Article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ftw/2018/03/31/did-anthony-davis-really-shave-his-unibrow/111145000/
Yesterday, Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis (more commonly known as "The Brow") raised eyebrows on Twitter when he posted a controversial video of himself in which he appeared to be shaving his famous unibrow. After a poll conducted by Davis revealed that a 51/49 majority of his fans think he should shave his brow, Davis posted a video claiming that he was excited to move on into the next phase of his life, asking fans "what they think" while beaming at the camera, the renaissance plurality of his unibrow instantly transforming his complexion nearly beyond recognition.
However, not all Davis fans are taking the bait, as a combination of suspicious timing and other clues are hinting that the video was just a hoax. The first hint can be seen by the date of the video (note: 1 day before April Fool's Day). Also notable is the suspicious timing at which Davis apparently drops his camera right before he shaves the brow in two, picking it up again only when the deed is done (there also appears to be makeup over the spot where the brow used to be once Davis refocuses the camera). Lastly, the technique with which Davis appears to have shaven his brow is suspiciously unorthodox, as he uses the razor lengthwise to shave off a tiny segment of his brow. Considering Davis has no prior experience shaving, it is unlikely that he would be able to pull off this maneuver with such seeming ease.
Beyond shocking his fan base, Davis has economists everywhere scratching their heads in confusion. Indeed, Davis has proven an utter enigma in the world of labor supply and demand ever since he made it to the NBA, the economic equivalent of String Theory. Davis' success has single-handedly refuted one of renowned economist (and author of the economics textbook "The Principles of Economics") N. Gregory Mankiv's core principles, his claim that "good looks pay." According to Mankiv, "people of average looks earn 5-10% more than people considered less attractive than average." Davis, however, is making 22 million dollars a year just by his NBA salary alone, not including his multi-million dollar advertising contracts with Nike, Red Bull, and others. Davis' NBA salary slots him as the 20th highest paid player in the NBA, making 259% more money than the average NBA player, a gaping hole in Mankiv's argument. In fact, according to rock-solid evidence from Quora that serves as mere confirmation to my predisposed conception of the issue, unibrows are, in fact, considered unattractive in mainstream society. However, Davis' brow seems only to bolster his net worth, with Sports Illustrated and others featuring him on their cover page with titles such as "Time to Really Fear the Brow," articles that only contribute to his fame.
I personally think that Anthony Davis looks better without the unibrow, but I do think that if he indeed did shave his unibrow, it would take a serious hit on his popularity and might even cut into his profits from advertisements, as he would just be one of many in the NBA without a unibrow. Due to the nature of Davis' superstardom, any irregularity in his persona serves only to augment his popularity, as these quirks are prone to becoming nicknames, which can be put onto the back of jerseys to increase sales. This being said, I do not think he actually shaved his unibrow, as the hints point towards the conclusion that he didn't. Also, given his emotional attachment to his unibrow, I would imagine he would be severely traumatized after shaving it, so much so that he would be unable to beam at the camera as he did shortly after the incident.
Do you guys think that AD looks better without the unibrow? Do you think that it increases his value of marginal product over other NBA players by drawing fans in? Do you think he shaved it, or was it all an April Fool's joke? How can economic theories explain the phenomenon of his stardom?
3 comments:
It's not a matter of whether or not he looks better without the unibrow, but whether or not he's a better player without it. I believe that the unibrow is necessary to keep his superstar personality. In fact, one can even argue that it he didn't have the unibrow, his stats wouldn't be as great as they are now. So far, with his unibrow he's averaging 28.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2,5 bpg, and 2.3 apg, but without his unibrow, he's averaging 0 ppg, 0 rpg, 0 bpg, and 0 apg (because he's never risked playing a game without it). Looking at the costs and benefits of maintaining the unibrow image, it's clear to see that losing the brow may give him a better look, but it also means losing his fresh stats, letting the Pelican franchise down, and more importantly, letting his boy Boogie down. Despite the buzz circulating around this controversy, both AD and Redbull admitted that it was an April Fools joke, so it's all worthless at this point.
I for sure think the unibrow has an impact because one of AD's nicknames is "The Brow." I think the brow can for sure make him a more well known player because it is something so unique. I just don't think that it will help convince people that he is actually a better player because people still only pay attention to the stats. Another thing is that his nickname doesn't emphasize anything special about his talent unlike "King James" or "the Black Mamba" (Kobe Bryant).
P.S. in a time of stress, this type of article is great! Thanks Daniel.
I agree with Kamal and Miguel that his unibrow would have an impact on his popularity since that is where he stands out from everyone else and his peers. It is also a slogan in which he earns money from as slogans can be placed on the back of clothing items. Losing that unibrow would lead to a decrease in income as well. I doubt it would have any impact on his skills as a player, just his popularity and the money he would be making off it.
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