Steroids are Un-American?
We have been discussing why peformance-enhancing drugs such as steroids are regarded so differently from other methods of improving performance. A deeper issue would be to ask “why does it matter?” It is because play and ritual models such as baseball are capable of modeling important tensions within American culture and life. In Culture in Mind, Bradd Shore states that sporting events "engage serious cultural issues in the very rules and structures constituting the filed of play." Cheating in baseball goes beyond breaking the rules in the game itself; cheating in baseball is breaking the core values that Americans hold dearly. 5
Steroids not only go against pharmaceutical Calvinism, but steroids also limit the freedom of non-users. The performance enhancing effects of steroids are so drastic that if non-users want to compete with users, they are forced into injecting themselves and abusing performance-enhancing drugs. Thomas Murray calls this the “free choice under pressure.”1 There is a tremendous amount of money, fame, and pride involved in the professional sports, and players feel pressured to do everything they can to keep up with the competition.2 Players essentially have their freedom limited by steroid-fueled competition. Freedom, as we all know, is the essential characteristic of American culture.1
Steroids not only go against pharmaceutical Calvinism, but steroids also limit the freedom of non-users. The performance enhancing effects of steroids are so drastic that if non-users want to compete with users, they are forced into injecting themselves and abusing performance-enhancing drugs. Thomas Murray calls this the “free choice under pressure.”1 There is a tremendous amount of money, fame, and pride involved in the professional sports, and players feel pressured to do everything they can to keep up with the competition.2 Players essentially have their freedom limited by steroid-fueled competition. Freedom, as we all know, is the essential characteristic of American culture.1
