In contemporary culture, Tiger Woods is immensely popular due to his exceptional athletic abilities, his ability to open access to a sport formerly off-limits to African Americans, and because of his role-model and heroic status among Americans young and old.
The following theoretical elements from popular culture will be incorporated into this study: heroes, stereotypes, and “the American Dream”.
Tiger Woods is popular because his athletic ability on the golf course is unparalleled in the history of golf.
Tiger Woods is popular because he is a young African-American male who helped open access to a sport formerly off-limits for young African-American males.
Tiger Woods is popular because his status as a hero of the golf world, enabling Americans young and old to view him as a role-model and the embodiment of “the American Dream” or “the Myth of Success”.
Eldrick “Tiger” Woods is an American hero, the embodiment of “the American Dream”. Part African-American and part Thai, Tiger Woods is a hero to ethnic groups everywhere. He has become such a hero because of his superstar athletic abilities on the gold course – ones that not only saw him become one of the few legitimate golf superstars but also helped him earn his image as a racial pioneer. He consistently drives the ball more than 300 yards and he draws large crowds to a sport not known for being popular among spectators. His athletic abilities have enabled him to earn spokesperson deals with Nike, Titleist, and other major corporations. Last week, Tiger won his second Master’s tournament, becoming the first golfer in the history of the sport to win four majors. Because of his prodigious golfing abilities, Tiger Woods continues to take the gold world and fans by storm, breaking one long-held record after another:
With his 19-under-par performance at the Old Course, Woods lapped the field by eight strokes, 35 days after winning the U.S. ...