I know at first you are probably like "why is this dude so randomly mad at Charles Barkley?"
Well, let me clarify...i'm not actually currently mad at Charles Barkley...
I will give you some context...if you are a youngster, you may not remember this commercial:
"I am NOT a role Model"
Those words coming from someone on the FUCKING DREAM TEAM...those words to a kid were devastating...I remember as a kid being like "WELL FUCK YOU THEN CHARLES BARKLEY!"
I remember having Charles Barkley's shoes as a kid, and whenever that commercial came out, I felt so betrayed...
I had supported him wearing his brand as a kid...then he just threw us under the bus? Just disowned all of us as fans?
It made no sense at the time...
Then I learned that "WWF stars used steroids"...at a certain point, I guess I should have known that these gigantic people who could fly through the air like luchadores MIGHT be on something like performance enhancing drugs...
then Barry Bonds...and Sammy Sosa...
and Michael Jordan got caught for gambling and generally being a piece of shit that also built his brand off sweatshops...
After so many heroes fell, it became very difficult to look up to living people for fear of them doing some horrible shit to make you be like "well fuck, that was dumb...why did i ever look up to that person in the first place?"
after many years, i recalled that commercial, and realized Barkley had been right along, and was wise beyond his years.
I remember how ill-received that commercial was...I believe that commercial basically sunk his public persona for a VERY long time, until Kenan Thompson (the genius that he is) was able to playfully bring Barkley back into the public consciousness as an aloof but lovable giant...
The public memory forgives, but it does not forget...and sometimes, that is good, because the lesson was right all along...
Hats off Sir Charles...You were right...basketball players should NOT be fucking role models...football players should NOT be role models...it is not because their jobs do not require skill or that they are unnecessary for society to function or anything like that...however, I remember growing up as a kid not knowing that Neil DeGrasse Tyson was a real person...however, the entire time, there he was doing his astrophysicist thing...if I had known about Neil as a kid, i can GUARANTEE I would be a different person...I am glad I turned out who I am, but I am glad that the kids of today get to know about people like Neil and Bill Nye. Bill Nye wasn't on the air that long while I was a kid...Mr. Wizard was the shit...never forget Mr. Wizard!
Mr. Wizard Scienced like a Boss.
Science like Mr. Wizard