Written Analysis 2

Cody Smith

Popular Culture

Professor Whitney Isles

July 17, 2014

A ritual is defined by Merriam Webster as follows, always done in a particular situation and in the same way each time.  Steroid use has become a popular topic and could be seen as a ritual among many athletes in the sports arena.   Although steroids have been deemed highly dangerous and unacceptable in recent news, there was a time when steroid use was the norm among athletes and the behavior was not shunned upon ("Ritual - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary", 2014). 

For example, many athletes that needed a certain physique or specific amount of power engaged in steroid use to help gain the edge they needed to produce results they were expected to by their superiors and fans.  Professional wrestlers in the 1970’s-1990’s before the steroid ban used these to maintain their figures and muscle mass as well as, football players and other athletes who used the drugs to not only gain muscle and strength faster but also to recover faster and more efficiently("Historical Timeline - Drug Use in Sports - Pros and Cons - ProCon.org", 2013) . 

Athletes are stereotyped today such as the big linebackers of the NFL or the professional wrestlers who make a living entertaining on tv.  These figures to be competitive not only in the marketplace but on the field have to undergo a vigorous amount of punishment and physical activity.  However, it seems that the stereotypes are implemented to any baseball player, football star or wrestler with some size that they must be “juicing.”  Although, with recent news stories and admissions by those who were professional athletes that it was a common ritual to take steroids and performance enhancing drugs to keep the edge so to speak and to be able to keep going out night after night and performing, a large number of athletes indeed do not use steroids and conduct themselves in a manner that is acceptable to today’s standards and yet still fall victim to the stereotype of a few who chose to engage in this specific ritual in professional sports that is now considered cheating and suicide.  Understanding rituals and stereotypes in popular culture helps you understand what is expected of these athletes and what they have to go through ("Historical Timeline - Drug Use in Sports - Pros and Cons - ProCon.org", 2013). 

                                                           References

Historical Timeline - Drug Use in Sports - Pros and Cons - ProCon.org. (2013, August 8). Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://sportsanddrugs.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000017

Ritual - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ritual