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My POV
Brian A. Wilson
Fade In on Tiger Woods
I saw Tiger Woods play golf yesterday. Live and in person, right here in LA.
I was not impressed.
Don't get me wrong. As a golfer, he was stunning. His tee shots cracked as if he had hit them with a two-by-four. He is a master at course management. He putts like Paladin plugged bad guys. He's obviously a fantastic athlete.
Ah. Maybe that's the problem.
Like too many big shot athletes today, Mr. Woods seems to have forgotten how to be graceful in his chosen profession. How else to explain him walking off 18 after a meaningless pro-am round with a bunch of country club players, passing his adoring fans-kids, old people, business guys who sneaked out of work to see their hero-without so much as a nod, a wave or a smile?
To see the way he passed by, stone faced and aloof, you'd think people were yelling derogatory remarks at him, instead of "You played great today, Tiger" and "Hi, Tiger" and "We're here for you, Tiger."
Right. We're here for you, Tiger, but you're not here for your fans, not even the little kids in the Tiger attire, mystified at why their role model just blew past like his car was getting towed.
This was Tiger's own charity event. Would it have been so very much trouble to say, "Hi! Thanks for coming out! The charity folks and I appreciate your support!"
Apparently, on this day, it was.
What, you may be wondering, does all this have to do with being a screenwriter?
A great deal.
Like Tiger, we are trying to reach millions with our work. Like Tiger, we, for the most part, hone our craft in private. Like Tiger, at some point, we put our work on public display and ask the public to spend part of their lives enjoying the fruits of our labor.
Unlike Tiger, when that day comes, I will show my appreciation to any and all who care to be my fans, admirers of my work, those who spend some of their precious few hours of life watching what I have created.
I would hope, when you make it to the top of the heap, you would act the same way.
I won't find fans an annoyance, something to be gotten through, ignored or gotten rid of. I won't look down on those who admire my work as if they are somehow beneath me and not worth my time.
Instead, I will be grateful that they have endorsed what I have created by watching it, and loving it or despising it but at least discussing it. If somebody wants an autograph, great, gimme a Sharpie. If somebody wants to comment to me for a moment, I'm all ears. Got a question right now? Email me. If time is limited and I'm forced to move along by greater forces during some event, by God I'll still wave and smile and say thank you for coming.
I think those of us who create mass communication and mass entertainment-and that includes you, me and Tiger Woods-- bear that responsibility. We are reaching out to people. We are working hard to engage them. When we have their attention, and have done something well enough to hold their interest, and the experience inspires them to spend hours of their life paying attention to us, I think we owe them a tip of the hat, a smile and a thank you.
It's sad to me that Tiger Woods doesn't feel the same way.
Here's hoping you do.
Keep writing.
BW
LA
transtexan@hotmail.com
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