"Famous" and "faithful" are both F-words.

What is it about notoriety and infidelity that go hand-in–hand? 2009 saw the fall from grace of Tiger Woods, Jon Gosselin and David Letterman among others. Yet the title of “Most Disappointing Person in 2009” was bestowed upon none other than John Edwards, the former presidential hopeful and beacon of all that is good and virtuous in this world.

For days, all anybody could talk about was how Edwards was a cheating slime-ball who knocked-up his documentarian. And yet people were surprised. Perhaps because Edwards was a stringent promoter of family values, his supporters took his glaring hypocrisy as insult added to injury.

But this nation has a long and illustrious history, full of indiscretions, transgressions and various hanky-panky. John F. Kennedy, who has practically been elevated to sainthood today, participated in his share of Oval Office shenanigans. Was it a tremendous mistake or a prudent PR move on the part of Kennedy’s press corps, who undoubtedly knew of his unwholesome activities, to keep it all under wraps, choosing instead to focus on the political aspects oh his presidency, rather than the personal?

In this day and age, where the public has seemingly insatiable appetite for any bit of sordid gossip it can get its hands on, would it even be possible to keep such a thing from reaching the press and becoming an all-out field day?

Bill Clinton and his bevy of ladies (Monica Lewinsky, Paula Jones, Ginnifer Flowers, to name a few), South Carolina governor Mark Sanford and now John Edwards have added their name to the lexicon of politicians who just can’t seem to keep it in their pants.

The rich and famous certainly aren’t the only ones who are unfaithful to their spouses, but they are the ones in the public eye and it is their slip-ups get the most attention. But there’s also a double standard at play. One seems to expect that kind of behavior from rock stars and rappers. A cocaine and Jack Daniels fueled orgy on a tour bus, presided over by a contingent of strippers almost earns a pat on the back and a “Well done”.

Politicians however are held to a different and much higher standard. If Bill Clinton betrays his wife, who’s to say he won’t betray the entire nation? Committing perjury is a great length to go to in order to keep an extramarital affair secret.

If these public figures are tired of their wives, why don’t they just leave them, one may ask. Aside from being messy and potentially very expensive, a divorce can be a reputation killer just as badly as an affair can.