Sunday, September 4, 2011

The Last Airbender Series: The Warriors of Kyoshi and the Tiger Woods Effect

Old story here, but we all know now that Tiger Woods is not the upstanding family man that he led us to believe. He's kind of a philandering sex addict. But ignoring all the hate for Tiger Woods, you couldn't help but think that the only reason he would do this is because he can. He's Tiger Woods, and though this does not belittle the scandal, it does give it some merit. As I pointed out in an earlier post, Tiger Woods was the best golfer ever, and it would be only human of him to use this trait about himself to get some improper benefits. This concept (though in a more child-friendly manner) is demonstrated in this Avatar: The Last Airbender episode, where Aang, who, as the avatar, is the closest thing to a celebrity in the Avatar world, is our parallel to Tiger Woods.

Aang and his friends find themselves on the island of Kyoshi, named after the Avatar Kyoshi. Near death, Aang reveals himself as the avatar, and the town that was about to burn him to death was now adoring and adulating him. He had fans following everywhere. And maybe most importantly, he had caught the eyes of the local girls. How did this happen? Aang is a monk, so he isn't exactly Mr. Smooth (and if you watch more episodes, you'll realize this as well). I can't imagine that he was necessarily the dreamiest person in the world (though considering the female to male ratio of Kyoshi island may disprove this theory). The obvious reason is that Aang is famous and good at what he does. The Tiger Woods effect. Fame, backed with talent? That's the recipe for getting the females. Just think about it. Derek Jeter was (and now is) one of the most eligible bachelors in New York not just because of his dashing looks. He is one of the best Yankees of all time, and one of the most famous men in New York. Tiger Woods is the best golfer of modern time, and he also was one of the most famous people in the world. Something about fame and talent makes people irresistible. So, in the Avatar world, there's no surprise that on this island, Aang quickly found many admirers.

The most interesting question now is how does Aang respond? Does he go the Tiger Woods route, where he acts upon these admirers? Or does he go the Jeter way, and not philander about? In my opinion, whether or not it was a kid's show, I think Aang will go the Jeter way for one main reason. He's not like Woods or Jeter because both are sports stars. They're famous, but not exactly one hundred percent important. Aang is like the president or any other politician. He is famous and has an important role in the Avatar world. Though there are certainly unsavory characters in the political world, Aang's importance to the world forces him to above all of that. Aang may be affected by the Tiger Woods effect, but he will never act upon them.

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