McKee, Alan (2001) A beginner’s guide to textual analysis. Metro Magazine, pp. 138-149.

There is no such thing as a single, ‘correct’ interpretation of any text. There are large numbers of possible interpretations, some of which will be more likely than others in particular circumstances.

In the case of Lance Armstrong, perhaps there is no “correct” way to interpret his media ventures and steady decline. There are definitely many ways to interpret his journey through the many texts about his struggles and it all depends on point of view. He has featured in many ads that portray him as a hardworking underdog, completely avoiding the issue of doping.

Years ago he gave up the battle of stopping drug charges against him as he didn’t want to turn up to fight against them. Many people say that this was a sign of guilt, some say it was being smart. It was quite a shock at the time, especially since it went against his legacy of never quitting. He certainly kept the public guessing the intent behind his actions and he sowed the seed of doubt in our minds.

Either way he was a genius at avoiding answering questions.

“People ask me what I’m on…what am I on? I’m on my bike busting my ass 6 hours a day. What are you on”  

Reputation is vital and reputation depends on interpretation. In many people’s eyes he remains a hero, as a pioneer in cancer fundraising. This is due to the new direction he took in selling his image to the public, and regaining his credibility. Behold the power of emphasis.

He was diagnosed with brain,lung and testicular cancer at the same time, but then proceeded to win the Tour de France 5 times in a row, hard to overlook. And so began his self branding of the idea of hope and survival.

Whether or you agree that he did the right thing or is inherently a good person there’s no doubt that the opinions of these issue range from seeing him as a fraud or a hero.

The case of Armstrong demonstrates that repositioning an argument can change the interpretation as we went from saying “I don’t do drugs” to “I’m a cancer survivor.” So as as the reading states, there is no correct way to interpret this, there is simply different points of views. The majority seems to be disappointed in him despite his incredible contribution to the fight against cancer.