Is Tiger Woods an athlete, a multicultural symbol or a global brand?
These are among the questions that were addressed at an academic conference that examined the cultural influence of golf superstar Tiger Woods.
The event, called "Tiger Woods: American Empire, Global Golf and the Making of a Megacelebrity," was held from 1:30 to 5 p.m. Friday, March 23, at Duke University’s John Hope Franklin Center. It was free and open to the public.
Panelists included Selena Roberts, New York Times sports columnist; Edward Wanambwa, editor of African American Golf Digest; Bruce Selcraig, investigative sports journalist; and Anna Grzebien and Jennifer Pandolfi, members of Duke’s NCAA championship golf team. The panel was moderated by Hanif Omar, host of the WNCU public radio program "Fast Break."
Also on the panel were Duke faculty members Orin Starn, a cultural anthropologist and a conference organizer; Grant Farred, a literature professor; and Rachael Miyung Joo, a visiting professor of cultural anthropology.
The purpose of the conference was to examine Woods’ role as more than just a sports star, Starn said. "He is an important part of the American cultural landscape today," Starn said. "He’s a figure who says a lot about America -- about celebrity, the role of mass media, issues of race."
Woods’ role as a black man dominating a traditionally white game, his use of celebrity and marketing and his influence on the global popularity of golf are all part of the Tiger phenomenon, Starn said.
In addition, Woods’ ancestry -- a mixture of Asian, white, Native American and black that Woods calls "Cablinasian" -- "really reflects the way America is changing," Starn said. "We’re living with diversity, mixture and questions of where we belong," he said.
"And golf has really gone global now. Tiger has replaced Michael Jordan as America’s biggest sports star and is one of the world’s most famous faces."
Panelists also addressed the business of golf, its popularity in Korea, race and gender issues and golfer Michelle Wie, sometimes dubbed "the female Tiger."
