David Leonard's "Yo Yao! What does the "Ming Dynasty" tell us about race and transnational diplomacy in the NBA?" (2003) is an article that really highlights sport from the viewpoint of multiple reality postmodernism. As I read this article, I found myself torn back and forth between what exactly Yao Ming represents to the NBA. Does he represent acceptance of Asians into American culture? Do the ways in which he is promoted show that racism towards Asians is as real as ever? Is he an example of the upcoming takeover of the NBA by hardworking foreign players? Is he just a new tool of subtle racism from white America against black America?
What I really found interesting was that when I did my best to remove my own background and viewpoints from my viewing lens, I can see how the answer to all of these questions is, at the same time, yes. Even as Leonard touches my nerve with his use of "white supremacy", I must admit that Yao fulfills all of these roles. To say that there is not a more positive view of Asians in America today than 50 years ago would be idiotic, yet that does not erase the fact that Yao Ming is promoted in a racist manner and that racism towards Asians still exist. Similarly, we cannot ignore the hard work and dedication that foreign players give to make it in the NBA. However, we also cannot ignore the manner in which this is removing African-American players.
One thing that does bother is Leonard's use of "Ming Dynasty" in his title. While I know that this term has been used many, many times before Leonard, I can't help but feel that he is using the same racist language to promote his article that he helps to expose within the article itself.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
"A Twist of Race" Reading
In his 1998 "A Twist of Race: Ben Johnson and the Canadian Crisis of Racial and National Identity", Steven J. Jackson brings up several interesting points. Prior to reading this, I had not given any thought to how racist attitudes might exist in Canada. As Jackson states, "...Canada is recognized as one of the most pluralistic nations in the world..." (Jackson, 1998, p. 25). I am sure that there is some racial disharmony within Canada, as there exists in most, if not all, parts of the world. However, I feel that Jackson may be reaching with his belief that the transformation of Johnson from Jamaican immigrant, to Jamaican-Canadian, to Canadian, and back to Jamaican immigrant is primarily based on racist attitudes.
It is very practical that cultures highlight those who bring positive light upon them and hide or disown those who bring negative light. Looking into his background, I found that Johnson was around sixteen when he immigrated to Canada. While I would be suspicious of calling him a Jamaican-Canadian rather than just a Canadian if he had immigrated as an infant or even prior to his teens, much of Johnson's identity was formed prior to his life in Canada. To call him only Canadian during his short-lived Olympic victory would be an insult in my opinion to the part of his identity that is Jamaican, a country with a prestigious and well deserved record in Olympic Track & Field.
I believe that the proper labeling of Johnson's nationality should be whatever he describes himself as. While I have no idea what that would be, I would think that he would prefer Jamaican-Canadian, though I could be very wrong. As far as Canadian's owning and disowning him during his success and fall, what country/state/city has not done the same thing with many others regardless of race? Didn't leaders in the American Muslim population quickly distance themselves from extremist who caused 9/11? And rightfully so, because the vast majority of Muslims are not extremists and would never commit such terrible crimes. Canadians rightfully wish to be thought of in a positive light, as we all do. So when it was found that Johnson was doping, they rightfully distanced themselves from him. When I think of Ohio, I think of the Wright brothers, one of whom was born in Indiana. However, I don't think of Charles Manson, who was born in Cincinnati.
I also don't know if I buy Jackson's evidence of the term "Jamaican" being equivalent with "black" in Canada. If anything, I think that most people would picture a person of African descent when an individual is described as Jamaican. As more than 90% of Jamaicans are of African descent, this would usually be correct. If someone were described as a Swedish-Canadian, I would automatically think their skin was white as over 90% of Swedes are of European descent.
While I am sure that there were racist undertones from the media and Canadians within Johnson's fall from grace, I disagree with Jackson's belief that titling Johnson a Jamaican immigrant stemmed from racial disharmony. However, perhaps I am wrong. While I disagree with Jackson, it is quite possible that Johnson's labeling as Jamaican was due to racism within Canada. One of the difficult parts of racism in a country like Canada is its hidden nature, or "racism with a smile". It could be that the less overt form of racism has sufficiently pulled the sheep's wool over my eyes so that I cannot discern it.
It is very practical that cultures highlight those who bring positive light upon them and hide or disown those who bring negative light. Looking into his background, I found that Johnson was around sixteen when he immigrated to Canada. While I would be suspicious of calling him a Jamaican-Canadian rather than just a Canadian if he had immigrated as an infant or even prior to his teens, much of Johnson's identity was formed prior to his life in Canada. To call him only Canadian during his short-lived Olympic victory would be an insult in my opinion to the part of his identity that is Jamaican, a country with a prestigious and well deserved record in Olympic Track & Field.
I believe that the proper labeling of Johnson's nationality should be whatever he describes himself as. While I have no idea what that would be, I would think that he would prefer Jamaican-Canadian, though I could be very wrong. As far as Canadian's owning and disowning him during his success and fall, what country/state/city has not done the same thing with many others regardless of race? Didn't leaders in the American Muslim population quickly distance themselves from extremist who caused 9/11? And rightfully so, because the vast majority of Muslims are not extremists and would never commit such terrible crimes. Canadians rightfully wish to be thought of in a positive light, as we all do. So when it was found that Johnson was doping, they rightfully distanced themselves from him. When I think of Ohio, I think of the Wright brothers, one of whom was born in Indiana. However, I don't think of Charles Manson, who was born in Cincinnati.
I also don't know if I buy Jackson's evidence of the term "Jamaican" being equivalent with "black" in Canada. If anything, I think that most people would picture a person of African descent when an individual is described as Jamaican. As more than 90% of Jamaicans are of African descent, this would usually be correct. If someone were described as a Swedish-Canadian, I would automatically think their skin was white as over 90% of Swedes are of European descent.
While I am sure that there were racist undertones from the media and Canadians within Johnson's fall from grace, I disagree with Jackson's belief that titling Johnson a Jamaican immigrant stemmed from racial disharmony. However, perhaps I am wrong. While I disagree with Jackson, it is quite possible that Johnson's labeling as Jamaican was due to racism within Canada. One of the difficult parts of racism in a country like Canada is its hidden nature, or "racism with a smile". It could be that the less overt form of racism has sufficiently pulled the sheep's wool over my eyes so that I cannot discern it.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Advertisements in Flex Activity
I realized while commenting on classmate's blogs today that I have never posted the results of our in-class activity looking at the advertisements in men's exercise magazines. I analyzed the January 2001 Muscle and Fitness magazine using the techniques of White and Gillett's "Reading the Muscular Body: A Critical Decoding of Advertisements in Flex Magazine" (1994).
When looking at the ads in Muscle and Fitness, I found several interesting differences from the results of White and Gillett's 1994 study. While the categories of ads in the magazine and the percentage of ads in each catergory were similar, I had a few significant differences. I had a much higher number of "Knowledge systems" ads and a much lower number of "Bodybuilding equipment" ads than White and Gillett's 1994 study. I also found a seventh category to include, which tied for the 3rd most frequent type of ad. This would be the self titled "Other" category.
While this may seem to lump many items into one, this was a category for advertisements that have nothing to do with bodybuilding. This includes Tide detergent and many other products you might not expect in a bodybuilding magazine, making up over seven percent of the advertisements I counted. I believe this is a significant change in the 7 years from the publishing of this volume of Muscle and Fitness and the publishing of Whie and Gillett's 1994 study. This could indicate that Muscle and Fitness has gone more mainstream and is appealing to a broader, or at least larger, audience than before. Depending upon your opinion of this magazine, this could be a positive or negative thing.
One thing that did not change were the themes of the majority of ads. From a man lifting a cow over his head, to the traditional 28 days later pictures, to a woman on her knees begging a buff man for Hydroxycut, Muscle and Fitness, as well as similar magazines, continues to have advertisements that attempt to position readers as inferior, promise transformation, and promote hegemonic masculinity (White & Gillett, 1994).
When looking at the ads in Muscle and Fitness, I found several interesting differences from the results of White and Gillett's 1994 study. While the categories of ads in the magazine and the percentage of ads in each catergory were similar, I had a few significant differences. I had a much higher number of "Knowledge systems" ads and a much lower number of "Bodybuilding equipment" ads than White and Gillett's 1994 study. I also found a seventh category to include, which tied for the 3rd most frequent type of ad. This would be the self titled "Other" category.
While this may seem to lump many items into one, this was a category for advertisements that have nothing to do with bodybuilding. This includes Tide detergent and many other products you might not expect in a bodybuilding magazine, making up over seven percent of the advertisements I counted. I believe this is a significant change in the 7 years from the publishing of this volume of Muscle and Fitness and the publishing of Whie and Gillett's 1994 study. This could indicate that Muscle and Fitness has gone more mainstream and is appealing to a broader, or at least larger, audience than before. Depending upon your opinion of this magazine, this could be a positive or negative thing.
One thing that did not change were the themes of the majority of ads. From a man lifting a cow over his head, to the traditional 28 days later pictures, to a woman on her knees begging a buff man for Hydroxycut, Muscle and Fitness, as well as similar magazines, continues to have advertisements that attempt to position readers as inferior, promise transformation, and promote hegemonic masculinity (White & Gillett, 1994).
Saturday, February 19, 2011
"Sister Act VI" Reading
I found the concept of “commodity racism” in Nancy E. Spencer’s 2004 article, “Sister Act VI: Venus and Serena Williams at Indian Wells: “Sincere fictions” and white racism” to be very interesting. The idea of consuming race in culture, especially in sport, is a significant one. As I read this article and pondered, I realized that the vast majority of athletes that I am aware of are African-American, especially from sports that are traditionally played by white athletes. This may be due to my lower consumption of sports than the majority of other students in this class, but when I think of tennis, my first thought is the Williams sisters because I have seen them marketed so much. When I think about basketball, I think Shaq, Jordan, and Kobe. When I think baseball, I think Bonds. When I think golf, I think Tiger Woods, through his African-American heritage is only one aspect of the race he considers himself to be a part of. However, it is especially telling that although he has a broad racial heritage, I consider him to be African-American first. I don’t know if this is my own bias or something beaten in to me from sports talk and advertisements, though now that I do think about it I feel ashamed that if asked to name Woods’ race, I would likely only say African-American prior to last week.
Monday, February 14, 2011
"Tiger in the Rough" Reading
Buzz Bissinger's story on Tiger Woods, entitled "Tiger in the Rough" (2010) deals with the issue of Tiger Woods' fall from grace. I have to admit that I have very conflicting feelings about the Tiger Woods scandal and I don't know exactly where I stand on it. What I find more interesting is the level of access the public feels it should have to his sexual life.
This is a question that has probably been beaten to death, but when it comes to this scandal, what question hasn’t? On one had you have the fact that Tiger Woods’ sexual history is a personal issue. He plays golf; he endorses products due to his popularity and success with golf; so where in there does it say that the public should know the intimate details of his life? As Bissinger’s (2010) article described, he is one of, if not the most, aloof sports star in that he does not share his emotions about his sport, much less his life outside of golf. He doesn’t even share his life with his fellow golfers. This man obviously values his privacy and isn’t the complete lack of privacy in the 21st century starting to pinch a nerve?
On the other hand, he was not paid nearly a billion dollars of endorsement money just to put his face and name on a brand due to his golf. He was also paid that money because of how squeaky clean his image was. If there is a case for Tiger Woods’ life being on display before the world, it would be the fact that his fortune was built on a false image. In terms of fraud, this would be on par with the Enron scandal. If he owes anyone an explanation and apology, it is his wife, children, and the companies that paid him millions for the false product of his image.
I don’t know if Woods owed his fans an explanation, apology, or even the truth. In the end, everyone presents a carefully crafted image to the world while going about their lives and doing less then reputable things. Sure, we don’t spend tens of thousands of dollars on prostitutes and sleep with dozens of women behind our wives’ back, but then again none of us have the celebrity status or millions of dollars to achieve vice at this level. There is a reason we worry so much about things like the security of our Facebook pages today; it’s because we don’t want our employer, clients, or many others to know what we really do when we are acting as “ourselves”. So in the end, as horrible as Tiger Woods’ life has been shown to be, I feel a bit of sympathy for the guy who obviously let his abnormal life spiral out of control. And control is something he obviously has an obsession with.
This is a question that has probably been beaten to death, but when it comes to this scandal, what question hasn’t? On one had you have the fact that Tiger Woods’ sexual history is a personal issue. He plays golf; he endorses products due to his popularity and success with golf; so where in there does it say that the public should know the intimate details of his life? As Bissinger’s (2010) article described, he is one of, if not the most, aloof sports star in that he does not share his emotions about his sport, much less his life outside of golf. He doesn’t even share his life with his fellow golfers. This man obviously values his privacy and isn’t the complete lack of privacy in the 21st century starting to pinch a nerve?
On the other hand, he was not paid nearly a billion dollars of endorsement money just to put his face and name on a brand due to his golf. He was also paid that money because of how squeaky clean his image was. If there is a case for Tiger Woods’ life being on display before the world, it would be the fact that his fortune was built on a false image. In terms of fraud, this would be on par with the Enron scandal. If he owes anyone an explanation and apology, it is his wife, children, and the companies that paid him millions for the false product of his image.
I don’t know if Woods owed his fans an explanation, apology, or even the truth. In the end, everyone presents a carefully crafted image to the world while going about their lives and doing less then reputable things. Sure, we don’t spend tens of thousands of dollars on prostitutes and sleep with dozens of women behind our wives’ back, but then again none of us have the celebrity status or millions of dollars to achieve vice at this level. There is a reason we worry so much about things like the security of our Facebook pages today; it’s because we don’t want our employer, clients, or many others to know what we really do when we are acting as “ourselves”. So in the end, as horrible as Tiger Woods’ life has been shown to be, I feel a bit of sympathy for the guy who obviously let his abnormal life spiral out of control. And control is something he obviously has an obsession with.
"Whither the NBA, Whither America?" Reading
David L. Andrews' article "Whither the NBA, Whither America?" (1999) was an interesting piece describing the growth and success of the NBA from a smalltime league that was in danger of demise to the giant that it is today. As I am not a large basketball fan, I had never thought about how the NBA evolved to become the sport and entertainment behemoth of the 21st century. The marketing plan of the NBA overseas is of particular interest. The fact that the NBA was only generating $30 million annually from television rights to 105 different companies is amazingly low when you compare it to the amount a single commercial during the Super Bowl costs (Andrews, 1999). I would be interested to learn what the NBA is charging for television rights in 2011, 12 years later, with the brand firmly embedded in international culture.
I was also slightly confused by Andrews’ (1999) article as it seems to be about two completely separate topics. The first half of the article focuses on the ways in which the NBA changed the nature of sports leagues by focusing more on entertainment and how they grabbed a larger chunk of the marketplace by first improving their domestic market and then reaching for the international market. Andrews’ (1999) then uses the movement of the NBA into the international market to talk about the role the NBA plays in the ethnic culture of Britain. While the two are slightly connected, I believe that Andrews has two separate articles that would both be very interesting to explore, but when combined leave the reader slightly confused as to his overall point.
I was also slightly confused by Andrews’ (1999) article as it seems to be about two completely separate topics. The first half of the article focuses on the ways in which the NBA changed the nature of sports leagues by focusing more on entertainment and how they grabbed a larger chunk of the marketplace by first improving their domestic market and then reaching for the international market. Andrews’ (1999) then uses the movement of the NBA into the international market to talk about the role the NBA plays in the ethnic culture of Britain. While the two are slightly connected, I believe that Andrews has two separate articles that would both be very interesting to explore, but when combined leave the reader slightly confused as to his overall point.
Monday, February 7, 2011
"Real Women Watch Football" Reading
In John S. Clark, Artemisia Apostolopoulou, and James M. Gladden’s “Real Women Watch Football: Gender Differences in the Consumption of the NFL Super Bowl Broadcast”, I found myself surprised by several of the statistics about women as consumers of both sport and general spending. The statistics presented demonstrate that women exert more influence on discretionary spending then men, an important consideration when advertising sports. I was also surprised that in the sample used in this article, 44% of the viewers of Super Bowl XL in 2006 were female (Clark, Apostolopoulou, & Gladden, 2009)! I think this helps to demonstrate how much of a social event the Super Bowl has become and it is really more than just a football game.
Throughout this article, a common theme was women’s consumption of sport for social reasons (Clark, Apostolopoulou, & Gladden, 2009). I feel like it is this way for many men as well. While I enjoy participating in sports, I have never particularly enjoyed sitting and watching sporting events. Growing up, my family never watched sports. My wife is a big Ohio State Football fan and when we got married, one of the requirements for visiting my family during football season is that we have the game on. Now I enjoy watching college football. While I certainly enjoy the sport itself and the excitement of the game, the social aspect of the activity is also a major draw.
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