--- John Thornton <jthorn65 at sbcglobal.net> wrote: "Athletes are looked upon differently than movie stars or rock stars in our culture.Schools spend huge sums on athletic programs sending kids the message that this is really important shit."
John, this is not how culture works in high schools. Kids spend 90% of their time listening to music and the rest talking about what's cool. They are oblivious to any messages the school may try to send them. Kids, boys and girls, model themselves on pop music idols -- far more subversive influences than athletes, who actually have to work to succeed.
The dark side of athletics is its symbolic/psychological connection with militarism. In that sense, steroid use could be likened to Rumsfeld's dream of the amped-up robot super-warrior.
Bobw
> Robert Wrubel wrote:
> > John: the big issue here is racism -- the
> different
> > standards applied to black and white athletes.
> Dave
> > Zirin writes more clearly about this than I do.
> The
> > other issue is this: if you apply these standards
> of
> > morality uniformly to all public figures and
> > celebrities, you couldn't enjoy a movie,a rock
> group,
> > James Jones or Picasso, or let kids read about
> MLK.
> >
> > Bob W
>
> You miss the point I'm making.
> I don't necessarily condone rock starts using drugs
> nor do I condemn it.
> It is not analogous to the point being made.
> Performance enhancing drugs become a REQUIREMENT in
> order to participate
> in athletics at a certain level.
> Look at the Tour.
> Drug use is not required to be in a rock band at any
> level nor to be a
> painter or any other professional.
>
> If you want to consider movie stars using drugs or
> having affairs or
> whatever moral argument you seem to be making as
> being analogous to
> performance enhancing drugs then you do not
> understand the real critique
> of such actions.
> The only moral component is that by making steroid
> use mandatory for all
> intents and purposes you guarantee a large segment
> of the adolescent
> population will follow that lead.
> It is different from drug use among movie stars or
> rock stars or any
> other celebrity.
>
> Racism exists everywhere so while I firmly believe
> it needs to be
> addressed this also misses the point I made.
> If you want to discuss racist standards being
> applied that is a
> different, although inter-related, subject than I
> was discussing.
>
> As far as athletes go holding them to the same
> standards as everyone
> else or even slightly higher standards is not
> holding them to fairy-tale
> standards.
> They are in high profile positions and need to be
> aware that if they
> transgress against the law they run a higher risk of
> exposure than a
> non-celebrity.
>
> Athletes are looked upon differently than movie
> stars or rock stars in
> our culture.
> Schools spend huge sums on athletic programs sending
> kids the message
> that this is really important shit. Much more
> important than acting or
> singing or even being a great scientist. If
> athletics is going to be
> such an important part of our culture then we can
> set standards of
> behaviour for athletes that are different from the
> standards of
> non-athletes.
> Do we as a society have the same set of behaviourial
> standards for
> members of the clergy as we do for rock stars? What
> about school
> teachers and movie stars? Are these differences
> "fair" and if not why?
>
> John Thornton
> ___________________________________
>
http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>