Encomium On Magic Joshson Essay, Research Paper

Each of us throughout our lives encounter or discover a person who exhibits that he/she is an excellent person. They are superior to those we consider normal people. They show that they above most and will bend over backwards if they must. They are the people who’ll “take the bullet” or “give the shirt off their back” and will not bat an eye. Throughout my nineteen years of life, I’ve met many people. Though many are great, I cannot praise someone more that Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Magic, whom I never met, but wish I did, has shown that he is and will be an amazing person for years to come. In 1991, Magic found out that he had gotten the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. People thought that his life was over and he would become ostracized by society.Magic acquired this virus by having unprotected sex. He was known for having multiple partners without the use of a contraceptive. So when he announced his retirement from the NBA in 1991 because of this, he knew he had to do something about this disease. It was to protect and warn of this virus. So he inquired about supporting HIV and AIDS research. In 1992, Magic became a member of the National AIDS Awareness Group. Through this, he expressed how he made bad decisions, and how those bad decisions can effect you through life(AEGIS). Magic Johnson spoke to almost 1,000 students at Cardozo High School in Washington D.C in 1991. Magic challenged the students to put as much energy into their academic work as into sports, and to save sex until after marriage. Johnson now brings a strong message to students and young people across the country on sexual responsibility. He told the assembled students at Cardozo High that although some students would not take his advice, he urged them: “You shouldn’t have it [sex] until you’re married.” One female student created a stir in the audience when she questioned Johnson why he wasn’t “responsible” in his many sexual encounters with women during his basketball career. “That was my mistake,” Johnson responded. “I was not responsible. I didn’t do what I was supposed to do. “It was wrong first of all for me to do the thing I was doing. I can’t correct that. All I can do is try and save your lives.”(Fairfield). In 1992, Magic and Arsenio Hall hosted an entertaining and informative program created to educate teenagers and young adults about AIDS and the HIV virus. Other celebrity guests also appeared in segments that delivered the messages: AIDS can happen to anyone; the ‘hows and whys’ of transmitting or contracting HIV; that people who may be at risk should be counseled and tested; and that pre-sexually active young people should abstain as long as possible. In 1993, Magic spoke at an international meeting at which he urged Japan to join in the fight againstAIDS with increased research and education, in addition to more compassion for those who have the disease. He called the meeting “Living Together in the Age of HIV and AIDS.”He said he was widely supported when the public learned of his condition, but that was because of his celebrity status. “It is important to treat people the same way as before they were diagnosed as HIV -positive,” said Johnson. He called for Japan to be more supportive of HIV-infected people and emphasized the significance of candid discussion about AIDS and safe sex with teenagers. He said, “Prevention is the key. You have to have safe sex. You can put on a condom just like you’ve put on that Lakers jersey,” he said to a high school student wearing a Lakers shirt. All of the speakers at the meeting said that people with AIDS and/or HIV fights two battles: one against the tragic disease and the other against the social stigma attached to it(AEGIS).

As of 1998, Johnson was serving as a pitchman for American Express, “preaching responsible drinking for Adolph Coors” and is involved in partnerships with Starbucks Coffee and TGI Friday’s. He had his own TV show, “The Magic Hour,” a syndicated, late-night talk show, which aired over the summer. Meanwhile, Pepsi Co., who Johnson stopped endorsing in 1992, “isn’t shutting the door on a return by the personality” — Pepsi “continues to fund AIDS initiatives recommended by Johnson, including several Magic Johnson Playrooms that are open to children with AIDS.” These playrooms are for children with AIDS to interact with other children with AIDS in a safe, contained environment.(Kaiser Report).Recently the NY Times newspaper noted that “Johnson’s commercial rebound suggests that advertisers are catching up with consumers who were stunned when Johnson announced that he was HIV positive. Bob Williams, president of Burns Sports, a Chicago-based sports marketing firm, said, “Magic’s career is a fantastic statement about where we’ve come from as a society.” Others are more cautious, pointing out that “two commercials are far from proof that society is coming to grips with HIV and AIDS.” Robert Dunn, president and CEO of San Francisco-based Business for Social Responsibility, said while “Johnson’s return to commercials is clearly a metaphor for a broader understanding and acceptance of HIV/AIDS in society and the workplace,” there is not a “universal acceptance of people with HIV/AIDS”(Time Magazine). Though people came down on him, Magic’s dedication to show that people with AID/HIV are no different then anyone else except for having the disease. They don’t look different, they have social lives, they go to school, and they even play some sports. Every person has his or her own views of what makes a person awesome. Some think that a person needs to be a heroic figure, others think that they have to be a person viewed as a high social figure. People consider their parents to be excellent people. I believe that it is a cluster on many things. Magic was popular person in the NBA, but then went downhill for a while. On his rebound, he brought onto society that using protection with sex is very important, abstinence even better. He also showed that people with AIDS/HIV are no different and that they should be treated with the same respect as society. In the future, I hope to see a cure for AIDS. With the cure, hundreds of thousands of people will be able to live longer lives. Time will tell, and I hope for the best.