Author Jo Piazza is enjoying the resurgence of athletes in pop culture and questions, do we want more substance to our celebrities?
A seismic shift is occurring in pop culture: Step aside Kim Kardashian; move it, Miley Cyrus — the new heroes commanding our attention, our admiration, our hashtags and millions of dollars in endorsement deals are sports stars.
Just take Caitlin Clark, who’s become so popular that a recent Indiana Fever game had to be moved to a much larger arena and tickets sold out like crazy.
Are we suddenly searching for more than attention-seeking drama from the people we put on a pedestal? Do we want, dare I say, a little more substance in our stars?
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When Clark pulls off another jaw-dropping play, or Joe Burrow breaks yet another single-season franchise record, it’s like witnessing Greek gods descend from Olympus. They embody strength, agility and a mesmerizing ability to defy the laws of gravity.
And while athletes have always commanded their fair share of attention, these days, they’re going viral on a daily basis. We’re glued to the minutiae of their lives, from what they eat to who they date and how they train, like it’s the juiciest gossip from a reality show. Clark hanging out with Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher became photo gold, and viewers have been on the edge of their seats watching to see whether Simone Biles’ gymnastics comeback will be capped off with another Olympic gold.
Sports stars have never been short of cash, but this newfound attention means that it’s now raining endorsements and million-dollar deals like confetti at a championship parade. Burrow’s recent record-breaking deal has a lot to do with his skills, but probably also plenty to do with his constant appearance in celebrity news feeds.
Publishing houses are falling over themselves to offer multimillion-dollar advances to athletes, and sport stars are shifting fashion too, with many of them becoming our new style icons. From NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama strutting his stuff on the Vogue World runway to Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese becoming the first WNBA rookie to rock the Met Gala, they’re rewriting the fashion playbook faster than you can say touchdown.
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Don’t get me wrong, I love The Real Housewives as much as Andy Cohen (OK, maybe not that much), but the work elite athletes accomplish, the years of training they’ve put into being at the top of their game, is something truly aspirational and our new obsession with them shows that we’re hungry for icons with otherworldly skills and who use them to actually accomplish something.
So listen up, Hollywood: It’s game day, and the sports stars are here to play. With their superhuman feats, celebrity status, bulging bank accounts and fashion-forward flair, they’re proving that in 2024, the MVPs aren’t just on the field — they’re the new A-listers commanding our screens, our feeds and our hearts.
Read more in this week’s relaunch issue of the brand-new Us Weekly, featuring 12 additional pages, a redesigned look and new franchises you’ll love — on newsstands now.
