Why America Loves to Hate Infidelity

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It's hard to believe it's been more than a decade since Bill Clinton faced impeachment for cheating on his wife. Now there's Tiger Woods, confronted with professional impeachment for cheating on his wife. It seems then, as now, America's favorite cause for brandishing the pitchfork is infidelity.
 
Of course, cheating is worthy of condemnation. But what makes us focus on sexual indiscretions before other, more sweeping ones?
 
While Bill Clinton nearly got the boot for his two-timing ways (and yes, because he lied about it, but that was hardly as newsworthy as the Oval Office details), George W. Bush was spared for deceptively leading the public into war, manhandling the constitution, and arguably stealing his election in the first place. Similarly, you'd be hard-pressed to find a magazine or person not trumpeting Woods' mistresses, but few are making waves about his speculated steroid use (Another example: Eliot Spitzer, publicly raked over the coals for his call girl travails, but not for taking a multi-million dollar loan from his father to get elected or improperly using the state police).
 
The easy distillation of this is that sex sells. But it seems to go a bit deeper than that. In Lust in Translation, journalist Pamela Druckerman argues that Americans are far more appalled by cheating than other countries. "Adultery crises in America last longer, cost more, and seem to inflict more pain," she writes. At the same time, our US Magazine/reality TV culture feeds a base desire to peer into windows and watch people air their dirty laundry.
 
So when things like Monicagate or Tigergate hit, we get to engage in an irresistible mix of the righteous and wretched—How horrible! Give me all the lurid details! We wouldn't be so disgusted, if it weren’t so much fun.
 
(Image by PaddyBriggs)
 
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