ATHLETE, SPOKESMAN AND ROLE MODEL?
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Abstract
This paper explores two Nike commercials, one starring Charles Barkley and the
other starring LeBron James. Both men are known for their talent and love of the game of
basketball and also for their controversial statements and decisions. After each artifact
was studied they were then compared and contrasted with each other to determine the
value of their effects on society. I analyzed these two artifacts using the cluster criticism
method in hopes to discover the true meaning the authors intended for their audience to
discover.
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Athlete, Spokesman, and Role Model?
Boys and girls of all ages look up to professional athletes as role models and
heroes. Whether it is Tiger Woods in golf, Dale Earnhardt in racing, or Shaq in
basketball, children will always have an “idol” that they want to be like when they grow
up. More and more, we are seeing these athletes oppose the idea of being an example for
children to look up to. I agree celebrities and athletes are not the best source of guidance
when struggling through the adolescent years, but it’s hard to tell children to stop loving
someone or something they admire. Parents should make more of an effort to mediate the
amount of exposure their children are getting to the detailed lives of these athletes.
In supporting my argument, I will look at the two Nike commercials, one of
Charles Barkley “I am not a role model”, and the Lebron James commercial “What
should I do?” Each commercial takes two professional basketball stars and portrays them
to the public in a new way: athletes who only want to be athletes. Barkley argues that he
is not responsible for raising other’s children or teaching them right from wrong. James
simply revisits Barkley’s commercial by saying “I AM NOT A ROLE MODEL.” This
one statement in the middle of another commercial brings back the meaning Barkley’s
commercial brought in 1993. Each commercial gives insight to what each basketball
player believes about being a role model.
I am studying these two commercials because I agree with the players. It is not
their job to raise children and teach them right from wrong. It is great that children have
dreams and want to aspire to the level of talent professional athletes display. It is the
parent’s job to teach children to be individuals, and live their own lives instead of
wanting everything exactly the way LeBron has it. Studying this article will bring
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understanding and knowledge to the audience. If athletes do not want to be seen as role
models and influential people they will continue to act in any careless way they want.
The next generation will emulate the lifestyle unless parents step in and direct their
children.
To get a closer look at the artifact I’ll study it trough the cluster criticism lens.
This method will help me make sense of this visual artifact. I can see into the meaning
but want to know more. When I first saw Charles Barkley’s commercial I hated it but
didn’t know why. It seemed so arrogant. At the initial sight of LeBron James’
commercial, I loved it and only had a slight idea why. I want to look into more of why
they were created and the meaning behind them and their messages to the public. This
criticism will give more clear understanding to these artifacts.
Cluster criticism is a method of determining the meaning hidden in a text based
on frequency and intensity of key terms. “Cluster criticism analysis follows a three-step
process: (1) identifying key terms in the artifact; (2) charting the terms that cluster around
the key terms; and (3) discovering an explanation for the artifact” (Foss, 2008). In
identifying key terms, look for the ones that appear the most often. Those are the ones
most prevalent in the rhetor’s mind. Next, the critic will want to examine what surrounds
the identified key terms and finally draw a conclusion on what it all means.
Charles Barkley wrote the text for his 1993 Nike air commercial as a clear
message to the public. Throughout the ad, he frequently addresses who he is and who he
is not. “I am not a role model”, “I am not paid to be a role model”, “I am paid to wreak
havoc on the basketball court” and “parents should be role models” are the phrases
included in the ad. Within those potent phrases, there are four key terms vital to the
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message Barkley is sending: I, not, basketball and role model. The term “I” gives
significance to the point of view this text is coming from. Barkley himself wrote the text
and made it clear to the public that the bad boy of basketball himself was not responsible
for anyone else. While it is not obvious why Barkley was motivated to deliver this
message, it is clear how he feels about being held accountable to anyone other than
himself. The term “not” in the message communicates exactly who he is or in this case is
not. He spends a great amount of time limiting himself to the parameters of the basketball
court. “I am not a role model, I am not paid to be a role model” all define who Barkley is
not. Leave it up to one of the original “bad boys” of basketball to define himself by
everything he is not. Who is he? How does he identify and define himself? The third key
word used was “basketball” and that is how Barkley defines himself in his commercial; “I
am paid to wreak havoc on the basketball court.” He is and only is a basketball player. He
doesn’t consider himself to be a role model, a positive influence or a father figure to any
unfortunate children without one. Which brings me to my last key term, “role model.”
Barkley calls out parents and teachers telling them to step up to the challenge. His words
encourage them to be the people children look up to and want to be someday. In a
salon.com article in 2000, Barkley said, “A million guys can dunk a basketball in jail,
should they be role models?" He’s got a point.
The only major difference between Barkley and the guys “dunking” in prison is
his celebrity status and the public’s accessibility to any information about him, good or
bad. He is famous and it is that reason that people want to look up to him. There are
thousands of people across the country that are good at playing basketball and can dunk
the ball. At the end of the day a slam-dunk is still 2 points on the scoreboard and a
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celebrity is another human being. Like every other person, star athletes make bad choices
and they make mistakes. Barkley wants to be a “bad boy” and he wants to play basketball
but he does not want to have anything to do with being an influence for future
generations. If he feels strongly enough about this to write and film a commercial aired
on national television, then parents and teachers should want to do more to keep their
children from looking up to him. He will wreak havoc on more than just the basketball
court.
LeBron James is a more recent case study. At the end of the 2009-2010 NBA
season James made the decision to leave his long time home and team in Cleveland Ohio
to sign with the Miami Heat. Cavalier fans in Cleveland and all across the country were
outraged by this decision. In response to James’ “betrayal” the fans were recorded
burning his former basketball jersey and putting curses on him. In reply to all of the
negative attention, LeBron James did his own commercial for Nike. In this ad, there
weren’t specific key terms that stuck out, but phrases. The most important phrases,
“What should I do?” and “Should I?” combined together are repeated over twenty times
throughout the video. Another key phrase is “Who you want me to be.” Lastly, the final
major theme in the commercial is the collection of assumed motives: championships,
rings, and money.
The question “What should I do?” answers everything James was criticized for.
He had so many different people trying to persuade him in his decision to stay with
Cleveland or go to Miami. Once the decision was made, people still wanted him to do
what they thought was right. Even more changes were asked of him. Fans thought if he
didn’t want to be associated with the Cavaliers anymore than he should get rid of all
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evidence that he ever was associated with them, including the removal of his tattoo. The
second phrase and the answer to the question “what should I do?” is “Should I be who
you want me to be?” This answer and proposition of a new question is the most
confrontational way James could address the public. It was his point of view on all of the
criticisms he received. James made the decision to move for himself. He did not do it for
other people and he isn’t apologizing for his decision. The last set of key terms is
grouped together representing why people thought he left Cleveland. James’ fans saw a
trader that abandoned his team, a team that lost its chance at a championship when he
chose to leave. They assumed he only cared about championship rings, more money and
fame. No one knows for sure why LeBron James made the choice he did, but this change
shouldn’t be any more upsetting than Shaq leaving the Los Angeles Lakers to go to the
Orlando Magic. James never really answers the questions outside of the key phrases, but
he addresses each and every issue he was faced with in the summer of 2010 when he was
going through his decision process.
Discussion
The LeBron James commercial takes a different approach than Charles Barkley’s
commercial. Barkley had a strong arrogance present in his ad, but what more would one
expect from the man who was charged with “conduct unbecoming of a role model”
during his years on the court? He took the offensive side where James’ was forced to play
defense. Each commercial does a good job of getting each player’s point across
effectively. Whether or not we as the audience know the motivation behind each ad,
when we see them they invoke certain emotions. When I first saw the Barkley
commercial I was disgusted. I grew up watching Barkley play basketball in the era of the
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Charlotte Hornets and thought he could do no wrong. Much to my surprise he wanted
nothing to do with my looking up to him. I played the commercial over and over and
finally began to see things through his eyes. While the method of delivery is a little
offensive, the message holds true. His message was so truthful that it was revisited
seventeen years later in the middle of another important message: LeBron’s commercial.
Speculation concludes that the “I am not a role model” quote was included in James’
commercial because of Barkley’s own criticism towards James’ decision. It seems
hypocritical that someone with such a distinct message and ambition to be seen only as a
basketball player would be willing to criticize someone who was making a strategic
career move as a professional athlete. This move may not have been the “right” move or
the best move at the end of the day, but it was made, and James is playing well with his
new teammates, especially after the recent victory over his former team.
There is enough conflict going on in the lives of adolescent children without the
excess drama, rebellion and politics of professional basketball athletes. At the end of the
day, all we need from the NBA is a good competitive game of basketball. We have taken
a lighthearted form of healthy entertainment and turned it into a media controversy.
Barkley is paid to play basketball, and we pay to watch him play, and only play.
Ideally, this analysis would be shared with parents. It will be suitable for
publication in a parental journal or magazine. It could also be broadcast via NPR or a
podcast on a website. Each of these outlets reaches parents and educators. They are
trusted sources of information. If parents and teachers hear the ideas and the analysis,
they will begin thinking about what their children value and who they “idolize.” They
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could then begin to encourage individuality and supportive ways to accomplish their
dreams for their lives.
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References
Nike Basketball: Lebron Rise. (2010). Retrieved December 6, 2010, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdtejCR413c
Sharp, A. (2010). LeBron James’ New Nike Commercial: What Should He Do?
Retrieved December 6, 2010 from
http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2010/10/25/1773499/lebron-james-new-nikecommercial-video-thoughts
Platt, L. (2000). Charles Barkley: The most fascinating sports figure since Muhammad
Ali, he gave rise to a generation of hip-hop athletes. Retrieved December 6, 2010
from http://www.salon.com/people/bc/2000/05/30/barkley
Nike Air Commercial Charles Barkley. (1993). Retrieved December 6, 2010 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMzdAZ3TjCA
Foss, Sonja K. (2009). Rhetorical Criticism: Exploration and Practice. Long Grove,
Illinois: Waveland Press, Inc.