This book examines the life and career of Michael Jordan, one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports, asking how he transcended his sport to become a canonical myth in popular culture.
This book examines the life and career of Michael Jordan, one of the greatest athletes in the history of sports, asking how he transcended his sport to become a canonical myth in popular culture.
Drawing on work in sport studies, cultural studies, sociology, history, business, and media, this book helps us to understand how myths are made in modern society and highlights the importance of myths in a post-truth world. It unpacks the underlying monomythical structure of the Jordan myth, including the universality of the heros journey, and explores those features that are inherently American but that also carried Jordan to the status of a global superstar. This book traces the contours of his career and looks at how the intersection of commercial interests, media narratives, and supreme athletic talent, in a particular social, political, and historical context, generated a myth that continues to resonate today, long after the end of Jordans playing career.
Drawing on original research and adding new theoretical depth to our understanding of Michael Jordans place in popular culture, this book is essential reading for anybody with an interest in the relationship between sport and wider society.
Introduction: Michael Jordan, the Myth, the Monomyth, and the Jordan
Myth,
1. The Path of the Warrior: The Jordan Myth Takes Shape (1982-1991),
2.
The Kings Reign (1991-1998): The Jordan Myth Expands,
3. Basketballs
Beowulf Puts on Armor One Last Time (2001-2003 and Beyond),
4. The
Never-ending Myth: Post-1998 Retellings of the Jordan Myth,
5. The Four
Functions of the Jordan Myth,
6. The Global Reach of the Jordan Myth,
Conclusion
Tomasz Jache is an Assistant Professor at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland. His work focuses on the landscape of American popular culture, including sport and comedy. He is a member of the Polish Association for American Studies (PAAS) and the European Association for American Studies (EAAS).