Der Inseminator
Despite the snarky attention getting title, I take little or no pleasure in the troubles and travails of Arnold and Maria. While I don't truly know them in any real sense, non-the-less I feel connected to them. You see, when I was a young man in the Peace Corps serving in Tunisia and Maria's father, Sargent Shriver, was the director, she visited my home in Nabeul. She was a bright, round-faced (!) young girl of about 12 and she was utterly captivating, sweet and, to all appearances, unspoiled.
Some few years later, when I was living in Venice, I worked out at Gold's Gym and came to know Arnold. He was very funny, very smart--and clearly competitive with those whom he saw as competition. What impressed me about him was his generosity. One of his bodybuilding buddies was, perhaps unsurprisingly, not doing well in philosophy at Santa Monica Community College. Arnold hired me to tutor his pal. Sweet.
So, my personal experiences of them separately have been positive and I have no reason for any schadenfreude at their terrible situation. We have no way of knowing the internals of their marriage--or what their deal or expectations might be. Public humiliation is seldom part of the package--even for Kennedy women.
It is not particularly shocking that Arnold as a body builder, an actor and a politician had affairs and didn't tell either his wife or public about it/them. Arnold fit in three categories where he is always either on camera or looking in the mirror. All of his life implies a certain narcissism.
And, more relevantly, men tend not to be truthful about sex--and this bi-partisan. Men lie about sex when we're young and bragging about getting it when we're not. Then men lie about it in middle age claiming not to be getting it where we shouldn't. Then, coming full circle, we lie about it again when we're old claiming to getting it when we're not. At no point are men reliable historians.
Thus, this story is clearly is not about unique Republican hypocrisy. See the messy messieurs: Clinton, Packwood, Spitzer and Edwards. But since these guys seldom run on strict religious and family values platforms there is the sin but not the hypocrisy. It is more fun to see holier than thou conservatives fall to the temptations of the flesh. But my suspicion is that the percentages are pretty equally distributed. Even apparently dull gray economists with the IMF fall. But his is much worse allegedly being non-consensual.
So for Arnold and Maria and their family, I wish them well. I hope they make peace and find healing. For me this is not about the political sin of hypocrisy but the fragility of our character. And that is not just a male issue. Please note: All these famous people are doing "it" with women. Their role in rolling in the hay is being largely overlooked.
©2011 Jonathan Dobrer
www.Dobrer.com
Come on, Mr D. Where is Arnold any more of a family value guy than Edwards, any more of a hypocrite (or a liar under oath) than Clinton? This is not a Republican/Democrat
situation and maybe you're a little bit of the H word for making it one. There is no need in this situation for politics to enter. But there's a definite need for compassion for Maria and her kids. I didn't see any of that here.
Hey, I agree completely. It isn't a partisan issue. It's just more fun when you get hypocrisy too.
As usual, Mr. Dobrer writes truthfully. Men are always on the lookout for the next opportunity and are quick to take advantage of the situation. They never seem to think first of the consequences or the harm they might do to their family and friends.
It is often said a man's brains lie between his legs and a woman's brain is in her skull. Perhaps there is a lot of truth in that.
The political and business world is filled with hypocrisy and who is to say that Maria never had any inkling of one or more affairs. I, for one, think it was a bit stupid to air family issues before the vultures of the media. All that does is hurt more people.