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Amidst the flood of studies on cultural icons as ordering elements of societies and role models, sports icons have been neglected in scholarship despite their significance in the US. Even less attention has been paid to the emergence of popular «anti-icons» who undermine the original sports-hero ideology and its claim of the interdependence of athletic success and moral normativity.
This study analyzes the phenomenon of the popular anti-icon in American sports. Based on case studies of Joe Namath, Dennis Rodman and Barry Bonds the author shows how this phenomenon has become visible from the 1960s onwards because of profound changes within the media and sports, as these fields became increasingly intertwined. These athletes subverted the sports-hero ideology and still became successful on the field but also popular off the field - especially in commercializing their anti-iconic images.
List of contents
The Evolution of the Sports Icon and the Anti-Icon in the USA, Joe Namath - The Prototype of a Popular Anti-Icon in Sports, Dennis Rodman - The Second Coming of Joe Namath, Barry Bonds - The Atypical Popular Anti-Icon in Sports - Conclusion: The Popular Anti-Icon in American Sports
About the author
Thomas Weik studied American Studies and Communications at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Kansas in Lawrence (USA). He completed his Master and PhD in Mainz and is currently working at the International Office of Johannes Gutenberg University. The interconnectedness of «Sports» and «Media» remains a special interest as well as the iconicity of athletes in the USA.
