Commodification and Objectification of the Black Male Athlete In the NFL

Author

Jalen A. TerrellFollow

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communications

Committee Chair/Advisor

Rikishi T. Rey

Committee Member

Brandon Boatwright

Committee Member

James Gilmore

Abstract

The black male body has often been viewed as a commodity in Western culture since the commodification of the black male body in the historical slave auction. Albeit slave owning ended in 1863 with the Emancipation Proclamation, it was not until 1946 that the National Football League (NFL) became integrated, and the commodification of black bodies became prevalent once again. As such, this study looks to understand how the X population from the data set for this study demonstrates the commodification of the black male body, the general discourse around the black and white male athletes, and explores the language of X users around the discourse of fantasy football to see if fans discuss black athletes as commodities as influenced by the ownership they have in fantasy football. 2272 posts were scraped using Sprinklr, and a thematic analysis revealed 15 categories and seven themes. The themes 1) dehumanization, 2) racial double standard in activism, 3) interracial dating and perceived loyalty, 4) racial stereotyping and anti-black narratives, 5) quarterback and leadership bias, 6) perceived marginalization and victimhood, and 7) objectification, revealing that the X users from the data set see black male athletes as commodities and objects. Future directions and practical implications are forwarded.

Recommended Citation

Terrell, Jalen A., "Commodification and Objectification of the Black Male Athlete In the NFL" (2025). All Theses. 4529.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4529