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**Historian** · July 25, 2013, 03:38 PM

Most Definitely Usain Bolt

Without hesitation I would say Usain Bolt

Here are a couple of reasons why:

BOB MARLEY:
1. Bob died in 1981.His peak years were in the late 1970s, a time when the Internet and social media weren’t around. In fact, not even cable television was as widely utilized in the USA and elsewhere as it is now.

2. Bob made very few videos in his lifetime (I can think of only two or three as I type; most of the videos were made after his death). Music tastes today demand different stuff (Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, Justin Beiber, Kanye West, Taylor Swift, etc.).

3. Today’s generation worldwide knows relatively very little about Bob when compared with Bolt. Much of what they know about Bob comes from listening to nostalgic older folk (parents, etc.) and listening to old reggae records, of which many have little interest (music tastes have shifted dramatically over the past three decades).

4. Interest in Jamaica’s mainstream reggae, and Bob, has waned due to a number of factors (the ending of some major struggles in Africa, example apartheid; inroads made by dancehall; the rapid rise in foreign reggae singers and bands, aggressive utilization of social media by major international record companies, etc.)

USAIN BOLT:
1. Immensely greater visibility, for example his exploits in Beijing in 2008 and in London in 2012 were watched simultaneously by billions of people using various media. Many others continued watching later thanks to social media such as YouTube and Facebook, etc.

2. Usain Bolt at his most visible (that is, at global athletics events) is immediately visibly linked with Jamaica because he runs in the Jamaican colors and with a huge “Jamaica” printed across his vest. After each event he then wraps himself in large Jamaican flags.

3. As far as mass communication and inter-personal communication are concerned, we are living in a rapidly changing world which focuses LESS on history and more on current events and current celebrities.

CONCLUSION:
Bob Marley played a massive role in placing Jamaica on the map. Today, however, Usain Bolt has vastly increased the attention paid to Jamaica. It is no coincidence that both the BBC and Fox News saw it fit to send a camera crew to Jamaica last year during the Olympics simply to film crowd reaction.

**Islandman** · July 25, 2013, 03:58 PM

Good points Historian, I would only add two observations...

1) Bolt has also benefited from the "China factor" in that he was at center stage in the Beijing Olympics. China had very little exposure to Marley in his lifetime. India of the 70's also had little exposure to Marley. China + India combined is more than 30% of the worlds population! When you throw in other formerly isolated countries during the Cold War , and consider the effect of modern communications, it seems clear that Bolt would be a much more recognizable figure today than Marley.

2) In terms of longevity though, I think it is an open question. Bob's music transcended reggae, he has many, many fans who are not fans or reggae and will never be. He has fans who were born after he died. His music will live on for decades if not centuries. However when Bolt stops competing the world will not see or hear much about him again. For that reason i believe it is possible that Marley could very well once again become the most recognizable Jamaican in history in the future.

**Historian** · July 25, 2013, 04:04 PM

Good Points

I fully share your views in both #1 and #2 below. They are very well stated, including your China, India and Cold War isolated countries and their vast population size. In addition, point #2 did not even cross my mind.

Solid contribution, boss!

Originally posted by Islandman View Post

Good points Historian, I would only add two observations...

1) Bolt has also benefited from the "China factor" in that he was at center stage in the Beijing Olympics. China had very little exposure to Marley in his lifetime. India of the 70's also had little exposure to Marley. China + India combined is more than 30% of the worlds population! When you throw in other former isolated countries during the Cold War , and consider the effect of modern communications, it seems clear that Bolt would be a much more recognizable figure today than Marley.

2) In terms of longevity though, I think it is an open question. Bob's music transcended reggae, he has many, many fans who are not fans or reggae and will never be. He has fans who were born after he died. His music will live on for decades if not centuries. However when Bolt stops competing the world will not see or hear much about him again. For that reason i believe it is possible that Marley could very well once again become the most recognizable Jamaican in history in the future.

**Exile** · July 25, 2013, 08:32 PM

http://www.academia.edu/3394458/Rema...f_a_Soul_Rebel

**Karl** · July 25, 2013, 08:34 PM

Still BOB!!!

**Peter R** · July 25, 2013, 08:56 PM

Historian,

I disagree

**Historian** · July 26, 2013, 09:19 AM

Oh?

Originally posted by Peter R View Post

Historian,

I disagree

Peter, I don’t know if you’re serious, or if your statement is a tongue in cheek comment.

Anybody can type the two words, “I disagree.” The important thing is your support for this statement. Why do you disagree?

**Bricktop** · July 26, 2013, 09:21 AM

Bob kinda boil down now...

**Historian** · July 26, 2013, 09:24 AM

Another One?

Originally posted by Karl View Post

Still BOB!!!

Karl, Peter used two words (“I disagree”) and you are proving to be an enthusiastic pupil (“Still Bob”). Also, like Peter, you left out the most important thing, your support for this statement. Why do you choose Bob Marley over Usain Bolt?

**Don1** · July 26, 2013, 09:34 AM

Originally posted by Historian View Post

Karl, Peter used two words (“I disagree”) and you are proving to be an enthusiastic pupil (“Still Bob”). Also, like Peter, you left out the most important thing, your support for this statement. Why do you choose Bob Marley over Usain Bolt?

Bolt is the flavor of the moment.

Bob's image is probably THE most recognizable personal visual image on the planet by virtue of all the everyday media it's placed on...T shirts, posters etc

Bob's music is played globally millions of times daily...especially the 10s of millions of pirated versions

In several tribal culture Bob is regarded as a God...the Maori in New Zealand and several North American native cultures

Bob is timeless as a global icon for the past 30+ years whose legend only grows as more discover him through more media access ... whether Usain will replicate that over time is left to be discovered

Don1
Usain Bolt Sycophant

**Historian** · July 26, 2013, 09:45 AM

Read Islandman's and Historian's Posts Again

I can’t argue with your “Bolt is the flavor of the moment” statement, as this is indeed so.

Now, whether you choose to believe it or not, there are people (including people I know) who have very little or no idea who Bob Marley is. This is a fact!

On the other hand, one would be hard-pressed to find someone who is not aware of Usain Bolt. Please refer again to Historian’s and Islandman’s posts above. Trust me, Bolt is more recognizable in the hugely populous countries of China, India, Russia, etc.

We can argue as much as we want, but we had better be aware of the impact of the new technology in this the information age! With this in mind, regardless how much you and I love him, Bob’s music is not played much by a large segment of today’s generation!

Now, whether Bolt will outlast Bob is a different matter. I am inclined to fully agree with Islandman and Don1 on this latter score.

Originally posted by Don1 View Post

Bolt is the flavor of the moment.

Bob's image is probably THE most recognizable personal visual image on the planet by virtue of all the everyday media it's placed on...T shirts, posters etc

Bob's music is played globally millions of times daily...especially the 10s of millions of pirated versions

In several tribal culture Bob is regarded as a God...the Maori in New Zealand and several North American native cultures

Bob is timeless as a global icon for the past 30+ years whose legend only grows as more discover him through more media access ... whether Usain will replicate that over time is left to be discovered

Don1
Usain Bolt Sycophant

**Stonigut** · July 26, 2013, 09:51 AM

Interesting commentary on this issue, very good points. However if the question is popularity now, then Bolt probably wins that if it is influence on the world today Bob wins that hands down, Bob is everywhere in everything in a way that I just could not have even conceived just as little as say five years ago.

The ads on Tv with his music, Espn using his music just recently, I had to reverse back into the room to check if I was hearing Bob playing on Espn, yes it was, the influence of Reggae in so many countries all Bob driven for the most part, places like New Zealand where reggae is literally the music of the island.

Long them all you have to look at is the long term appeal of any great athlete, almost non existent to the larger current population, ask any kid today about Carl Lewis, they will say Carl who? And he ran in the 90's. theaters are flavor of the day, Bolt will be unusual but at the end of the day he will not escape the loss of pressure in his popularity tires.

Marley on the other hand from my standpoint will continue to grow across time, across generation, creators of anything last for a long time, in that regard my comparison for Marley is more like Shakespeare, his stuff will last for as long as humans are around.

**Stonigut** · July 26, 2013, 09:54 AM

Wow, Don 1 we are more alike everyday, definitely flavor of the day! He will be forgotten very quickly outside of track and field, his legacy may be pinned to the idea of being the worlds greatest athlete of all time, the name and the image also will be of immense help in the long term, but compared to Bob, flavor of the day.

**Don1** · July 26, 2013, 10:00 AM

As I trod through the Hills and Valleys of Babylon....some of the most sophisticated and aware persons on the planet...guess what I discover?

Virtually EVERYONE knows of Bob- who he is, what he's done, where he's from and can cite examples of his music. 1.2 Billion Africans?? Fuhgeddaboutit... S. America?? Europe & Asia??.... Im large

Conversely it is RARE for me to encounter someone who recognizes the name Usain Bolt unless they're prodded and IF they happened to watch athletics at the Olympics... then they recall a guy who runs fast

If one crisscrossed the world with a picture of Bolt and one of Marley ... there's zero doubt in my mind that Bob would be more recognizable

I think people who think Bolt is bigger need to get out more. Once Bolt retires he will still be a legend...but his fame will inevitably diminish... his media hits and eyeballs on him will be low.

Bob's fame grows year by year... It's all about media visibility... In Bob's case his music is his media (held & played by 100s of millions) along with the various paraphernalia his image & vocals are placed on... powered by his philosophies which are GLOBAL in their influence. So Bob is not merely about his musical craft.. he's much BIGGER than just his music

Ah suh di ting set

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