Assignment #1

The video I decided to select for this assignment is the extended version of a new Nike commercial featuring some up and coming young superstars from the NBA. The video seems to correspond with the elements of identity presented in John Palfrey’s and Urs Gasser’s “Identities” in Born Digital. A quick summary on the video: This video includes some of the NBA’s younger athletes, Rashard Lewis, Mo Williams and Kevin Durant, showcasing their rapping skills. The video is directed exactly like a music video with each player performing one humorous rap verse. The concept of this video parallels the ideology presented in “Identities” in that the digital era provides “…more experimentation, reinvention of identities, and there are different modes of expression, such as Youtube and blogging” (Born Digital 21). Without a doubt, these athletes dropped their serious demeanor that people see all throughout the course of the NBA season and completely transformed themselves into completely new characters. Even throughout the humorous video we see each players rapping name pop up prior to their verse. Cleary, Nike selected these players because they represent the youth and the newer generation, the ones who heavily use the Internet. The viewer can easily look at any one of those young athletes and make the firm assertion that these players definitely use social networks such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. “The possibility of greater exploration in identity formation offers terrific possibilities in terms of personal development” (Born Digital 21). The idea presented in that quotation is clearly evident throughout the commercial as we see these men explore something beyond their norm in an exceptionally creative way. Athletes prior to the digital era were limited to a narrow path with restricted room to explore other personas. Unfortunately, they didn’t have these present day gateways athletes nowadays have, such as Youtube. The Internet has made it so simple for virtually anyone, like these particular athletes, that has access to a computer to create multiple identities.

-Ara Nazarian

The video I decided to select for this assignment is the extended version of a new Nike commercial featuring some up and coming young superstars from the NBA. The video seems to correspond with the elements of identity presented in John Palfrey’s and Urs Gasser’s “Identities” in Born Digital. A quick summary on the video: This video includes some of the NBA’s younger athletes, Rashard Lewis, Mo Williams and Kevin Durant, showcasing their rapping skills. The video is directed exactly like a music video with each player performing one humorous rap verse. The concept of this video parallels the ideology presented in “Identities” in that the digital era provides “…more experimentation, reinvention of identities, and there are different modes of expression, such as Youtube and blogging” (Born Digital 21). Without a doubt, these athletes dropped their serious demeanor that people see all throughout the course of the NBA season and completely transformed themselves into completely new characters. Even throughout the humorous video we see each players rapping name pop up prior to their verse. Cleary, Nike selected these players because they represent the youth and the newer generation, the ones who heavily use the Internet. The viewer can easily look at any one of those young athletes and make the firm assertion that these players definitely use social networks such as Youtube, Facebook and Twitter. “The possibility of greater exploration in identity formation offers terrific possibilities in terms of personal development” (Born Digital 21). The idea presented in that quotation is clearly evident throughout the commercial as we see these men explore something beyond their norm in an exceptionally creative way. Athletes prior to the digital era were limited to a narrow path with restricted room to explore other personas. Unfortunately, they didn’t have these present day gateways athletes nowadays have, such as Youtube. The Internet has made it so simple for virtually anyone, like these particular athletes, that has access to a computer to create multiple identities.
-Ara Nazarian