Aaron Crouse - Magic Longevity

Earvin “Magic” Johnson shocked not only the NBA community and the entire world when on November 7, 1991 he announced that he had tested positive for the HIV virus.  Johnson was not only the first major sports star to contract the virus, but he also did not fit the common description of someone that would have been though to contract HIV, being a wealthy individual with a straight sexual orientation and no know drug additions (he later admitted the virus was contracted due to having numerous sexual partners during his playing days).  While contracting HIV at the time was almost considered a death sentence, Magic’s longevity and ability to overcome this virus has proven just how far medical research has come in the past 30 years.  One of the top advocates of HIV and AIDS prevention today, Johnson founded the “Magic Johnson Foundation” in 1991 and continues to be a major spokesperson for HIV awareness today.  However, Magic Johnson has had some financial and medical benefits that many other HIV patients are not afforded during his fight with the virus.  While it is truly remarkable what Magic Johnson has done in staying healthy (yet alone alive) and helping spread awareness about the HIV virus, a 2008 South Park episode featuring Magic Johnson did highlight some important stereotypes and issues with HIV prevention on a worldwide basis.

South Park has featured episodes around athletes including Tiger Woods, Ben Roethlisberger, and Magic Johnson within the past few seasons.  While this show is in no way, shape, or form educational, their comical take on serious life issues can often shed light onto a side of a story people fail to consider.  In the episode “Tonsil Trouble”, Eric Cartman becomes infected with the HIV virus following a blood transfusion during surgery at South Park hospital.  While most of the others characters are concerned about his health, his friend Kyle finds it to be ironic and funny (because Cartman has made many AIDS jokes in the past).  Angry, Cartman plots revenge by drawing some of his own blood with a syringe and injecting it into Kyle as he sleeps (because this is South Park, again not always realistic).  As Cartman and Kyle are both now infected with HIV, the entire town now believes that the two of them are “two brave lovers”, exploiting the stereotype that most males that contract the HIV virus are homosexual (as many skeptics believed Magic Johnson was at the time of his announcement).  Seeking help, the boys fly to Los Angeles to meet Magic Johnson and figure out his secret to neutralizing HIV.  Upon their visit, they discover that he has a personal medical team working 24/7 in an attempt to find a cure for AIDS and that Johnson injects himself with a concentrated dose of $180,000, meant to symbolize that the only true way to prevent HIV from spreading once it has been contracted is to have the money available for drugs, treatment, and research from a highly skilled medical staff.  The show claims, “The success (fighting HIV in Magic Johnson) may eventually be able to be replicated in others that suffer from HIV, but it will likely be very expensive” (Tonsil Trouble, 12 March 2008, South Park).  The point being made here is that while Magic Johnson is the most notable spokesperson from HIV who has accomplished great lengths towards advocating awareness, he is far from the typical patient.  Most people with this disease do not have the money, name recognition value, or medical team that Magic does in order to fight HIV.  South Park makes a point that there is still no cure for HIV or AIDS and that many individuals still suffer from the disease.  Just because Magic Johnson has done so well combating it does not mean that others around the world are having the same success.  While I personally applaud what Magic Johnson has been able to do, we cannot forget that HIV is still a huge problem in many parts of the world and that not everyone is fortunate enough or has the resources to fight against it in 2012.