Thursday, May 7, 2009

There's More Than One Whore Here...

In the days where paparazzi follow folks around who are famous for being famous I suppose not much should surprise or irritate me but I just have to say that I'd like to give Elizabeth Edwards a "Get The Hell Out Of Here" award. While I'm more than sure that it's difficult to deal with a cheating husband, being in the public eye, and raising a family all while dealing with the concept that the end of her life is being accelerated, I still have to say that she, like many before her, has annoyed me this week.
It started with the preview on tv about her being on Oprah to talk about her "pain and humiliation". Then today, there was a brief story on her on the world news. I'm sorry, but I can think of at least twenty things off the top of my head that are far more important than this woman's husband cheating. Um, aren't we in a recession? Aren't there two wars in which we're involved? What about Wilbur The Pig Flu? Isn't that some kind of health epidemic? How in all that is happening in our world that impacts the population at large, is this woman's story relevant?
I know I probably sound mean and insensitive. Afterall, this woman has and is clearly suffering, right? Well, while I can imagine that she is experiencing some emotional angst, I just have to say that I don't care enough to want to know the details and frankly I have enough drama of my own to keep me from reveling in hers. Maybe it's just me but it seems incredibly self-indulgent to go on a mini media blitz to tell one's story of shame, infidelity, suffering, and anger as if we all don't have enough problems of our own. Lots of women have been cheated on and have figured out their paths in spite of it. What makes this woman any different? I mean, the story hasn't even been in the news for months. She actually chose to dredge it all back up for some type of sick personal gain. I highly doubt that many of us have been sitting around wondering and worrying for the past few months how she and John were getting along since the "incident".
In a segment played from her interview with Oprah, she made some sort of reference about how difficult it is to build a marriage, how women should be more respectful of other women's marriages, and that it is not okay to see someone else's situation and decide to pursue it for yourself. It seemed an uppity way to call out the mistress and tell her what a huge whore she was for chasing John Edwards. And while the sentiment may have some truth to it, I couldn't help but think that there is now more than one "whore" involved. There's the one who sought to destroy a decades long relationship but there is also one who now seeks the attention of the media and the American public in order to gain sympathy. And to me, each form of whoring is disgusting.
I understand infidelity in a marriage can be painful. Hey, I've been there myself. I just feel like good friends, good clergy, good books, and a good therapist are a much better solution than whoring one's self in front of the world. Elizabeth, I say go in the house, take a nice warm bath, pour yourself a glass of your favorite wine, put your feet up, and spend what time you have enjoying what's good about your life instead of whining to me and the rest of the world about what's wrong with it. Just a thought.

1 comment:

NicFAB said...

Once again you were on point with this blog! I kept wondering "who" she was, vaguely remembering and then saying "so what"!