When thinking of
formulas and how it relates to my chosen popular culture topic I think of hard
work reaping great rewards. Michael
Jordan was an outstanding basketball player, but he didn’t wake up one day and
knew how to play the game of basketball.
He earned his endorsement at Nike along with all of his rings and
awards. He marketed himself into a brand
and he is still reaping the rewards from it.
Michael Jordan
played basketball at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was
part of the 1982 Championship team (Michael Jordan). He entered the National Basketball League in
1984. He received recognition of being
the rookie of the year. Jordan was a six
time NBA champion, a six time NBA finials MVP, five time most valuable player,
a 14 time all-star, a three time NBA all-star MVP, a 10 times NBA scoring champion,
a 3 three time NBA steal champion, and a
two time NBA slam dunk contest champion, just to name a few of his
accomplishment (Michael Jordan). Michael
Jordan led the Chicago bulls to 2 three peat championships
While earning
all of those titles and award Jordan marketed himself and his brand. Throughout the years many superstars have
been signed to the brand. Through is endeavor
Jordan was able to become a majority owner of the Bobcats. Michael Jordan has an estimated net worth of 650
million dollars and still earns over 80 million dollars a year in endorsements
(Michael Jordan net worth). He was the
first athlete to earn over 30 million dollars a year (Michael Jordan net
worth).
Michael Jordan
is a true entrepreneur. He is a true
business man and has marketed himself to the masses. He is a true icon of pop culture. He worked hard to achieve everything that has
earned and it has paid him well. It is
true to say what comes easy won’t last, and what will last, won’t come
easy.
Reference
Michael jordan. Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Jordan.
Michael jordan net worth. Retrieved from http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-athletes/nba/michael-jordan-net-worth/
In
the article Terror in Horror Genres: The Global Media and the Millennial Zombie
the author, Nichole Birch-Bayley, explains how the change in zombie films is
directly related to the Northern American obsession with apocalypticism. With the world operating in a global state any
large scale crisis would affect the globe as a whole. The article touches the topic of the media
and what role it plays in the event of a global crisis. It looks into the violence that occurs during
a crisis and how people become survivors and conform to it or die. The author evaluates movies released in the
new millennium and explains the shift from the rise of the slow moving rigor
stricken dead to the fast moving blood hungry dead of today's apocalyptic
zombie flicks.
In
the article Birch-Bayley directly relates the shifts in the films to the
terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11th. The idea of the mass destruction in the
United States brought fear and the films fed off that fear. This fear invokes a "crisis mentality"
that shows the concerns of a society waiting on the next terrorist attack, the
next outbreak, or next pandemic (Birch-Bayley).
Prior to the new millennium the films existed were strictly for
entertainment. They did not house the
political and social tensions as today's films do. Society
that do not have the ways and means to deal with disaster are hardest hit in
these films. The separation of the
classes proves to be detrimental.
The
author touches on the media portrayal of the crises. It is shown how the events are spelled out through
news frames, and newspaper clippings. The
article discusses the government's role in the film and their role in the
spread of information about the crisis and how information is interpreted by
the governmental official sources (Birch-Bayley). The author believes that in the films the government's
poor judgment of downplaying the crisis played a role in the crisis. In one of the films innocent uninfected civilians
are exterminated for containment by the military.
The
article also discusses how in the films eventually all infrastructure falls. There is no government, no media, no internet, and no
electricity. Everyone is left isolated to
fend for themselves, from the zombies and from each other. This feeling of isolation is apparent in any
large crisis. In the films the characters
are left with the feeling that the everything is gone. There is no one left to save them, not the
government, the police. The author
discusses how this isolation leads the characters to resort to violence. The fear is not of the violence, but the
inability to suppress violence, and the inability to suppress a global crisis
(Birch-Bayley).
Many
have asked themselves if they are ready for an apocalyptic scenario. Since the tragedy that occurred on September
11th, Americans are more aware of the threats that they face. The possibility of a apocalyptic scenario occurring
seems to be closer to home then it was over a decade ago. The author of this article is correct in
saying that in today's global world a crisis would affect all. The ideas of the media being an outlet to
document the spread of a crisis is right on and the possibility of the
government minimizing details could contribute to its further destruction. Furthermore the isolation and the dog eat dog
mentality created by a crisis of this scale would lead to great violence. The author is correct in her analysis of the
isolation that is experience in the films.
Empty streets and vacant home leave a feeling of isolation and would
only heighten fear. This fear would grow
into a constant need to protect oneself at all costs. After it is all said and done the action
becomes reaction and violence becomes normal.
Survive at all costs.
This
article is very relevant. With show like
The Walking Dead, Revolution, and Dooms Day Preppers gracing the airwaves of television today, it is
fair to say the United States has bought into the apocalyptic hype. It opens eyes to the fact that the government
can't always be there and maybe it can even make things worse. Films and series that strip all of the
mainstream way makes people see what is
really important, surviving with and protecting loved one's.
Reference
Birch-Bayley, N. (2012). Terror in
horror genres: The global media and the millennial zombie. The Journal
of Popular Culture, 45(6), 1137-1151. doi: ISSN: 0022-3840,
DOI: 10.1111/jpcu.12001
With
the advances in media through television and the internet the outlets offered
to celebrities toady are endless.
Between Twitter, Facebook and Instagram the masses can stay up to date
on their favorite celebrity. Through
this it can be said that the lines of celebrity and heroism can be
clouded. Just because one may enjoy peaking
into the lives of the rich and famous is does not constitute them being a
hero. A hero is someone that changes the
world, someone that betters people around them.
For me personally I do not hold a celebrity to that high of esteem. With
my popular culture topic being Michael Jordan I would like to share with you
this same argument that he faced. In
1993 Michael Jordan was in the prime of his career. He was winning to championships and selling
shoes and endorsements. He did a little
celebrating along the way. After being
seen in casinos along the cost of Atlantic City he got some backlash for his
actions. When asked to comment on this,
the fellow NBA player Charles Barkley stated, “I’m not paid to be a role model.
I’m paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court” (thedailybeast.com). He is right he didn't sign up to guide
people. He didn't aspire to change
lives. He wasn't there to be a
hero. He just wanted to play ball. He was a hero that was being watched under a
magnifying glass, just a Jordan was, whether he was aware of it or not.
Later fellow NBA
super star Karl Malone comments, “Charles…I don’t think it’s your decision to
make. We don’t choose to be role models, we are chosen. Our only choice is whether to be a good role
model or a bad one” (thedailybeast.com).To
many Michael Jordan is the embodiment of a hero. He sits at the ranks with all basketball
greats. He is the drive for some small
boys dream to be in the NBA. I imagine
he gave Lebron James some inspiration. Sometimes it is more important to look to someone more accessible to be a hero, not a celebrity.
With Michael Jordan turning fifty years old this year there has been homage to his greatness. His career has been tallied up and analyzed recently as to who measures up to him. People want to know who the next Michael Jordan is. What does that mean “who the next Michael Jordan is”? Jordan was rookie of the year when he entered into NBA in 1985. Throughout his career he was crowned league MVP 5 times, Finals MVP 6 times, an All Star 14 times and won 6 championships (Westrich, 2013). So is that all that the ‘Next MJ” will have to live up too?
When Jordan entered the league he was signed to NIKE and AIR JORDAN was born. Before AIR JORDAN basketball shoes were just basic white tennis shoes. Jordan wore the first pair of AIR JORDANs in 1985 and they were later banned because they did not meet the color standards of league regulations. Jordan was fined every time he wore those shoes in a game and NIKE, appreciating the added hype received for this, footed the bill (The air Jordan, 2013). With the years the stigma of the shoes grew and each year a new pair is released with a hefty price tag.
So what does this mean? Michael Jordan, the man himself, the brand that he made and all the sneakers, the sweatpants, the sweatshirt, even the socks are pieces of him. Little imprints that this one man has left on society because of his greatness. He is a popular icon and he will remain to be. Trough the game of basketball Michael Jordan has managed to become a legend of his time and will remain to be that legend until someone can top his greatness. Not only did he accomplish things on the court. He made himself a brand and was marketed to the masses. This too makes him an icon.
To be an icon is not only having to be great at a craft. It must mastered be riveting and leave the audience wanting more. One must appeal to all of the masses and be marketable. Michael stands apart from all other that have walked the path before him and that have followed.
The air jordan original - og 1. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.sneakerfiles.com/air-jordans/jordan-1/air- jordan-original-og-1-i-black-red/
