Growing up I always thought American Football was an exciting and very dangerous sport. As Americans we are thought to believe that these football players playing on Sunday are almost like warriors or some kind of heroes. They are always being displayed to us through commercials or endorsements via; TV, Internet, Magazines or Radio, they are everywhere! It is not until we viewed the move "More Than A Game" the connection between football and the military became so clear. Much like real war the sport of football is glorified. We see the touchdowns and long runs, but the promoters are smart to hide the devastation the game causes. Unconscious newly paralyzed players being carted off the field with ambulances and doctors. A far stretch I know, but I can see the connection between this and how America glorifies our military. We are shown images of soldiers storming up hills and jumping out of helicopters, but we are not fed the images that war causes. Soldiers being slaughtered and killed. Football players are pretty much civilians playing war. They promote masculinity and fighting through pain regardless injury. They are taught to line up in formations where the individual is sacrificed for the cause. It is no surprise to me that the world's most militarized nations favorite sport is football or a war on a field.
Evan O'Rourke
Tu/Thu 2-3:15
1 comment:
As well as Evan, I enjoyed American Football with a passion. I would not have believed militarism mixed into American Football. As a class we watched “It’s Not Just A Game” and reading this blog, I have gained another perspective to analyze as I watch the great American pastime. American Football is definitely a media depiction of how war should be fought. I agree with the blog completely. Football overshadows war to depict war as imagine of your team the good team versus the bad team, which is the opposing team. Football shows the players making amazing plays to promote dominance over other players. These other player is subjected to not being strong enough and injuries. Football does a good job to hide these injuries from the audience. Football and the military censor the aspects of hardships and death. The US culture towards football has been promoted in the army as well. The mentality that American never gives up, never show weakness and never surrender. Football and US military are the highest respect and honor for the US. These are the masculine idea spread to the youth to both join football and go to the army.
Posted by: Spencer Hirahara
Tues., Thurs. 12:30-1:45
KIN 332I Sec 03 2455
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