Subscribe
The Daily Grind Video
CLOSE

 

Everyone knows it doesn’t take much for famous, powerful men to stray from their wives. The media has unearthed a chronicle of hot-to-trot husbands who have scored sex on the side. There’s Tiger Woods, Tony Parker, Jesse James, Brad Pitt, Ryan Phillipe, Ethan Hawke, David Letterman, Bill Clinton, Woody Allen, John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer … the list goes on and on. Even Republican presidential candidate for the 2012 election, Newt Gingrich, betrayed his first wife and second wife. And now … Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Schwarzenegger is ubiquitous for his record-breaking bodybuilding and testosterone-fueled action flicks, like “Terminator” and “Collateral Damage.” His biography made him a universal symbol of manhood. Is his excessive manliness what led him to cheat, or does cheating make him more of a man? It’s possible that the press from his recent scandal will have no effect whatsoever on his movie career, and might even help him sell tickets. His adultery probably won’t affect his political career in the long run, either.

Arnold recently met with Tony Blair to discuss moving beyond his governorship to global politics. And there was also a recent bidding war between Lionsgate and Annapurna Films over the rights to produce the next “Terminator.” This means Arnold knows he will rebound, despite the controversy currently swirling around him and a former member of his household staff, 50 year-old Mildred Patricia Baena. Baena had Arnold’s baby around the same time Arnold’s wife, Maria Shriver, gave birth to their son Christopher. Baena worked in the Schwarzenegger home, but both she and Arnold managed to keep their child a secret until it leaked last week. 

[pagebreak]

Schwarzenegger will join another long line of men whose careers have not been jeopardized by their lustful deceits. Eliot Spitzer now hosts a TV show and Bill Clinton has remained active on the political stage as a diplomat, statesman, and member of the UN’s Special Envoy to Haiti. While the media may have uncovered the latest dirty secret, it’s only a matter of time before the light being shined behind the gubernatorial scenes fades to black. Schwarzenegger and Shriver have both requested privacy to work through these issues on their own. 

Arnold and Maria’s oldest son, Patrick Schwarzenegger, changed his twitter name to Patrick Shriver – a move that hints at an important issue remaining largely unaddressed. There is a serious lack of upstanding male role models available to the young men of this country. Everyone pays attention to the cheaters, but nobody makes a story of the faithful. Where are they? 

Great men lead by example. They practice honesty and integrity at home and in the office. They respect marriage vows. When Schwarzenegger cheated, he could have been upfront about it. Instead, he buried it for over ten years and then apologized publically when the secret was already out. 

Who knows what the future holds for Arnold Schwarzenegger. Let’s just hope he can find a way to stop showing everyone how tough he looks while his morals are so weak.

Kimberly Eisler