Right now, there are several thousand spectators crowded into the streets around my office, at least a dozen news crews on the ground and two helicopters hovering overhead. David Beckham’s visiting the elementary school next door, and the entire neighborhood has gone nuts.
When I went out to get lunch, there were literally hundreds of people running down the street. It looked like a scene out of a movie. My co-workers have all joined in, apparently, as I’m the only one still at his desk. Granted, we’ve got a pretty clear view of him from our balcony.
I don’t get it. Is England even this nuts over Beckham?
The only reason I know who Beckham is is from Dan Patrick show on ESPN radio yesterday. They were debating who is most well known sports person in the world. Rob Dibble thought it was Tiger Woods. Liam (don’t know if this is first or last name but he is English) thought it was Beckham. I think it was Dan Patrick who thought it was Yao Ming.
Most Americans are not conversant about soccer players.
No.
I just caught a glimpse of the scene you describe on the local news here and it seems just how we’ve been led to believe he would be received in Japan, but it wouldn’t happen here. I suppose the Japanese just love celebrities?
No, there definitely seems to be something about Beckham that’s managed to catch on here since the last World Cup. He does a buttload of ads here and had over 500 people waiting at Narita airport to see him and Victoria arrive.
A sample quote:
"After Beckhamania swept Japan in summer [2002], advertising giant Dentsu Inc. alone received inquires from about 30 companies from cars to soda to food to clothes to beauty clinics to cosmetics companies seeking to have the Manchester United midfielder to promote their wares. "
Beckham boots Golden Goal with rich TV ads
‘Golden Balls’ Beckham has chicks licking more than their lips
For a while last year, it seemed like almost everyone was doing their hair Beckham-style. There was even one news article (which I can’t find now) about a fad among women for styling their pubic hair with the Beckham spike.
I saw last night on the news that 70% of all goods sold in the main Man Utd shop in Japan were Becks related. Real Madrid’s sales are going to rise and Man Utd’s are going to disappear.
Good move Sir Alex.
Merciful heavens! I’ll go out on a limb and suggest that the pubes of American women are safe from thisparticular fad. I only know who he is because of the movie “Bend it Like Beckham.” I haven’t seen it, but from reviews I know he is married to, or has some relationship with a Spice Girl.
Well, since you’re there you’d be better qualified than me to explain the phenomenon because it does seem to be a Japanese peculiarity to go overboard on celebrities. Celebrity product endorsement is a much smaller deal over here.
David Beckham does have a number of sponsorship deals, principally with clothing retailers, sunglasses manufacturers and other style brands. The only one I’d be sure would be successful would be his football boot deal with adidas, but the others must think their money hasn’t been wasted either. Victoria Beckham does seem to be more vulnerable as a marketing aid than him because more people think that she’s been commercially successful in spite of a lack of talent rather than because she is talented. She also seems to be by far the more greedy and money-driven of the two.
They both get a phenomenal amount of press coverage here, but as far as I can see that’s more because the tabloids set their own agenda for celebrity “news” and compete with each other more than any reflection on genuine public demand.
But for promotional purposes the Beckhams do seem to have some favourable qualities compared to other celebrities. Their family life seems to have a strong foundation, and they are less likely to generate bad publicity than stars who are constantly falling out of nightclubs coked up to the eyeballs or lurching from one sex scandal to the next.
Japan does seem to have a faster turnover of consumer interest than most countries, so presumably the Beckhams are right to make hay as long as the sun is shining.
I’m aware of him mostly because of the incident last year (?) when two British schoolgirls went missing. They were big fans of both him and ManU, and were wearing replicas of his jersey when they disappeared. Beckham went on TV to make an appeal for them to come home if they’d run away, or for their captors to release them if they’d been kidnapped. While I was hoping for their safe return, I was also anticipating that he’d follow this up with a visit and some great big hugs. Alas, it was not to be. 
Also aware that there was a “plot” to kidnap his and Victoria’s child. Does it ever end? :mad:
Well, the first story had a very unhappy ending, but the second one was a hoax invented by (or at least with the connivance of) a “newspaper”.
To his credit, Beckham has made plenty of visits to kids in hospital, not always with cameras in attendance and has recorded messages to help revive kids from coma and similar humanitarian gestures. He hogs the limelight alright, but he isn’t a total jerk.
Come on, everton, you can be a little more generous than that 
.
Ever since that childish sending off in the last but one world cup he has matured enormously. Considering the media pressure he is under right now, I think he has become a credit to, and a good ambassador for football.
I’m willing to let him play for Swansea if he gets fed up in Madrid.
V
You’re right, I can, but it’s more fun not to be :).
I’ve got nothing against the guy really (although his missus grates on the nerves). I wouldn’t single him out for special criticism regarding excessive column inches either – the whole modern cult of celebrity mystifies me – and you’re right about him coping with the post-Argentina bashing remarkably well. Or is it just that where there’s no sense there’s no feeling?