Thursday, November 21, 2013
Anthony Cornwell, Jr. Magic Johnson and the Ideology of AIDS
Magic Johnson is one of the best basketball players in the history of the NBA. He had the swag of Julius Erving and the flash of Michael Jordan. He was a NBA Champion multiple times and a league MVP multiple times. He brought in the breed of point guard that no one else had seen before. 6’9” and could handle the ball was unheard of. On and off the court Magic was magic. In the eyes of America, there was no way that Magic could do any wrong. But on November 8, 1991 Magic made an announcement that caught the attention of not just Americans but people around the world. He announced that he was HIV positive. The article mentions how athlete’s bodies are tools of production, especially for male athletes and have become marketable commodities. But for Magic, his was marketable physicality. It in order for him to be as profitable as possible, it was necessary to construct him as an ideal typical hero.
There’s a quote that says, “You die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become a villain.” The quote is wrong in this case. Though Magic did mess up terribly, by far the worst you can mess up. Not only did he cheat on his wife, but got HIV along with it. He didn’t become a villain. Magic could’ve gone crazy after he lost endorsements from the most famous companies, but he decided to make a stand. He made people aware of the virus. He still until this day gives speeches about HIV and even started an organization to raise money to find a cure. Instead of him becoming a villain, he remained a hero. He may not make the flashy passes anymore but his awareness speeches and involvement in the community are just as good.
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ReplyDeleteAnthony,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Magic Johnson is one of the best basketball players in the NBA. He did a lot of great things on the court in his position that no one had seen from a point guard. Magic made magic happen where ever he was on the court. When he came out and announced that he was HIV positive, no one saw that coming and his image was shattered. Although I do agree that he could of became worse, but instead as you said he decided to make a stand. In my opinion I think Magic took the bad and what he had been dealt, and turned it into something positive for many people. He started an Organization to raise money to find a cure. What if he never came out and stated he was HIV positive? What do you think would of happened if Magic would of went down another path? Do you think that people today would have a better awareness of HIV with or with out Magic's coming out? I think those questions are both hard and good points to try and make. I also agree that even today while he is no longer on the court, he is still doing good and a hero to the community.
Tyler Crellin
Anthony--
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and your thoughts about Magic. He was just a kid that came from a rough area of Lansing and lived the dream by winning the national title in college with his hometown team, Michigan State. Magic had five NBA Titles and three MVP awards when he announced his retirement from basketball. If he had played out the rest of his career, there is a possibility that he could have surpassed Michael Jordan in the eyes of the public. He was after all the most versatile and exciting players in the NBA. While his announcement must have been embarrassing and tough to deal with, he is an example of a person who bounced back from a terrible mistake. At that time, HIV/AIDs was still relatively new and not many people knew about the virus, but he was able to bring attention to it and speak out against it. He is an iconic image in the fight against HIV/AIDs and he has helped lead the charge to finding a cure for the virus. Magic is an example of someone who didn't let a bad decision ruin his life, but rather he adapted and still lives a very successful life.
Brian Kochheiser
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteYou're right about Magic Johnson. Just like most superstar when Magic Johnson entered the league there was a lot of hype and a lot of expectations for the kid out of Michigan State and Magic lived up to those expectation on the court. Unfortunately along with on court expectations comes off court expectations. He became a role model and as a sports figure I'm this country a role model is looked at for it's every move. He became the attention of the public eye and unfortunately slipped up and made a human mistake. He cheated on his wife and got HIV. So Magic now faced a situation where he has let down all the people that have supported him. However, instead of letting that end him, he turned a bad situation into a bright one. Instead of shedding light on his mistake, he focused the attention to the disease and how he could affect change with raising money to find a cure and nobody could argue against that.
Jude Adjei
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that Magic decided to take a stand and believe that it has made him even a better person today that he was in his prime of his career. The situation he put himself in was not ideal. However, he made the best of it. Like you stated, he is determined to help find a cure by raising money and will help in any way possible. Magic also could of let his life go to the way side as well but did not. He continued to work and still does to this day, as a basketball analysis for the NBA. Magic has learned from his mistakes, learned from them head on and is now moving in the right direction regardless of being HIV positive and making a huge mistake in life. But, we are all humans and we all make mistakes.
-Billy Nowak