The Empire Strikes Back... | Critical Reflections on a Football Jersey
#reflections #today
30th June 2026
I happened to notice two boys wearing Ronaldo jerseys on them, on two separate occasions, today.
As students of literature would have been familiar with, from a Critical Theory standpoint, this Tee becomes a rich “textual site” in itself, offering us on a platter ample scope for a rewarding postcolonial critique!
But before we begin, a quick recap of a few essential postulates of Critical Theory –
Critical Theory seeks to challenge assumptions, status quo, capitalist subjugation, commodity fetishism, etc, thereby revealing hidden power structures, and imbalances of power. In addition, it envisions transformative action in society, by not only understanding societal problems, but also involving itself in transformative action from “what is” to “what ought to be!”
As such, critical theory serves as a liberative tool to examine society by liberating not only individuals but also societies from conditions that bind them into conformities.
In this regard, Max Horkheimer’s seminal essay titled, “Traditional and Critical Theory” can be called the foundational manifesto of the Frankfurt School, a School known for pioneering Critical Theory to the world. Its main aim is to reveal, critique, and challenge power structures within society and culture.
In a postscript to t(his) essay, from the standard, authoritative English translation by Matthew J. O'Connell, Horkheimer lays out the definition of the term in a beautiful manner!
Says he –
The total goal of critical theory is “man’s (human) emancipation from slavery.”
It is the task of the critical theoretician to reduce the tension between his own insight and oppressed humanity in whose service he thinks, adds Horkheimer.
As eminent critic Scupin Richard rightly points out, “A theory is only “critical” if it seeks “to liberate human beings from the circumstances that enslave them.”
Coming back -
Well, for any layperson who looks up this snap at first glance, it might sure look like a mundane, everyday moment of sorts!
However, when viewed through a postcolonial “critical” perspective, the snap transforms into a profound textual “site” that seeks to bring out the impact of…. oops the adverse effects of cultural imperialism, cultural hegemony, and global capitalism in all its myriad forms.
The Frankfurt School focused heavily on how mass media and consumerism - what Adorno termed the “culture industry” – served to sedate or opiate or pacify the working class!
As such, although Cristiano Ronaldo is a football player, when viewed from a “culture industry” perspective, Ronaldo is not just an athlete; he is brand ambassador for a multinational corporation - the CR7 brand – of which he is also the founder and direct owner. The CR7 brand is entangled with Western capitalist interests, and his image is strategically used to penetrate emerging non-European markets on behalf of Western “culture industries”.
Many of us would also know how Ronaldo is deeply connected with Western global brands like Nike or Herbalife, to name a few, through long-term commercial partnerships and investments!
Ultimately, while Ronaldo did not set out to conquer territories, the global brands that he endorses, like Nike or Herbalife, heavily rely on his image to conquer non-European territories!
Coming next to a poetic connect –
I would like to compare these two snapshots with a postcolonial poem titled, “Two Cultures” by the Guyanese writer David Dabydeen, since the poem also features a similar young boy who is “steeped in BBC culture”. 😊
In a way, the poem examines the deep chasm between the British colonial “centre” and the Guyanese “periphery”.
This young Caribbean boy too has internalised the coloniser’s “refined” mannerisms, rituals, language and attitudes, much akin to the boy in the snapshot who has adopted the visual culture of the West by sporting the Ronaldo jersey!
Both boys – the Carribean boy and the boys on the scooters seem to “effortlessly” carry the global symbol of imperial hegemony or cultural hegemony into their distinctly local landscapes!
At the same time, while the Caribbean boy in Dabydeen’s poem personifies linguistic imperialism, showing how adopting the coloniser’s standard English creates a barrier between the educated youth and his roots, the Indian boys on the scooters represents cultural imperialism, by sporting the Ronaldo jerseys!
On a deeper level, then, who do you think are the boys on the scooters?
Simple! the boys wearing the Ronaldo jerseys are - you, we and me! 😊
Puzzled? Ain’t we?
Yes, In the past, vast Western empires were highly successful in “exporting” their imperial languages across the world. Today, they have started exporting popular culture, through their Instagrams, and Facebooks acting as primary vehicles to “enslave” us to to the core through cultural hegemony or cultural imperialism! ☹
In that respect, when viewed through a postcolonial framework, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc are not just social networking sites. They are brand ambassadors for huge multinational corporations deeply entangled with Western capitalist interests, who use their brand value to strategically penetrate emerging markets on behalf of Western culture!
Let me conclude this post on a startling note that can rock our gentle, passive boats in the words of eminent critic Scupin Richards -
“If critical theory’s true goal is human emancipation, then our first act of modern rebellion must be to take a minute out from scrolling through our insta feeds to question the “invisible jerseys” that we all wear day in and day out, every passing day of our lives”.
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