November 12, 2012
My readers know that the subject of this blog is history as
entertainment. At first glance, it might appear that today’s post stretches the
parameters of that subject, but it doesn’t. Historically speaking, people find
sex scandals to be the most entertaining of subjects.
Did I read that correctly? A sex scandal in a history blog?
Yes. What is currently happening to General David Petraeus
is sadly very historical and, to most people’s way of thinking, very
entertaining. How far back should we go? Bible times? Samson lost his hair (and
his power) because of his lust for Delilah. Salome used her sex appeal to
entice King Herod to give her John the Baptist’s head on a platter. In ancient
times, Cleopatra’s seductive ways either directly or indirectly led to the
downfall of two great Romans (Julius Caesar and Marc Antony). Charlemagne went
to war with King Desiderius of Italy in part because he cast aside Desiderius’
daughter to take another woman. Henry VIII divided his country, created his own
religion and plunged his nation into war in order to divorce his wife and bed
and wed another. Alexander Hamilton slept with another man’s wife, then wrote a
newspaper article explaining that the couple in question was trying to extort
him because of it. And how about our presidents? How many of them have had
extra-marital affairs? George Washington had dalliances with another man’s wife
(Sally Fairfax). Thomas Jefferson had children with his slave Sally Hemings
(though he wasn’t married at the time). Jumping to the 20th century,
Warren G. Harding, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy
(does this one surprise you?), Lyndon B. Johnson, George H.W. Bush (rumored)
and, big shocker, Bill Clinton have all plucked the forbidden fruit…some on
many occasions and with astonishing variety. JFK, for example, was known as a
great “swordsman” and when someone asked Lady Bird Johnson about her husband’s
liaisons with other women, she said, “Well, Lyndon loved the human race…and
half of the human race are women.”
What does this have to do with General Petraeus? I think the
answer to that is obvious. The downfall of this great man is very much in
keeping with the past…another case of history repeating itself. And, as I said,
people love scandals, especially those of a sexual nature. Cleopatra would mean
nothing to us if not for her powers of seduction and we find most of our
monogamist presidents to be pretty boring. And we’re downright ashamed of some
of them. By all accounts, Richard Nixon was faithful and devoted to his wife
Pat, though admittedly, people despise him for another form of cheating.
The bottom line is that whether we like it or not, sex sells
books, songs, video games, television and movies. I would not be surprised if
General Petraeus receives so many entertainment offers from this scandal that
he has to start his own production company. In fact, it’s already begun…there
is one Petraeus book on the shelves right now entitled All In and it was written
by his “other woman”, Paula Broadwell. I wonder if the title of her book is
referring to something more than the general’s military exploits.
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