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https://theconversation.com/in-air-michael-jordans-silence-speaks-volumes-about-the-marketing-of-black-athletes-203824>
"The film “Air,” which tells the story of Nike’s signing of Michael Jordan,
isn’t actually about Michael Jordan at all.
It’s about the beauty of design and the seduction of marketing. It’s about
power suits, purple Porsches and Rolexes. It’s about white men languishing
through midlife crises who salivate over the branding potential of a star
basketball player.
As for Jordan? Audiences just see his back as he strolls into the Nike offices
and his hands as he admires the Air Jordan prototype – but never his face. In
the entire film, he utters only three words.
Much has been made about Michael Jordan’s representation or lack thereof in
“Air.”
How could a film about one of the most famous Black men in the world obscure
his presence?
The film’s true power is its ability to convey an unnerving truth about the
sneakers’ mystique: Jordan’s athletic ability was crucial to the success of
Nike and Air Jordan; not so much his face – and definitely not his words.
In this way, “Air” becomes the story of how a struggling company created one of
the most successful brands in the world on the back of a Black body, a tale as
old as the nation itself."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
