Michelle Wie and Britney Spears prove America loves a good train wreck

A lot of grouchy writers are giving Michelle Wie a hard time right now because she’s exploiting her good looks (c’mon, a short, chubby teen wouldn’t be getting exemptions) and above average golf game in order to make money playing golf against men instead of sitting in Ms. Goober’s 5th period Algebra class in Hawaii.

In the court of public opinion, her “quest” to beat the men has turned from “trail blazing” to “money grubbin’".

But before we ship her off to the infamous isle of teenaged celebrity failures, let’s remember she’s just playing golf (and sounding really dorky at press conferences). When you compare what she’s doing to some of America’s other famous teeny-boppin’ train wrecks: Britney Spears, Jennifer Capriati, Paris Hilton, Olsen twins, even adorable Olympic hero Dominique Moceanu had an ugly divorce from her parents, Wie’s tale isn’t a cautionary one yet.

Michelle is just golfing for cash. Poorly and alienating many in the process, yes. But there is no controversial teeny-bikini calendar, she’s not marrying her caddie and having two of his babies before he releases a rap album and gets caught with hookers in Vegas repeatedly, there’s no drug habit and there’s no rumors of any home videos running around.

She’s still a pretty good kid.

But the reason Wie will continue to get exemptions and more sponsors, is because above anything, America loves a soap opera - the more tragic the better. If it’s at the expense of a teenaged girl, we can barely control ourselves. We like to take these precious girls, throw them in the spotlight, give them the world, then say “I told you so” when a combination of youth and pressure leads them down what we believe to be the wrong path.

Admit it. You’re all waiting for Wie’s tipping point. The big “Wow!” that seems inevitable. Whether it’s harmless like her breaking down into tears after shooting a 114 at her next John Deere or if it’s running off to Aruba and eloping with John Daly.