VIA: MSNBC.com
Mistresses have always held a certain fascination in American life, especially when it comes to famous and powerful men. Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt (Lucy Mercer), Dwight Eisenhower (Kay Summersby) and John F. Kennedy (Judith Exner, Marilyn Monroe) were alleged to have strayed outside the boundaries of their marital vows. Many other men who lead public lives have been outed as cheaters, including Michael Jordan, Ethan Hawke, Rudy Giuliani, Bill Clinton, John Edwards, John Ensign and David Vitter.
But in recent weeks, the parade of cheaters has picked up momentum with the news that Tiger Woods and JesseJames engaged in extramarital affairs. While the bedroom exploits of a golfer and a biker may not change the course of history, they certainly have triggered a bombardment of tabloid headlines. Because there are so many media outlets in these modern times, and because the wives of Woods and James are almost universally liked, the two adulterous gents have generated perhaps more attention and scrutiny than any hounds in recent history.
Yet what about the women? Were the mistresses truly in love? Were they looking for their 15 minutes of fame and whatever income they could generate as the result of their involvement? Did they give any thought to the possible fallout, or did they give a lot of thought to it? And do their actions create the possibility that other women may emulate their behavior and look upon being a mistress as a career path?
