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.
Get the entire The Road to Character LitChart as a printable PDF.
Joe Namath Character Timeline in The Road to Character
The timeline below shows where the character Joe Namath appears in The Road to Character. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 10: The Big Me
In the 1969 Super Bowl, the quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Joe Namath faced each other from opposing teams. Both had grown up in Pennsylvania, but they came...
(full context)
Joe Namath , on the other hand, grew up half a generation later in a different moral...
(full context)