Hannah Charlton hypothesizes that “appropriating the aura of Che for brand building, has now given rise to a new resurgence of “Che-ness” that transcends branding in its global appeal. In the shifting complexities of intercultural values, in the search for universal images that can speak across borders and boundaries, today’s global image of Che is the most successful.” The Che face, more than any other icon according to Charlton, can keep accruing new application without relinquishing its essence – a generic and positive version of anti-status quo and liberation from any oppressive force, and a general, romantic, non-specific fantasy about change and revolution.
Duke Latin American studies professor Ariel Dorfman hypothesizes that Che’s been “comfortably transmogrified into a symbol of rebellion” precisely because those in power no longer believe him to be dangerous. Dorfman suspects the attempt to subvert Che could backfire, positing that 3 billion people now live on less than $2 a day and thus “the powerful of the earth should take heed: deep inside that T shirt where we have tried to trap him, the eyes of Che Guevara are still burning with impatience.” Expressing a similar sentiment, director Jonathan Green acknowledges that “Che is turning over in his grave” because of the commercialization; in Green’s view, Che’s visage also has the potential to be a “Trojan horse” of capitalist marketing, by embedding itself into pop iconography. In his example, corporations in their desperate drive to sell goods, create the opportunity for observers to see the “logo” and ask “who was that guy?” Trisha Ziff, curator of Che! Revolution and Commerce believes that regardless of the “postmodern” diffusion, you can’t disassociate Che from “radical ideas and change”, nor can one control it. site in yahoo.com Ziff’s view, despite the endless array of merchandising, the symbol of Che will continue to be worn and have resonance. Critical pedagogical theorist Peter McLaren theorizes that American capitalism is responsible for the Che phenomenon, stating that “the United States has a seductive way of incorporating anything that it can’t defeat and transforming that ‘thing’ into a weaker version of itself, much like the process of diluting the strength and efficacy of a virus through the creation of a vaccine.” Neo-Marxist and critical theorist Herbert Marcuse argued that in the contemporary capitalist world there is no escaping such co-optation, theorizing that we are made “one-dimensional” by capitalism’s single-minded orientation toward greed and growth. Author Susan Sontag spoke of the potential positive ramifications of utilizing Che as a symbol, positing:
Following the setback, Zhang scored back-to-back inside-the-distance wins over Joyce, including a spectacular third-round KO in the September rematch. The pair of wins solidified Zhang as ESPN’s No. 5 heavyweight, and he was favored to defeat Parker, too.
Even though he got inked during a low point in his life, he still has no regrets. “It looks awesome. That tattoo is me,” he said. “In the beginning, some people were scared by it. But the bikers would shout out: ‘Oh, that’s beautiful man, great ink!'”
Zhang’s slow rise to prominence was also contributed to the debacle that saw his first and second promotional companies go out of business in 2014 and 2020 respectively and the legal chaos that followed.
Joshua scored a knockdown in Round 2 and went on to win their quarterfinal match, 15-11. George stayed on with the amateur team, guiding them through the 2016 Games, while Zhang turned pro in 2014 in search of a different heavyweight crown.
In a 2013 interview with the The Telegraph, Tyson additionally explained that he came up with a way to get around drug tests before fights. He used a fake penis that he called his “whizzer” to give clean urine samples.
On training days, Zhang would begin his day with a 6-mile morning run at a park in Bloomfield, New Jersey. The rest of his daily routine consists of eating, working out and resting, all of which are way too familiar to the 33-year-old who has been a professional athlete since his early teens.
When Tyson got the face tattoo, he agreed in writing that all drawings, artwork, and photographs of it belonged to Whitmill’s Paradox-Studio of Dermagraphics, an uncommon step in the tattoo industry. In The Hangover’s 2011 sequel, The Hangover Part II, the character Stu Price (played by Ed Helms) gets a face tattoo almost identical to Tyson’s. After seeing a poster depicting the tattooed Stu, Whitmill registered a copyright for the tattoo and then on April 28, 2011 filed Whitmill v. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., seeking to enjoin The Hangover’s distributor, Warner Bros., from using the tattoo in the movie or its promotional materials. Describing the face tattoo as “one of the most distinctive tattoos in the nation”, Whitmill did not challenge “Tyson’s right to use or control his identity” but challenged Warner Bros.’ use of the design itself, without having asked his permission or given him credit.
