Y U MAD AT...Tiger Wood's Ex?

E! was met with an overwhelming amount of commenters crying foul at the actions of Tiger Woods former wife Elin Nordegren when they reported that in an extravagant display of wealth the former model demolished the 12 million dollar home she had recently purchased after deciding she didn’t like it anymore. People were understandably astonished by her wasteful actions.  But it was the anger towards them that concerned me. The unilateral cry of “how dare she?” that sprang out from commenters perplexed me because the majority of us waste things all the time.  A homeless person might be inclined to cry foul at seeing you tossing out a half bag of chips. And it personally makes my blood boil when people act like they are too cute to take home leftovers from a restaurant because if I paid for food best believe I’m eating it. The woman more than likely has serious issues and while trying resolve them with an Eat Pray Love type trip like the rest of the over privileged and under appreciated members of the first wives club would’ve made much more sense not to mention would’ve been much cheaper she chose to go in another direction...with a wrecking ball leading the way. I’m not defending her actions. But I am pointing out that that was her choice to make. Be mad at the system that gave her that choice.  Be mad that she is taxed far too little and publicized far too much. But don’t take time out of your day to judge how she gets through a break up. Abject poverty does not assign one automatic moral high ground and you have no more right to judge this woman than she has to judge you. Yes her actions were excessive and uncalled for. But can you honestly say you haven’t done anything excessive and uncalled for yourself? Uh huh I thought so. It’s not fair to hold people to a higher standard because from the outside their blessings seem to be greater than yours. The disparity of wealth in our nation is enough to make anyone angry (As fashionbombdaily pointed out luxury brand the Row sold out of backpacks whose price were equivalent to a recent college graduates starting salary!) but that is a fundamental flaw within the system not merely those who benefit from it. If you’re arguing that Nordegren’s behavior speaks to a flaw in her character it might be time to consider exactly what her character flaws have to do with you. And unless you’re a friend or a family member the answer to that is most likely very little. In which case it might be time to ask yourself Y U MAD?  

UPDATE:  Reps for Nordegren are saying that the mansion was torn down as a result of structural damage and she did allow Habitat for Humanity to take whatever was salvageable.

Y U MAD AT..Justin Combs?

Yesterday Essence online reported that Justin Combs, son of mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs (unsure who he is? google Ciroc, Bad Boy or J.lo’s green dress) would be accepting a full athletic scholarship to attend UCLA. The post commended the young man on his stellar performance both on the football field and in the classroom. Some readers were not interested in furthering the congratulatory tone of the article. One commenter expressed their outrage that Combs would accept a scholarship considering the wealth of his father stating that the money should go to “someone who needs it”. While others felt there was absolutely nothing wrong with the young man and his 3.75 GPA being rewarded for a lifetime of discipline and hard work the majority of the comments insisted that it was Sean Combs responsibility to bless someone else with a full scholarship because his son had been blessed as a way of “paying it forward”. The inference that it was anyone should be required to atone for their blessings baffled me. The concept of paying it forward is beautiful, uplifting, and inspirational it is not however mandatory. If someone wants to build up some good karma that is their business and if they want to count their millions in a recently discontinued Maybach instead well that is too. The time and energy spent in barber shops, living rooms, and online forums mandating what someone else “should” do with their money could be better spent working to reform financial aid and scholarship programs across the country. Scholarships and economic assistance for students should be awarded on a case by case basis. The fact that they are not is a tragedy that keeps thousands of deserving students from attending college every year. But that is a flaw of the system not the individuals who benefit from it. Justin Combs met the criteria for receiving that scholarship so if you're inclined to judge him or his family consider whether or not you know anyone who would turn down a free education. And then ask yourself Y U MAD?