DAY 108

PHOTOGRAPHIC CURIOSITIES

Urban Legends II

THE CURSED ADVERTISEMENT

Is it possible for a person to be cursed as a result of being photographed? Many have smugly attributed this superstition to primitive tribesmen from some remote location. The best documented occurrence of said belief, however, has occurred in modern folklore in the form of the urban legend, “The Cursed Advertisement.”

The story involves a famous recurring ad campaign, either the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, Campbell’s Chunky Soup television commercials, or, most recently, the video game “Madden NFL.” According to the legend, every athlete who has posed for the advertisement was plagued with bad luck following the photo shoot, suffering sports injuries, a waning career, or trouble in their personal life.¹

While it is true that many of the athletes featured in these endorsements experienced misfortune shortly thereafter, this should come as no surprise. Most spectator sports, by their very nature, entail injury at some point, and selection for an illustrious ad campaign often marks a high point in an athlete’s career, after which a decline is not uncommon.

Could it be, however, that the deeper meaning of this story has to do with the act of being photographed itself?

In this age of reality television shows and increasingly elaborate popularity contests, the scramble for stardom seems to have reached a fevered pitch. Considered in this context, the urban legend in question may serve as a modern cautionary tale: Regardless of whether any particular publication is actually “cursed,” it cannot be denied that notoriety often brings unexpected negative consequences. —DJS