Aaron Rodgers: Enigma

I try to avoid hate-watching and steer clear of content likely to provoke negative emotions, so I initially planned to skip this entirely. However, it came highly recommended by people whose opinions I value, and I’m mostly glad I gave it a chance.

Like many others, I’ve grown pretty exhausted by his smug hubris in recent years. Yet, this documentary is exceptionally well-made and, surprisingly, does a remarkable job of highlighting his overall humanity. He’s deeply flawed but also complex, and at the heart of this story, there’s a glimmer of relatability. I’ve often thought that many of the athletes we admire for their extreme competitiveness might be unlikable on a personal level because most people don’t appreciate that level of competition or comparison in interpersonal relationships.

He is someone whose overwhelming success inflated an ego that, upon closer inspection, appears to be a defense mechanism masking profound insecurities. When the bubble predictably burst, he lashed out in ways that were both childish and petty. It’s striking, though, how in a culture that increasingly celebrates such behavior in athletes and celebrities, he was so thoroughly castigated for it.

This is not a defense of his actions. For those who don’t like him, this documentary probably won’t change that. But for someone like me, who had largely tuned him out, it was refreshing to see him reflect on his missteps with what feels like genuine self-awareness --even if he publicly uncovers some pretty foolish stones in his search for it. Conversely, it was frustrating to see him double down on some of his more regrettable actions.

Credit is probably due to the documentary’s editors for crafting this portrayal. Still, there’s something undeniably human about watching him wrestle with his flaws. His buffoonery is still present, but so too is a sense of someone genuinely seeking truth and growth, however imperfect the process may be. Against all odds, I found him a bit more likable than I would have expected. Also, I’d be cool if I never heard about him again.