From Tiger and Elin’s divorce to Lindsay Lohan’s most recent arrest to Dr. Laura canceling her radio show over her excessive use of the N-word, we relish in celebrity scandal. Why does the public demise of beloved celebrities capture our imagination?

Laura Kipnis, author of the new book “How to Become a Scandal: Adventures in Bad Behavior,” considers these questions by deconstructing our attraction to scandal. She says scandals touch our deep, personal insecurities ? about sex, race, money and power ? in a way that leads us to rush to judgement when another person, particularly a famous person, is shown to be playing out an aspect of that insecurity.