Joe Namath Character Analysis

Joe Namath was a quarterback who grew up half a generation after Johnny Unitas in a culture of self-involvement, or moral romanticism. He was famous not only for his skill as a quarterback but also for his extravagant lifestyle. He was confident, glamorous, and entertaining. He’d brag about himself with ease, saying how his philosophy of life was to follow his desires. Throughout his career, he never committed to one person or to anything of depth. He represents what David Brooks calls the culture of the “Big Me,” in which society promotes the individual, encourages people to trust their feelings, and pursues empty external things. Brooks contrasts Namath’s conduct with Johnny Unitas’s conduct in order to show how the culture of moral romanticism stands out from the old culture of moral realism.