gasbag sermonising that liberals sing paeans about.

Oh, I missed the judgement part. Judgements, members of the jury, are but natural. For our senses constantly takE in stimuli, coherently interpreting them based on our personal faculties, thus forming perceptions. Otherwise termed judgements. This is, as I said, but natural. Its impossible to stop being judgemental. Sure, we may or may not verbalise it. For that's our choice, but we still engage in judgements. When people judge the sexcapades of Tiger, they are but reacting to what's being presented as stimuli to their senses, by the media worldwide. Should they resist the temptation to judge? I don't know. Frankly, I don't care.

As consumers we make judgments all the time. About products and services. Based on what we receive as stimuli from the marketer. The judgements that fleetingly stay in our short term memory to be soon lost can be termed mere 'perceptions'. The ones that reach the long term memory turn into 'attitudes'. Note, 'attitudes' based on 'judgements' can either make or break a brand.

As far as Tiger goes, let me assure Gul there's nothing much to worry about. For these are perceptual judgements that won't reach long term memory. As for tomorrow, its going to be another celebrity doing another dumb thing. It is but natural to them. The media will surely splash it on its pages. Tiger will then be forgotten. And you can rest in peace.