Celebrity Cheaters Need to Rethink Their Technology

By Mike Ryan Posted Mar 29th 2010 08:45AM

As the trend of public figures, like Jesse James and Tiger Woods, destroying their public images with their own typed or recorded words continues, we got to thinking that today's technology has made it all but impossible for a public figure to not eventually be caught doing something unseemly or be extorted. So why does it still happen? We decided to investigate, and even spoke with the magazine that busted Jesse James' alleged love life wide open.

It used to be nothing more than a late-night phone call with nobody on the other end. Perhaps some nights spent "at the office" or a sudden increase in "business trips." Or, whatever else Don Draper got away with on 'Mad Men.' Suspicious? Sure, though certainly nothing that's incriminating on its own of an adulterous affair.

And what was the worst case scenario for getting caught anyway? A couple of Valiums mixed with a highball, then continue the public facade of a normal life? That probably doesn't sound so bad right now to Jesse James and Tiger Woods. At least compared to what happened to them; when current technology keeps a perfect history of every indiscretion. Sure, Don Draper got caught... but at least Don didn't have his voicemails and text messages displayed on the nightly news.

PopEater reached out to Michelle Lee, Executive Editor of In Touch Weekly, who broke the Jesse James story and asked her why celebrities would be so foolishly willing to leave a digital cheating trail. "You'd think cheaters would have gotten smarter by now and realized that anything they put in a text message, email or voicemail can be kept for years to come" Lee explained. "But I think lots of these cheaters simply aren't thinking at the time -- they're caught in an illicit moment."

Now the story breaks that there's an alleged fourth mistress in the Jesse James scandal. And, of course, to prove there was a relationship, this alleged mistress has "hundreds of texts, e-mails and photos." (Honestly, if Tiger Woods hasn't sent Jesse James a nice cheese platter yet for knocking Woods partially of the front page of the tabloids, well, it better be on order.) Why? Why? Why? Look, this isn't a diatribe on the moral consequence of cheating on a spouse. But if an individual is going to go down that path, why leave such a noticeable and brightly Blackberry-lit trail?

And, according to Lee, it seems once the dam breaks, it's almost impossible to contain the flood. She says, "Think of Tiger -- there have been at least 16 women now to come forward saying they had sex with him. It's nearly impossible to keep every woman quiet when you're casting such a wide net. It seems like the same thing is becoming true with Jesse James too -- Michelle McGee was just the tip of the iceberg."

Here's the thing, this isn't going away anytime soon. The media and popular culture obsession is blinding. At Paris Fashion Week, Stella McCartney used Woods' voicemail to open her runway show.

Lee agrees that there's no end in sight, though she adds the interest has always been there.

"The public's interest in cheating has definitely picked up recently because of the high-profile stories like Tiger and our Sandra story. But, really, interest has been around for many years -- just think about Bill Clinton, JFK, Kobe Bryant. I don't think it will slow down -- a celebrity's infidelity says a lot about them."

As technology progresses, so will the likelihood of public figures (or anyone, really) being caught as unfaithful. At this rate, it's really only a matter of time before we have our first iPad scandal.

Tags: jesse james, tiger woods

Comments

(11)

Sunday 28 March

By PSC

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Many wrongs have been done here..but I think the worst one is hardly ever touched on. And, that is HIV. I can't imagine the amount of STD's that are going around in that group...and some of them are life threatening. To be so selfish as to risk the danger of your wifes/husbands health blows my mind.

Monday 29 March

By Kate C

So true,PSC. I wonder if these famous types think they are "above" it all and wont catch a STD. I just pray, Elin will leave the bum and start a new life. Sandra has already left.

By Ttmich

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Every phone record, email and text message leaves a record. Celebarty cheaters: if you want to hide your contact records, go back to the Indian's basic, old way by sending the smoke signals to the girls :)

The cheaters must be punished somehow, but should the cheated spouse stay with the truly remorseful cheater who learned the scandal lessons, its consequences and being a straight arrow, or getting a new lover who has never learned the lessons.

Stay with the "reformed and learned" one is probably the better solution.

By Kate C.

Lessons learned? Straight arrow? Reformed? You have got to be kidding! Remorseful, cause he got caught LOL!!!!

By Rpagtjr

Too many folks get caught up in all this 'scandal' stuff. This 'stuff' goes on every day in the real world also.

By KC

Jesus. An article about the technologies of cheating. Brilliant. Look these men are obviously not that bright. Either they trusted these women they slept with & never dreamed they would go public or they just didn't care. Really doesn't matter whats done is done. It's now up to their wives now to decide what they want to do about it.

By Devvie

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People that are careless such as tiger I think want to get caught. As for Jesse he had a jealous girl who finally got her pay back after the seeing Sandra on the awards show being so naive.

from your lips..to Gods ears.

By R

WTF?? it's the mentality of the cheater you moron's not the technology that's help catch them. let me guess... the writer of this article graduated from college!

Saturday 03 April

By shar

They may get away with their behavior on earth but when they have to go in front of God for the Judgement day. All the money they have on Earth will not help them at death.

If I was Elin and Sandra I would GET A DIVORCE. They don't care about them. That sex addition is an excuse that was though up for pr.

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