"Shut Your Mouth and Know Your Role": Barthes, Baudrillard, Debord and the Spectacular Narrative of Professional Wrestling (original) (raw)

Scripts in Sport: what makes a sporting great

Scripts in Sport: what makes a sporting great, 2022

How do the likes of Michael Jordan, Lionel Messi and Serena Williams so emphatically outperform others across their career? That is, what makes a 'sporting great'? For many, the answer is simple: great physical ability coupled with great psychological ability (be this in terms of automatised routines, selective attention, creativity, or risk-taking). Yet this response merely points to a spectrum of abilities, from novice through to accomplished practitioner and ending with sporting excellence. Rather than appealing uniquely to psychological or physical abilities, this paper argues that a phenomenological investigation yields novel insights into the mysteries of sporting greatness (and, indeed, greatness more generally). Specifically, sporting greats have a unique sense of self-in the form of unusually fixated self-projection and indefatigable self-belief-combined with 'factic' disposition towards sporting excellence. This allows certain persons to not only perform exceptionally within the rules of a given sport, but to rewrite 'sporting scripts'-the very scope of action possibilities-on their own terms.

The Spectacle of Excess: Aestheticism in American Professional Wrestling

2021

All art is quite useless," declares Oscar Wilde at the end of the audacious preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, and this essay is no exception (Dorian 1). Ideally, it will be mutually transformative, as Walter Pater believed the relationship between art and critic should be. The writings of aestheticism, especially Wilde's "Decay of Lying" and Pater's Conclusion to The Renaissance, illuminate certain truths about professional wrestling, and vice versa.

The Brave New Athlete? The Meaning of Perfection in Contemporary Professional Sport

The Idea of Excellence and Human Enhancement, A. Warmbier (ed.), Peter Lang., 2018

The main purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis and critique of Michael Sandel’s argument against human enhancement in sport. In order to examine the problem, I use Bernard Suits’ theory of game-playing (“game” is an activity based on voluntary choice of imperfect means), as well as Wolfgang Welsch’s account of sport as seen from the aesthetic perspective. The image of sport that emerges from these considerations is as follows: by nature, sport does not aim at perfection understood literally, but it is rather an aesthetic enterprise in which participants are acting out (in a different way than in a theatre) the drama of striving for perfection. In light of this philosophy of sport, all forms of doping, including genetic doping, which is one of the main subject of Sandel’s work, seem to be a consequence of a mistaken view of the nature of sport. Thus, contrary to Sandel’s view, the acceptance of the Promethean, quasi-mythological view of sport, is not so much an expression of a lack of gratitude, but rather – of a lack of wisdom.

From Ode to Sport To Contemporary Aesthetic Categories of Sport: Strength Considered as an Aesthetic Category

Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, 2011

The standpoint of this paper is the distinguished Ode to Sport from Pierre de Coubertin, specifically the second part of the elegy, the one concerning beauty. Starting with “O Sport, you are Beauty!”, Pierre de Coubertin mentions, beyond beauty, an assemblage of aesthetic categories such as sublime, abject, balance, proportion, harmony, rhythm and grace. He also mentions strength, power and suppleness. Although the first quoted categories are general categories of aesthetics, it seems quite relevant to emphasize the need of the author to introduce specific categories that fits to body movement and sport, such as strength, power and suppleness. There is no doubt that the first group of categories also fits to sport and body movement, but it equally fits to different forms of art, while strength, power and suppleness can only be literally applied to sport and performing arts.The purpose of this paper is to analyze strength as an aesthetic category of sport, developing three main arguments: the feeling of achievement and its conservation, the fight against gravity and the multiple forms of strength’s expression.It is concluded that strength can improve the communicative power of sport and its emotional appeal. In sports such as gymnastics, diving or synchronized swimming, the appreciation of strength exhibited by the athletes communicates to the observer some king of ease and lightness that enhances the aesthetic judgment. In other sports like weightlifting, sumo or rugby, effort and heaviness are stamped on the athlete's faces, what contributes to a sort of communion between the observer and the athlete that can also improve the aesthetic experience.El punto de partida de este artículo es la distinguida Oda al deporte de Pierre de Coubertin, específicamente la segunda parte de la elegía, la que atañe a la belleza. Comenzando con “¡ deporte, tú eres la Belleza!”, Pierre de Coubertin menciona, además de la belleza, una colección de categorías estéticas tales como lo sublime, lo abyecto, lo equilibrado, la proporción, la armonía, el ritmo, y la gracia. También menciona la fuerza, el poder, y la flexibilidad. Aunque las categorías citadas en primer lugar son categorías propias de la estética, parece bastante importante el enfatizar la necesidad del autor de introducir categorías estéticas que encajen al cuerpo en movimiento y el deporte, tales como la fuerza, el poder, y la flexibilidad. No cabe duda de que el primer grupo de categorías también encaja con el deporte y el movimiento corporal, pero igualmente encaja con diferentes formas de arte, mientras que la fuerza, el poder, y la flexibilidad solamente pueden ser aplicadas literalmente al deporte y las artes escénicas.Este artículo tiene como propósito el analizar la fuerza como una categoría estética del deporte, desarrollando tres argumentos principales: el sentimiento del logro y su conservación, la lucha contra la fuerza de la gravedad, y las múltiples formas de expresar la fuerza.Se concluye que la fuerza puede mejorar el poder comunicativo del depore y su atractivo emocional. En los deportes tales como la gimnasia, los saltos de trampolín, o la natación sincronizada, la apreciación de la fuerza exhibida por los atletas comunica al espectador un tipo de facilidad y ligereza que realza el juicio estético. En otros deportes como la halterofilia, el sumo, o el rugby, el esfuerzo y la pesadez se estampan sobre las caras de los atletas, lo que contribuye a un tipo de comunión entre el espectador y el atleta que también puede mejorar la experiencia estética.Der Ausgangspunkt der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die bekannte Ode an den Sport von Pierre de Coubertin, speziell der zweite Teil der Elegie über die Schönheit. Beginnend mit „O Sport, du bist die Schönheit!“, erwähnt Pierre de Coubertin – über Schönheit hinausgehend – eine Ansammlung von ästhetischen Kategorien wie Sublim, Elend, Gleichgewicht, Proportion, Harmonie, Rhythmus und Grazie. Er erwähnt auch Stärke, Kraft und Geschmeidigkeit. Obwohl die erstgenannten Kategorien allgemeine Kategorien der Ästhetik sind, scheint es durchaus bedeutsam zu sein, dass es dem Autor wichtig ist, bestimmte Kategorien wie Stärke, Kraft und Geschmeidigkeit, die auf die Bewegung des Körpers und auf den Sports abzielen, einzuführen. Es besteht kein Zweifel, dass die erste Gruppe von Kategorien auch zu Sport und körperlicher Bewegung passt, aber sie passen ebenso zu anderen Formen der Kunst, während Stärke, Kraft und Geschmeidigkeit nur wörtlich auf Sport und darstellende Kunst angewendet werden können.Le point de vue de cet article est la fameuse Ode au sport de Pierre de Coubertin, spécifiquement la deuxième partie de l‘élégie, celui concernant la beauté. En commençant avec ”O le Sport, vous êtes la Beauté !”, Pierre de Coubertin mentionne, au-delà de la beauté, un assemblage de catégories esthétiques comme le sublime, le vil, l‘équilibre, les proportions, l‘harmonie, le rythme et la grâce. Il mentionne aussi la force, la puissance et la souplesse. Bien que les premières catégories citées soient des catégories esthétiques générales, il semble tout à fait approprié de souligner le besoin de l‘auteur de présenter des catégories spécifiques au mouvement du corps et au sport, comme la force, la puissance et la souplesse. Il n'y a aucun doute sur le fait que le premier groupe de catégories convient aussi au sport et au mouvement corporel, mais il convient également aux différentes formes d'art, tandis que la force, la puissance et la souplesse peuvent seulement être littéralement appliqués au sport et aux arts du spectacle.Le but de cet article est d'analyser la force comme catégorie esthétique du sport, en développant trois arguments principaux : le sentiment d'accomplissement et son maintien, la lutte contre la gravité et les multiples formes d'expression de la forceIl est conclu que la force peut améliorer la puissance communicative du sport et son attrait émotionnel. Dans les sports tels que la gymnastique, le plongeon et la natation synchronisée, l'appréciation de la force exhibée par les athlètes diffuse à l'observateur une espèce de confort et de légèreté qui améliorent le jugement esthétique. Dans d'autres sports comme l‘haltérophilie, le sumo ou le rugby, l’effort et la gravité sont marqués sur les visages de l’athlète, ce qui contribue à une sorte de communion entre l’observateur et l’athlète qui peut aussi améliorer l’expérience esthétique.

Athletic Beauty as Mimesis of Virtue: The Case of the Beautiful Boxer

Looking at Beauty: το καλόν in Western Greece, eds. H. Reid & Tony Leyh. Sioux City: Parnassos Press, 2019

The Terme Boxer, a life-size naked bronze athlete, complete with bleeding cuts, a broken nose, and cauliflower ears, is, by any count, a striking piece of sculpture. In it, some see the athletic embodiment of Hellenic aretē, others see an indictment of the brutality inherent in Roman games. Understanding what this boxer represents depends on having a particular perspective, which was itself the subject of debate and cultivation in Greco-Roman literature and philosophy. Dio Chrysostom’s encomium of Melancomas sets the boxer up as an example to be emulated—not just for his beauty, but for his virtue, which is the source of his beauty—a beauty which infuses his entire being and eschews both adornment and luxury. Epictetus’ Discourses promote the same ethical aesthetic, ridiculing the Roman penchant for primping and plucking. It is as if athletic statues incarnate Socrates’ ideally educated citizen in the Republic (402d). “If someone’s soul has a fine and beautiful character and his body matches its beauty and is thus in harmony with it…wouldn’t that be the most beautiful sight for anyone who has eyes to see?” Crucially, though, having “eyes to see” depends precisely on having a proper education, one that enables a person to love the beautiful youth without touching him, because his real love is for the “fine and beautiful.”(402d-403c). Such love for the fine and beautiful depended on a Hellenic education, even for Romans. Melancomas’ eulogy ends with an exhortation: “Come then, train zealously and toil hard, the younger men in the belief that this man’s place has been left to them, the older in a way that befits their own achievements; yes, and take all the pride in these things that men should who live for praise and glory and are devotees of virtue.” (29.21). Hellenic virtue is as much about discernment of beauty as it is about sweat and toil. The kaloskagathos must be capable of appreciating and even loving athletic beauty—perhaps even the battered athletic beauty of a statue like the Terme Boxer.

The Awesome Ordinary: Notes of Pro Wrestling

CAPACIOUS JOURNAL FOR EMERGING AFFECT INQUIRY, 2017

This article offers a critical, idiosyncratic take on the staging of sincerity in pro wrestling. It engages this popular cultural product as an athletic performance event, with the intention of highlighting the affective underpinnings of fans' interest in and connection with the medium. Specifically, it is argued here that the lack of legitimate competition in wrestling allows for images,

The Philosophy of Sport as Artistic Expression

International Journal of English and Cultural Studies, 2018

While there is no "expressive theory of sport", there is certainly, according to Hyland (1984, 1990), Osterhoudt (1973), Kerr (1997) and Weis (1969) a pivotal role played by emotions and feelings in sport which amount to a type of expressive theory and in that sense it parallels expressive theories in art. In this article I will first isolate three moments that capture sports performance and parallel art. Then, I will describe sport as an expression of emotional release, which is often how one understands art. Based on such overlaps, I will argue for two philosophical observations that devolve from such a comparison, namely ineffability and the unity of mind-body (in sport). Finally, I will apply a reading of Kant to sport, in order to substantiate the idea that sport, like art draws from a philosophical heritage. Imagine three isolated "steps" in sport: the focus before performance; the performance itself and the fan's response as they articulate the emotional basis of sport which is familiar, albeit perhaps subconscious. After a brief analysis of these imagined images, I give a simplified historical outline of sport which describes the feeling-basis of play that forms the foundation for modern sport. I then examine what I have termed the "(surplus) expressive-energy theory of sport" which I have gleaned from the above writers, a theory that argues that sport is the expression of inner emotional states. Such states are in need of expiation of both the practitioner as well as the expression of certain basic emotions on the part of the audience. A narrower version of this theory is that sport is the release of aggressiveness, which coheres with its instinctual origins and the "surplus theory". A critique of sport as expression (of surplus energy, aggression…) follows with a view to highlight some shortcomings in the ideas presented and thus the need for further theories to account for the multi-faceted nature of sport, a similar requirement that is needed for art given the shortcomings of expressive theories as applied to the arts.