For this week’s blog post I wanted to discuss the article we read about
Michael Jordan as a representation of positive Black masculinity. Michael
Jordan changed the way Black athletes were represented in America. He was able
to be represented in so many ways and it changed marketing and advertising in
sports forever.
The article stated that Black men embody an “already read texts” (McDonald,
1996, p. 345) from violence to promiscuity. Black American athletes were still
being portrayed in this previously determined representation from Wilt
Chamberlin to Mike Tyson. Michael Jordan was the breakthrough Black athlete
that was able to represent himself in a different manner and had a say in how
he wanted to be represented. Michael Jordan is the only athlete that I know of
that has been repeatedly protected by the media. Something that is completely
unheard of in today’s sport society. He was, at the time, able to create an
image that challenged the racial stereotypes of being violent, hypersexual, and
promiscuous.
I would also argue that the media tried to portray Michael Jordan in a way
that would appeal to White America. As the article wrote, this was post-Reagan
America and people valued what they could see in Michael. He was a natural born
athlete, who worked hard after being defeated; he was a family man, and he represented
himself differently than other Black athletes of his stature around the same
time (think OJ Simpson & Mike Tyson). Michael Jordan was a role model, and
the media help to portray this image.
I think this article is interesting when you try to compare it to our current
society and how the media portrays athletes. We do not have a Michael Jordan.
No person/athlete has protection and we do not have a current representative as
the “all-American” athlete. I would argue that recently ESPN has tried to portray Derek Jeter like they have Michael
Jordan, but nowhere near the level that Jordan was portrayed.
I think currently we may be digressing. While this article is dated I think
we are seeing representations of Black athletes focusing again on more racially
stereotyped issues like drugs and alcohol, domestic violence, and sexual harassment.
It is a rarity to see a White athlete shown in a negative light. The last I can
remember would be Riley Cooper using a racial slur at a concert. In general, I
think the way all athletes are represented in the media has changed. We will
never see another Michael Jordan and we know this because of how LeBron James
was shown during his “decision”. Michael Jordan was a one of a kind athlete and
I do not think that we will see an athlete representation in American media
like him ever again.
Brittany Sinclair
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you talk about Michael Jordan being such positive, Black, male influence on society. During this era, it was essentially unheard of for Black males to be that leader, in the lime light for positive things, and having such an economic impact on society. A lot of times, American culture associates Black males with violence and wrongdoing, but there was nothing violent or "wrong" about Michael Jordan. people of all backgrounds, colors, ages, and genders, admired and looked up to this historic icon. Aside from this, I also agree with you when you say that we don’t have that Michael Jordan type athlete in today's society. I too believe that we are digressing in a sense. More and more are we hearing about the infidelities, like with Tiger Woods, the negative connotations that came along with Allen Iverson during his NBA career, and most recently, the abuse surrounding Ray Rice and his wife. As a society, I think we have to do a better job at producing another Michael Jordan, or at least another athlete who gives as much positive influence to those around him as Mike did.
Campbell,
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I really enjoyed your post and the reading. I completely agree with you. In today’s society, the media is less inclined to protect a player’s image because media stories bring in money. Back in the Jordan days, if Jordan’s baby out of wedlock was streamed through the media, it could have had a dramatic effect on the economy. Some supporters might have stopped buying his merchandise, supporting his brand, and supporting him as a person/player in the NBA. Now a days, if a similar situation was to happen, society wouldn’t make a big roar. I think LeBron James has the potential to emulate Jordan’s positive image. He is global icon for the NBA. He has the killer instinct like MJ. Even though he has humbled himself in the last couple of years, he still believes he is the best, like Jordan. LeBron is doing a great job of counteracting the stereotypes of black athletes. I see a lot of similarities between Jordan and LeBron. LeBron’s brand is growing rapidly with his recent success. LeBron has a shoe line and his shoes are hot commodities. One of his shoes on his line sells for 300$ in stores. In closing, I believe if anyone can build a image and brand like MJ, LeBron has the best chance.
-David
Cam,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. I feel like it is impossible for someone to be portrayed like Michael Jordan. Yes, there are female athletes who are portrayed in an extremely positive light; however, this is typically when they are portrayed as mothers and wives rather than actual athletes. Yes, there are other male athletes who are portrayed positively in the media, but all it seems to take is one rumor, one allegation, or one mistake to cause their downfall in the media.
The media is out to do one thing, and that is to make money. In today’s society, individuals thrive off of hearing about controversy, and what who did and when. Even if individuals feel as if a particular controversy isn’t true, sometimes they will still tune in to see what else the media is blowing out of proportion. The media, in my opinion, will always be one of the biggest opponents athletes will ever face.