Snooker So Big/ Pool not so Here

[BarTableMan]

Just a thought I want to throw in the mix: Thousands of snooker fans are very well informed about the personal lives of the players...they eat this stuff up. Who is in trouble, who is dating who, who is gay and who is straight. They see their players like the U.S. sees their TV personalities. This is a huge culture difference. In the U.S. we see this kind of information as "politcally incorrect". When have we EVER seen a tabloid magazine discuss Earl or Shane...never; and we won't. Over there it is hot! Just a different land...but it sells tickets, draws crowds and gets sponsors.

Or do I have it backwards: they all know that personal stuff BECAUSE they love snooker first. Either way it is "taboo" here in the U.S.

Thoughts...

 

[bdorman]

IMHO you've got it backwards.

Exposing the private lives of pool players wouldn't make the sport any more popular with the public. The media chooses what gets "aired" or not by how large the audience is for the information. And the audience for pool is small.

Regarding taboo, from the perspective of the US the private lives of public figures is anything but taboo. Audiences thrive on it and the media does its best to feed it to the audience. We love a good scandal.