As you might expect, "King" Lebron James heads the list in this category. But shy Naomi Osaka, the erstwhile prim and proper delicate Japanese princess of women's grand slam tennis, was en route to second seed in my book. So I started researching the internet and stumbled upon this abhorrent image of her and boyfriend whatever-his-name-that-no-one-should-care-about-is taken just moments after she had won the Finals for the Women's Singles title in the 2020 US Open. And instantly, Naomi Osaka is dropped from my list.
Is it Naomi's fault? Of course, not. But it is Naomi's teaching moment to gain or lose, depending on how intelligent or juvenile she chooses to react to it. In fairness, we could presume she was not even aware his boyfriend--I'll just call him "IWACI" explanation at the end of this article--was flashing the "F--k You!" finger signage. I did come across at least two images of different occasions with him flashing it while either standing or sitting beside Naomi. So if Naomi is unaware of IWACI's propensity to do it, then she's not only shy but naive as well and I rest my case.
I'm still doing the piece on cause-oriented jocks, but it's going to be all-Lebron James for now. If that speaks volumes about the effect of an improvidently-composed image, the fact that my commentary about it gets written ahead of the athlete's tribute it displaced speaks even more.
There's a reason why Naomi Osaka wearing seven different face masks with the names of seven victims of modern-day lynching is impactful as it was. These black victims of police brutality are relegated to obscurity, or on the way to it by diminishing public interest. From high up in the stands in the upper bowl of Arthur Ashe stadium, you can't even read those names. In fact, you can't read them courtside.
These names only became readable because there were no fans in the stadium, they were all at home watching on TV. Television's powerful zoom lens brought these names on these face masks to people's eyes. The fact that it was Naomi Osaka wearing them enabled the imagery to penetrate people's minds. The message is simple: it is the unique privilege of those who are in the spotlight to let us see what we haven't seen in a while or won't probably look at ever. It is symbolic. That's all it is. And that is why it's powerful.
So when IWACI poses beside Naomi, left hand slung over her like newly-subdued prey, to those of us who don't know IWACI and wondering "Who he?" that image comes plainly across as "It don't matter who I am, the girl is mine, so up yours sucker." That middle finger, that look in the face, that smug countenance, they all converge to speak the profanity.
That took a lot of license to say but--yes--that's the point. Naomi and IWACI cannot say, "it wasn't meant for you" or "that's not what it was meant to say."
No, no, no--we cannot confuse roles here. You're a celebrity commanding attention. I am audience. Let us be clear: you send, I receive. You project, I interpret. When I look at a picture, I will determine what it says to me.
Isn't that why you wore those masks with no more words on them than just plain names?
You wanted me to think. You wanted me to react. I'm lazy to do any of that otherwise but I'll just do it because you--Naomi Osaka--are the one telling me, Naomi Osaka fan, to do it. That is the power of platform you just discovered. That is the power to trigger dialogue that you and your boyfriend IWACI just squandered.
Alright, reader, so I owe you and here it is: IWACI stands for "idiot with a capital i"
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