PREACH IT! How soon until people get preachy over Tiki Barber?
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To everyone who has written in to proclaim how tired, so very tired, they are of cheating Jesse James stories and cheating Tiger Woods stories, we at MOG hear you! Please enjoy this cheating Tiki Barber story instead. For those of you hoping to follow from the comfort of your home, the details: Tiki Barber, former football star and a rising correspondent on ‘Today,’ has apparently separated from his pregnant wife. Now let’s elaborate: According to the New York Post, Barber is leaving his wife of 11 years -- Ginny, who is pregnant with twins -- in favor of a blond former intern named Traci Lynn Johnson.
Barber has released the obligatory statement, of course, saying, ‘After 11 years of marriage, Ginny and I have decided to separate. This decision was a painful one, but we are moving forward amicably and will continue to work together to raise our children with the love and dedication they have always known.’
Kudos to him for not demanding that we all respect his privacy during this difficult time. Maybe he didn’t ask for privacy because he knows he doesn’t deserve it; after all ...
... like many ambitious stars, Barber has had no problem whipping out what would generally be considered very private matters -- discussions over the sleeping arrangements of his two kids; when he and his wife started dating, who does the cooking or clothes shopping for his household -- if it meant some fresh publicity. And that publicity has paid off; until now, at least, Barber has been bandied about as a possible ‘Today’ show anchor should one of the hosts retire. [Updated at 11:14 a.m., April 9: In a previous version of this post, this paragraph was cut off at ‘arrangements.’ And where’s the fun in that?/cdz]
Of course it’s only a matter of minutes before fans take to the Internet discussion boards, scolding the tabloids for reporting this dreck and clucking their sanctimonious pleas for the rest of us honor the Barber family’s privacy. It’s always the same: a outburst of collective holier-than-thou-ness aimed at shaming people into silence; it’s a private matter, it’s not our business, blah blah blah. Funny. Barber’s family sure was our business, until this week, and largely thanks to no one but Tiki Barber.
Which leads us to our poll: Is the Sanctimony Squad right? Are such stories none of our business?
And hey, how long till people get preachy?
-- Leslie Gornstein
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