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The Business of Amateurs

Name: The Business of Amateurs
Director: Bob DeMars
Released: 2016
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

5.6/10

Fair

2016

TV-14

Director

Bob DeMars

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Business of Amateurs serves as a pointed critique of institutional power rather than a study of identity-based representation. It prioritizes the ability to act of former athletes to disrupt the conventional, benevolent portrayal of collegiate sports. While the film lacks visible focus on LGBTQ+ or gender-subversive narratives, its narrative architecture is built upon deconstructing a major Western institution. It effectively challenges the status quo by framing the NCAA as a profit-driven entity. The documentary’s strength lies in its systemic critique. By focusing on player rights, it inherently engages with the racial and economic disparities present in the multi-billion dollar collegiate athletics industry.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Business of Amateurs have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on labor rights and systemic NCAA issues. There is no explicit mention of LGBTQ+ identities or narratives that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does The Business of Amateurs portray gender?

Fair

The narrative centers on the business of college athletics, a sector historically dominated by male-centric programs. The specific gender breakdown of interviewed athletes is not provided.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Business of Amateurs?

Good

The film engages with systemic inequities by centering former student-athletes. This intersects with racial justice, as collegiate athletics often highlight disparities between Black athletes and white administrators.

How does The Business of Amateurs represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The documentary adopts an anti-capitalist lens to critique Western institutional structures. It questions the ethics of amateurism versus commercialization within the profit-driven NCAA framework.

Does The Business of Amateurs include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence suggesting that neurodivergence or physical disabilities are central themes or featured prominently among the interviewed cohort.

Present on Screen

Challenges the status quo of collegiate athletics through the lived experiences of former athletes.
Provides a strong systemic critique of Western institutional structures and capitalist exploitation.
Engages with racial justice themes by highlighting disparities within the NCAA framework.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit focus on LGBTQ+ identities or narratives.
Does not provide clear visibility regarding gender diversity among the interviewed subjects.
Offers no specific engagement with disability representation or neurodivergent perspectives.

Official Synopsis

The NCAA is the face for college athletics, and it generates billions of dollars every year for the top universities in the United States. This is the first documentary that challenges the NCAA from the perspective of former student-athletes. Director Bob DeMars, a former USC football player, interviewed former student-athletes to find the problems and potential solutions regarding players' rights.

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