Michael Jordan Fanatics!

Essay by nazzy24College, UndergraduateA-, April 2009

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There are posters, sports equipment, shoes, jerseys, hats, books, clothes, backpacks, and even a restaurant. Though all these seem different, they share one thing in common: Michael Jordan. People say that Michael Jordan was the greatest basketball player of all time which intern made him a legend, an icon. Everywhere we look there are ads and products marked with the Jordan "jumpman" logo. With all of the Jordan hype, we've created Jordan fanatics. More and more items with this logo appear every day. A legend never dies, and either will this Jordan addiction. Michael Jordan is no longer a person; he is a product, a brand, an icon. Thought I am a victim of the Jordan addiction I recognize how ridiculous society is by putting so much hype into this brand, with the help of ads, making us obsessed. I also acknowledge how nonsensical it is that we spend so much money on these products just because it's marked with the Jordan logo.

Jordan is an icon. People who don't watch basketball know his name and recognize the logo. Michael Jordan holds the records for the highest scoring average in a game. After his retirement, his popularity boomed making him an NBA legend and now an icon. An icon is an ideal product or something that is popular and internationally known. Everyone knows his name, it unavoidable. The Jordan "jumpman" logo appears everywhere now, and where ever that logo is there's money involved. Jordan makes millions of dollars a year off of his products. He slaps his logo on anything and it's sold. Two black sweat bands, both made by Nike, sit next to each other in the sports store, one is $5 the other $10. Why does one cost double the amount of the other? That is because one of the sweatbands has a little man jumping into the air with a basketball in his hand. That's the "jumpman" logo for all Michael Jordan products. I would buy the Jordan sweatband. Society has taught us that whatever is Michael Jordan is better and wherever we see that jumpman logo we should buy that item. It is ridiculous to spend double the amount for basically the same item, but society has brainwashed us that it's the right thing to do.

Branding has caused a crazy obsession. There is a huge demand for Michael Jordan's shoes. People everywhere want to be seen in the shoes with the Jordan logo. Jordan has released over 100 pairs of shoes. These shoes usually go for about $100 to $150 but can sell for as high as $2000. Though these shoes are very expensive, they are one of the most popular and sold shoes in the United States. There is a ridiculous demand for these shoes. When I think of the obsession that this Jordan craze has cause I think of my boyfriend John. John has a lot of pairs of Jordan's. In the life of this fanatic he goes online to look at these shoes, choose the pairs that he likes, and see their release dates. When Michael Jordan puts put a certain show he will put a very limited amount out there at an expensive price. This causes a mania between Jordan fans to make sure they are one of the few to get the new pair of Jordan's. To make sure he is one of the few, John rushes to the mall the night before the show is released. Many others, along with him, stay outside of the mall all night until the store opens up. Despite cold, rain, and hunger many people line up outside the mall to await these shoes. Branding had caused this Jordan obsession.

Our culture is easily brainwashed by advertisements. Michael Jordan is an icon. Because of this, wherever his name is mentioned, leads to gold. Because of his fame, you can put his logo on anything to make it sell. An image is meant to give off a message or make you feel a certain way. The Jordan "jumpman" logo is meant to do the same. As the consumer we are meant feel better about ourselves when we purchase his items. This logo stands for athleticism to some-they can jump higher, run faster, and be a great athlete like Michael Jordan. To others, Jordan is a sign of wealth and self worth, because they can afford this expensive brand. Rather what this icon means to different people, it attracts them. Nike spends over a million dollars on advertisements for the Jordan shoes. These advertisements are on billboards, commercials, and in magazines. When people see these images they get many messages-the most important one being to buy that product and we do! American society is easily influenced by the media and ads. The more they advertise, the more we buy. Our culture is easily brainwashed by advertisements.

As Americans we are easily influenced, not only by ads but by people around us. In Fremont, where I live, Jordan's are popular amont boys, I can remember in High School that all the guys on the basketball team wore Jordan's. How would one feel if they were to join the basketball team but didn't own a pair of Jordan's? They would probably feel as if they didn't fit in. In society, people feed off of each other. We look to our peers and people around us to see what's "in" and what's acceptable. It's sad that no one really has a mind of their own anymore. If the majority of people around you are wearing Jordan's you feel you should by that item. No one wants to feel like the odd ball out. In a world with so many different kinds of people, it's funny how similar everyone's style looks. That is because in society we want to fit in, so we look to others to know what we should and shouldn't wear and do.

Michael Jordan and his brand have made a huge impact in today's society. His brand is so popular that we will spend double the amount for his product because of his logo. We as a consumer prefer his products over the next so that we can fit in and feel better about ourselves and accepted. The Jordan fanatics are ridiculously obsessed, with the help of ads. Michael Jordan is an icon, a brand and our society has been brainwashed to love it.

Reading Culture: Contexts for Critical Reading and Writingby George, Diana/ Trimbur,Publisher Addison-WesleyCopyright Unknown, Edition 6thPage 198 and 275