While attending McKinley High School in Chicago, he turned his attention to drawing and photography, while contributing to the school paper. At night, he expanded on his drawing abilities by attending the Academy of Fine Arts. It was also apparent that he thoroughly enjoyed nature and wildlife. Encouraged by his mother and brother Roy, he began to develop and nurture even further, his talent for drawing. At one point, Walt was hired to work at the Kansas City Star newspaper. He was later fired from the paper for his “lack of creativity”. (Years later, The Walt Disney Company would buy ABC which owned The Kansas City Star.) Isn’t that ironic?
Walt Disney
One of the greatest visionaries of the 20th century, Walter Disney. He was a man who grew up in Chicago and had dreams that were bigger than anyone could imagine but even he was an American Reject. He attended McKinley High School in Chicago and then went on to attend the Academy of Fine Arts. There he refined his love and natural drawing abilities. His mother and brother had a major influence on his early life and his career as an artist. His first job was for the Kansas City Star newspaper where he wrote articles. He became an American Reject when he was fired from the newspaper for a “lack of creativity”. We would later know how much the people at the Kansas City Star would be wrong.
Although Walt Disney is not accepted into this job, and the first company he created went bankrupt, he was not deterred. He continued working to achieve his goal even when failing and being told "no". In 1928 he was picked up by the motion picture industry and Steamboat Willie was born. He just never gave up on what he wanted to do. He did not listen to the naysayers, to those who did not believe in him. He just kept working hard on his craft and turned his rejection into one of the brightest visions of the 20th century.
Walt Disney
One of the greatest visionaries of the 20th century, Walter Disney. He was a man who grew up in Chicago and had dreams that were bigger than anyone could imagine but even he was an American Reject. He attended McKinley High School in Chicago and then went on to attend the Academy of Fine Arts. There he refined his love and natural drawing abilities. His mother and brother had a major influence on his early life and his career as an artist. His first job was for the Kansas City Star newspaper where he wrote articles. He became an American Reject when he was fired from the newspaper for a “lack of creativity”. We would later know how much the people at the Kansas City Star would be wrong.
Although Walt Disney is not accepted into this job, and the first company he created went bankrupt, he was not deterred. He continued working to achieve his goal even when failing and being told "no". In 1928 he was picked up by the motion picture industry and Steamboat Willie was born. He just never gave up on what he wanted to do. He did not listen to the naysayers, to those who did not believe in him. He just kept working hard on his craft and turned his rejection into one of the brightest visions of the 20th century.
A quote from The Blind Side
Michael Oher: It's nice, I never had one before.
Leigh Anne Touhy: What, a room to yourself?
Michael Oher: A bed
Michael Oher
The story of Michael Oher and Leigh Anne Touhy in The Blind Side movie that we watched in class is the epitome of following your dreams to achieve the American Dream, American Reject and the American Rebel. In the story Michael Oher is removed from his house with his brother at a young age. He becomes homeless, moving from family to family, until he finally meets the Touhys. Leigh Anne Touhy is the American Rebel in the story because she goes against what is publicly accepted at the time to keeping Michael in her house and then fully adopting him. Michael Oher is the American Reject because he has everything going against him. He is taken from his mother, taken from his family and rejected by everyone. He overcomes the obstacles that he has to endure through the first 18 years of his life to have a successful career in the NFL and to make money he never had before with the help of the Touhy family.
Michael Oher came from a place where he was not going to make a life for himself. There were many outside influences that could have pulled him down an even darker path than he was on to begin with; gangs, drugs, etc. Without his determination and the help of the American Rebel, Leigh Anne Touhy, he would not have become the man he his. Although he was rejected by society because of where he was born into, he worked his way out and created a life for himself- the American Dream.
Michael Oher: It's nice, I never had one before.
Leigh Anne Touhy: What, a room to yourself?
Michael Oher: A bed
Michael Oher
The story of Michael Oher and Leigh Anne Touhy in The Blind Side movie that we watched in class is the epitome of following your dreams to achieve the American Dream, American Reject and the American Rebel. In the story Michael Oher is removed from his house with his brother at a young age. He becomes homeless, moving from family to family, until he finally meets the Touhys. Leigh Anne Touhy is the American Rebel in the story because she goes against what is publicly accepted at the time to keeping Michael in her house and then fully adopting him. Michael Oher is the American Reject because he has everything going against him. He is taken from his mother, taken from his family and rejected by everyone. He overcomes the obstacles that he has to endure through the first 18 years of his life to have a successful career in the NFL and to make money he never had before with the help of the Touhy family.
Michael Oher came from a place where he was not going to make a life for himself. There were many outside influences that could have pulled him down an even darker path than he was on to begin with; gangs, drugs, etc. Without his determination and the help of the American Rebel, Leigh Anne Touhy, he would not have become the man he his. Although he was rejected by society because of where he was born into, he worked his way out and created a life for himself- the American Dream.
“They criticized me for cutting Michael Jordan,” [the now-59-year-old Herring] says. “Now, when, if you ever attempt to play any type of athletics, remember this small new hint of advice. New conversation of advice. If—when I was comin’ up playin’ ball, when you get cut, you are cut predominantly. Whatever is on each side. Then you do not even play either level, jayvee or varsity. Michael—well, Mike—Jordan was placed on the junior varsity level. Uh-huh? He was placed on the junior varsity level. He wasn’t cut away from the game that made him.”
-Clifton “Pop” Herring, Jordan's High School Coach
Michael Jordan
Arguably one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, Michael Jordan grew up to be a billionaire. Coming from humble beginnings, Michael Jordan was an American Reject. He grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and attended Laney High School where he played basketball for the high school team. Jordan's rejection began when he was a sophomore in high school and was cut from his varsity basketball team. Jordan was then forced to play on the lower level JV basketball team. Although this happens, at that time it was not very popular to do and was not expected for the soon to be greatest basketball player of all time to be cut from his high school basketball team. Jordan has admitted that he used it as motivation to move forward with his dream of playing professionally but does not have hard feelings against his coach for what he did.
It was determined that the 5'10" 15-year-old, well before his growth spurt, was cut by his coach based on his height. Jordan was rejected from his high school basketball team and uses this motivation to become the basketball player that everyone knows today. He took what people said he could not do and turn that into being the greatest basketball player of all time. Although the story is not as severe as other American Reject stories that we have heard, it is still one that had a profound impact on not only Michael Jordan the person or the sport of basketball, but it had an impact on American pop-culture as a whole by making Jordan the man he is today.
-Clifton “Pop” Herring, Jordan's High School Coach
Michael Jordan
Arguably one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century, Michael Jordan grew up to be a billionaire. Coming from humble beginnings, Michael Jordan was an American Reject. He grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina and attended Laney High School where he played basketball for the high school team. Jordan's rejection began when he was a sophomore in high school and was cut from his varsity basketball team. Jordan was then forced to play on the lower level JV basketball team. Although this happens, at that time it was not very popular to do and was not expected for the soon to be greatest basketball player of all time to be cut from his high school basketball team. Jordan has admitted that he used it as motivation to move forward with his dream of playing professionally but does not have hard feelings against his coach for what he did.
It was determined that the 5'10" 15-year-old, well before his growth spurt, was cut by his coach based on his height. Jordan was rejected from his high school basketball team and uses this motivation to become the basketball player that everyone knows today. He took what people said he could not do and turn that into being the greatest basketball player of all time. Although the story is not as severe as other American Reject stories that we have heard, it is still one that had a profound impact on not only Michael Jordan the person or the sport of basketball, but it had an impact on American pop-culture as a whole by making Jordan the man he is today.