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The Next M. J. or the Next O. J.? Kobe Bryant, Race, and the Absurdity of Colorblind Rhetoric

David J. Leonard

Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies at Washington State University

In this essay, the author explores the absurdity of colorblind rhetoric within the discursive field of Kobe Bryant’s rape trial. Specifically, in examining articulations on the Internet, television coverage, commentaries, and news reports, this article reveals how colorblind ideologies that dominate public discussions conflict with the racialized discursive utterances surrounding Kobe’s arrest and ongoing trial. In exploring the reactions to accusations of rape against Kobe Bryant by both the mainstream media and White nationalists, this article repels the tendency to disassociate mainstream discourses surrounding race and sports from the more racially grotesque versions found among White nationalists. This article interrogates the context, text, and subtext of the racialized/gendered discourse of Kobe Bryant, situating this case study within the larger dynamics of racialized sports celebrity. It asks whether status as a celebrity athlete provides racial erasure and whether accusations of criminal misconduct not only reinscribe race but also erase celebrity.

Key Words: Kobe Bryant • White supremacy • sports • colorblind rhetoric • rape

Journal of Sport & Social Issues, Vol. 28, No. 3, 284-313 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0193723504267546
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