Penetrating Analysis of Sports Culture, July 23, 2001

This review is from: Darwin's Athletes: How Sport Has Damaged Black America and Preserved the Myth of Race (Paperback)

It appears that many reviewers have missed what I perceive as Hoberman's point - that the emphasis of the black body as the locus of black identity necessarily de-emphasizes the intellectual capabilities and development of black people. The advertising, media, and sports industries all thrive on the perpetuation of black physical stereotypes that have existed since the first contacts between European and African. Just compare the press treatment of Larry Bird - as a careful, analytical, intelligent, under-control white man - with Shaq - as a biological freak whose sheer size makes up for his lack of gray matter. Such stereotypes of blacks as physical machines meant to entertain us are extremely damaging to black culture. Intellectualism has been sacrificed to the sportive element in black culture, where academic success (unless in tandem with athletic excellence) is considered traitorous to black authenticity. The acceptable spheres of black self-expression - namely sport, negro music, and dance - are considered the only authentically black talents by both white and black culture. Such a stifling limitation should not be placed upon black culture, yet this is perpetuated everyday in our sporting culture and in our advertising media.
After you read this book, you will not be able to watch a sporting event without thinking about the exploitation of black athletes. Watch the commercials, read the ads, and you will realize that blacks are, more often than not, presented as mere physical beings whose animality precludes a deeper humanity.

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