“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”-Michael Jordan
The image genre that is most meaningful to me is the use of ads and their influence on people. The sub-genre that I would like to discuss along with this very notion is sports celebrity endorsements for the ads themselves. The image above tells it all. We are being asked to take one track and analyze its meaningfulness, well boy do I have a lot to discuss. I must be able to distinguish between the uses and abuses of how this image of “His Royal Airness,” can have such an overwhelming influence on how people imagine themselves.
America is driven by consumption, the ideology of capitalism. The capitalist society that we are members of, is a society loaded with consumers. Consumerism is achieving personal happiness by the material possessions we own. The economic system of the U.S would not survive without mass consumption. The desire to own and to want, controls our everyday lives as we are exposed to thousands of advertisements. These products can be promoted through several different ways. One effective method of advertisement is celebrity endorsement. Through this method, a celebrity is incorporated into a commercial or paper advertisement with the ultimate goal of persuading the target audience. The iconic figure or celebrity that promotes the product is normally a well-known person who has an influential impact in the pop culture world. These people can be seen as “heroes” by the media entertainment industry.
The image genre that is most meaningful to me is the use of ads and their influence on people. The sub-genre that I would like to discuss along with this very notion is sports celebrity endorsements for the ads themselves. The image above tells it all. We are being asked to take one track and analyze its meaningfulness, well boy do I have a lot to discuss. I must be able to distinguish between the uses and abuses of how this image of “His Royal Airness,” can have such an overwhelming influence on how people imagine themselves.
America is driven by consumption, the ideology of capitalism. The capitalist society that we are members of, is a society loaded with consumers. Consumerism is achieving personal happiness by the material possessions we own. The economic system of the U.S would not survive without mass consumption. The desire to own and to want, controls our everyday lives as we are exposed to thousands of advertisements. These products can be promoted through several different ways. One effective method of advertisement is celebrity endorsement. Through this method, a celebrity is incorporated into a commercial or paper advertisement with the ultimate goal of persuading the target audience. The iconic figure or celebrity that promotes the product is normally a well-known person who has an influential impact in the pop culture world. These people can be seen as “heroes” by the media entertainment industry.
If these celebrities can be thought of as heroes, then one must question: what characterizes a hero? Is a hero a valiant soldier who faces the enemy when others run away or a firefighter who attacks hell’s kitchen head on by breaking through the window of a burning building? One of the leading reasons for consumption is by that of a bourgeois hero. According to Berger, an author from one of my Media Analysis books, “For Marxists, bourgeois heroes and heroines function to maintain the status quo by ‘peddling’ capitalist ideology in disguised form and by helping keep consumer lust at a high pitch.” The bourgeois hero is not the hero that we are accustomed to recognizing by brave acts, but a hero that we can recognize because we, as spectators, have seen them attain the American dream that we all chase after. The bourgeois hero is a spokesperson for the promotion of consumption. They help impose the ideals of the bourgeoisie class: power, wealth, and education. Michael Jordan is the perfect example of the bourgeois hero in Marxist theory; however some reasonable people may disagree with this and claim that he is truly an American hero.
Michael Jordan’s name is synonymous with greatness. A 14 time NBA All-Star, a 2-time Olympic Gold medalist, and Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year,” has helped form this man into a true iconic figure. His determination, work ethic, and captivating gracefulness on the court have transformed the game into an art form. He never seemed to disappoint the fans by thriving while facing adversity. His astounding athletic abilities seemed boundless and were always showcased in dramatic fashion. He had the stylish look of a model, while also becoming one of the most successful business entrepreneurs in the world. In America, people dream of becoming the self-made man; successful, wealthy, popular, and striving to be recognized by others. These dreams have all become realities for Michael Jordan. I have researched and found some staggering statistics of how much of an influence that he has had which I will share for this next essay.
It is hard to believe how much money one person can be worth by the image and products that they sell. I can say that I too have been an advocate consuming machine of his “Airness” and the wide range of products that he helps to promote. What are the positive and negative influences of the concept of bourgeois hero? It is positive in the sense that the companies laugh at us while they all make mad profit. The negative aspect is that, we, the consumers of the products, are falling for what we desire by spending our hard earned money on products that we want, and not necessarily what we need.
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