Pure Filth: Apocalyptic Hedonism and the Postmodern Surfer

12 Pages·2015·0.05 MB·English

by  Mark Gallagher

Pure Filth: Apocalyptic Hedonism and the
Postmodern Surfer
Jeff Lewis & Kirsty Best, RMIT University, Melbourne,
Australia & University of Ottawa, Canada
Postmodern Surfer
InApocalypseNow (1979)Colonel Kilgore confounds thelogical lines of conflict by
orderingLanceJohnson, the youngCaliforniansoldier,to"surforfight".ForKilgoresurfing
represents theilluminationofnational andcultural difference; theAmericans will inscribe
theirpresenceontheterritorynot merelybyconquest orgeographical co-optionbut bythe
demonstrationoftheircultural pleasures. After all,Kilgore explodes indefenseofhis
intentiontotaketheViet Congheldrivermouth,"Charliedon't surf!"Coppolais, ofcourse,
betrayingthehubris oftheAmericans'imperialist Darwinism throughthehyperboleofthe
Colonel's character.Charliehas not thesensetosurf,themilitarynorpolitical savvy,the
decency,thecivilization.But when LanceJohnson takes tothewateramid thenapalm jets
anddismemberingbodies, heis not just thestandard-beareroftraditional forms ofmilitary
conflict; Coppola's surfer,infact,is ensignto amorecomplex irony, amoreprescient
cultural andsocial condition.
Whileagooddeal ofthe critical discussionofApocalypseNow has located thetext and
Kilgore's hyperbole withinapostmodernist lexicon,littledirect attentionhas beenpaidtothe
motifofsurfingitself. Indeed,inaprevious essayonthesubject ofsurfingandculture
(Lewis, 1998),it was notedthat surfingremains largelyunnoticedincultural analysis; the
fewessays that have attendedtothetopichavetendedtoidealizethetextualizedsurf,often
overclaimingits ideological andutopianpotential (e.g.Fiske, Hodgeand Turner,1987; Fiske,
1989; seealso Morris, 1998). Inthepresent essay, wewouldliketoexplorearangeof
textualizations, most specificallyinterms ofcontemporarycultural andideological
conditions. Tothis extent,ApocalypseNow provides auseful point ofdeparture; Coppola's
surfingmotif,infact,evinces muchofthe cultural significanceofthetext as it illuminates
substantivearguments on themodernist/postmodernist divide(cfHuyssen, 1986).
Inparticular,Coppola's surfingscene andthecharacterofColonel Kilgore functionas the
point ofentranceforthe muchdiscussedre-renderingofJosephConrad's modernist dialectic
(Heart of Darkness). Infact,Coppola's film works throughaseries of cultural dictions
(heterodictions) andneverfullyreconstructs thedialecticat all; Colonel Kurtz's 'horror'and
Willard's antithetical 'duty',whiledramaticallypropitious, arenever ableto approximatethe
oppositional forcethat inscribedConrad's imperial heart (cfSaid,1993). Indeed,Coppola's
aestheticdivides itselfperpetuallybetweendramaticconvictionandalanguageplay,a
virtualization,whichundermines Conradianvision.Kilgore's presence and thesurfingmotif
destabilizetheconviction,leadingthedialectic awayfrom itselfandintoa moreloquacious
andparodic comicdrama.Theapocalypse,therevelation,is mediatedthroughangles,
dictions andperspectives that arenever allowedto settleintothecomfort of contrast or
official discourse. Themadness oftheWar,that is,must bemediatedbyothermadnesses –
not onlyKurtz's 'extremevision',as it was imaginedbyConrad's modernisticnihilism,but by
thedevoteephotographer whobarelyassumes the proportions ofanythinglet alonethe
hegemonies ofinstitutional media.Thus,thedark apocalypsepromisedbythefilm manifests
itselfas aseries ofcaptions –ableakendthat is redeemednot bythemoral decencyof
Conrad's Marlowor Hamlet's Horatio,but bythe frames ofa youngmansurfing. Bodily
pleasure andtheaffluenceit represents becomes thedispensationandascendant ideal for a
lifethat is hell,adistortedandconfusedbelligerencethat has nooriginandnoclear
conclusion.Kilgorecertainlyloves "thesmell ofnapalm inthemorning",but healso likes to
punctuatehis militaryoperations withasurf, withbodilyrelease.Theapocalypseof
Coppola's film is therebyfusedwithapeculiarbut resonant hedonism whichcanneverbede-
fusedfrom thebloodyandawful powerwhich gives it expression.Surfing, that is, becomes
thecentreoftheparodyandtheconviction,thenucleus ofCoppola's apprehensive
convergence: purefilth.
AndrewMilnerhas characterizedtheaesthetic and social conditions ofpostmodernism in
terms ofwhat he calls "apocalyptichedonism"– a "textualizederotics derivingfrom the
simultaneous juxtapositionoftheterrors ofimminent extinctionandthedelights ofhedonistic
affluence"(Milner,1994: 191).Whilereferringspecificallytothefilm and novel Onthe
Beach(1959), Milner's characterizationofthepostmoderntext acknowledges theshiftingand
contentious natureoftexts likeApocalypseNow.Ourcontentionhereis not that surfing
constitutes acentral ordefiningmotifforpostmodernism,but ratherthat ourrenderingofthe
cultural dimensions ofsurfingmaybeenhancedbyreferencetothethematicofapocalyptic
hedonism andtowiderdiscussions ofthepostmoderntypology.Coppola's surfingmotifand
theunstabledictions whichproduce andissuefrom Kilgore's anti-aesthetic (cf Foster,1983,
1985)represent asignificant moment incontemporarytextualizations.
Weexploreheretherelationshipbetweensurfingas discourseandWestern political modes of
emancipationwithinculture–thepoint ofKilgore's 'victory'–drawingontheconcept of
dissociatingsignification.Significationalways gives theimpressionoforderliness,control
andmacrosocial definitions ofmeaningbut is ultimatelyandalreadysurrenderingmeaning
andexperiential substance.Therelationshipbetweenpower andlanguageis highlyvolatile,
largelybecauselanguage is itselfanunstableconvergenceofmental concepts andtheir
culturallyconstitutedpointers overtime.This convergenceis reallylittlemorethana clash of
otherwisearbitraryelements, creatinga compoundwhichwriggles, slides, bounces apart
againbythat equal andoppositeforceofnon-meaningand arbitrariness. It is power that
seeks tosustainthecompoundbeyond what is sensiblytolerable.Powertakes that moment of
languageharmonyormeaningout ofthetemporal andconcreteandintotherealm ofpolitics
andabstraction.Thedissociatingeffect is thecounter-flowtowardthenormal stateof
imbalanceand arbitrarycollision.
Thedissociatingsignifier presents thesemblanceofcompleteness,monadism,definitionand
structure–thesort ofnatural orderthat Althusser might call ideologyor Barthes might call
doxa.Dissociationis theoutcomeofconstitutive(always partial)victorywherebythe
capacityofpower andmeaningtoconduct one anotherintoconcentratedzones is critically
split ordestabilized,castingtheprobabilities ofmeaningintovaryinganderraticdirections.
This doublemovement ofmeaningfrom dispersedandimmediateconditions intocentral
nodes ofsignificationandpower,andtheirultimatedissolution,might appeartobe
inevitable.However,as thetext orpowernodes congregateintoeverlargerandmore
formidablepositions, thecapacityoftheindividual andthecommunitytoimagine,to create
andenjoysignificationbecomes increasinglylimited.Andindeed,whiledeCerteauhas tried
toreassureus that individuals will always findfreedom in'disguises'(leperrique)andinpre-
lingual otherness (deCerteau,1984,1988; also Fiske,1989; see Lewis, 1998),these
emancipations seem torelyonafairlyconfinedprojectionofwhat imaginationcanbe.Jean
Francois Lyotard's renderingofa complex and'inhuman'imaginationassaultedbycybernetic
formations demonstrates morefullyhowtheindividual's capacityformeaning-makingcanbe
confinedinanodalized,institutionalizedandcorporatizedpostmodernculture(Lyotard,
1991,also 1995: ch.13). Freedom,that is, cannot beguaranteed.Themicrophysics ofpower
identifiedbyFoucault andcelebratedbyanumber ofpostmodernenthusiasts is not ofitself
anassuranceofliberation,but must contendwiththerangingandmultipleimpetuses of
poweranddiction,including(as Foucault himselfwoulddiscover)thoseinstitutional and
statenodes that continue toappropriate anddissociatemeaningforthebuilding/re-buildingof
theirownconstitutivity.
Coppola's surfingmotifbetrays a concessional ambivalence about thepotential and
expressivepotential ofpopulism.Thewholefilm is, afterall,a re-renderingofthehorrors of
colonialism withinanaestheticallygratifyingpopularmedium.Thesurfingmotifandthe
devotional absurdityof Kilgore's characterareas alluringand 'enjoyable'as theyarehorrific.
As a 'postmodern'renderingofthemodernist imperial trajectory,thefilm's ironies are
inestimable; thesemioticvalues ofthetext slideopenthroughtheuneven exchangeopposing
claims andmeaningpotentials. The'surforfight'motiflies at thecentreof thesesemiotic
struggles, as Coppola's ownpopulist imaginaryconcedes that surfingmight equallyconstitute
aresourceforimperialist conquest orexpressivetrangression. Inthis sense, Coppola's
postmodernsurfer articulates afalteringconvergenceofpleasure andrisk, militarism and
freedom,meaningandmeaninglessness.
It maybethat Coppola's textualizationannounces theactivityofsurfingas characteristically
postmoderninasmuchas it articulates aconvergenceoftheseoppositions throughthe locus of
theindividual,thebodyandexpressivepleasure.Theaim ofthis paperis to locateand
identifythe 'postmodern surfer'interms ofacultural politics whichaddresses theinevitable
problematics ofrepresentationitself.Theemphasis hereonthe 'postmodern'surferdoes not
confirm (ordeny)thevalidityoftheconcept ofpostmodernism itself; rather,weareusingthe
concept interms of arenderingofthecontinuedproblematics ofthemodernist trajectory.Our
concernhereis toillustratetheways inwhichquestions ofthemodern/postmoderndivide
might illuminatethevarious moments ofdissociatingsignificationassociatedwithsurfing.
Wemovenowfrom thefictional renderingofsurfing,as it is presentedinApocalypseNow,
toasomewhat widened analysis ofthespecific genreofthesurfmovieand videowith
referencetoseveral specificexamples.
Celluloid Surfer
Surfinghas beensomewhat idealizedas antithesis tothecontemporaryconditions ofsocial
control,hegemonyandAlthusserianideology.Yet thetextualizationofsurfingnecessarily
removes it from anypure stateoftransgression,engagingits everydaypractices andits
significationinthefunctioningof consumercapitalism andprocesses ofpower(Lewis,
1998).Thus,just as Kilgore's deployment ofsurfingis anexerciseinmilitaryimperialism,
Coppola's aestheticdeployment,despitetheintent ofhis political satire,is also anexercisein
Hollywood/U.S.cultural imperialism: thetradingofpleasure-transgression withpleasure-
poweris neverfullyable toeschewthesefundamental paradoxes. Surfingappears tobe a
markofmadness,ironicallydissemblingthe 'logics'ofwar andmilitarism.But Coppola's
engagement inother forms ofcapitalist logics, otherforms of global imperialism,strangely
mutes theintensityofhis claim.Kilgore's surfingis alogics ofsuper-imperialism; Coppola's
logics is anaestheticof giant proportions, amechanical reproductionthat wouldpresent itself
as everydaypractice,but whichinevitablyattaches itselftobroaderfields of privilege and
power.Coppola's film,that is, becomes atextual,economicand cultural canon,mobilizingan
extraordinaryrangeofideological anddiscursive potentials.
Agooddeal of academic andhistorical/social writingonsurfingandthebeachexperience
has illuminatedthesediscourses interms ofnational,cultural geographies (seeDutton1985;
Drew1994; Wells 1982withrespect toAustralia).Whilethereis certainlysomevalidityin
this approach,thetendencyhas beento emphasizelocal mythologies tothe exclusionofmore
substantivepostmodernandglobal thematics. Indeed,bythetimeCoppola's film hadbeen
releasedin1979asignificant surfmovie genrehadalreadybeenestablished.Bruce Brown's
TheEndless Summer:TheSearchfor thePerfect Wave(1964)andAlbert Falzon's Morning
of theEarth(1972),inparticular,hadmarkedthemselves as archetypes forthegenesis and
development ofahighlyparticularstyleofsurfingtext.Thesurfmovie,shot on16mm stock
anddistributedthroughpublichalls andsurfclubs,combinedelements ofthetravelogue
documentarywithaspecializedcontent whichengagedtherising youthculturein'alternative'
articulations ofcommunityandself-definingpleasure(Young,1983).
This emblemizedanarchywas most forcefullyexpressedforthesealternativesurfers inthe
first large-scale commercial surfingmovie,TheEndless Summer.Combiningthe generic
qualities ofthetraveloguewiththediscursivecharacteristics ofthesurfingsound, The
Endless Summer became anarchetypeforthe generationoffilms that followed.As
importantly,however,thefilm gaveexpressiontothedesirefor 'freedom'whichwas
becomingthecentral paradigm for youthculture generally.Whiletheprogress ofthe1960s
sawtheexperienceoffreedom personalizedinthe experimentationofThe Beatles, The
RollingStones andThe Doors, forthesurfer freedom couldbeessentializedas thejourneyto
perfect surf–an endless summerofborderless territories whichcouldbesought and
experiencedbytravelingtheglobe.
Several years afterthis AmericanclassicMorning of theEarth was released,representing
surfingandits followers' lifestyle as genuinealternatives tothecapitalist project.Falzon's
film uses thetraveloguestructure,thoughthe 'narrative'is carriedlargelythroughthe lyricof
accompanyingmusic.This preclusionofvoiceoverserves generallytounderscorethe
nomadicpaceofthefilm whilecoloringits euphoricandutopiantones; voices that singfrom
withintheimageratherthanspeakfrom anextraneous perspectivetendalsotodissolve
textual authorityanddirectiveness.Thedeployment oftheflutepromenade toindicatethe
changeofsurfsetting(cf Pictures at anExhibition[1972])carries theaudience as though
across seamless borders, thepopularsonglyricsuggestingaRomanticintensitywhichis
elevatedthroughmoods ofiridescenceandtranscendentalism.TheMorningof theEarth
theme,borrowedperhaps from Nehru's famous descriptionofBali as 'the morningofthe
world'(see Vickers, 1990,forelaborationofNehru's visit toBali),deepens this Romanticism
bylinkingsurfingwithnatural andspiritual essences. The1970s social themeofescapeand
rejectionof capitalist principles is transformed as it is ennobledbymoreloftyideals about the
mystiqueandenrichingpotentials ofsurfingas oneness withnature. Morningof theEarth
was immenselypopularamongthesub-culture,attractingsignificant audiences through
coastal universities andhiredauditoriums.
Whilethemoodandintent ofsurfmovies have changedsomewhat since1972,certain
features remain common.Most particularly,theprimaryfocus ofthesurfingmovie–and
indeedthewiderspectrum ofsurfingtexts –is theexceptional,highqualitywavesurfedby
outstandingmaleathletes, representedthrougha cultural context whichemphasizes release
from capitalist-social constrictions. Thecelluloidandvideoscape waves are always bigger,
less crowded andoffarhigherqualitythanthosesurfedbythemajorityof viewers; the
surfingfilm idealizes as it edits out theconflicts, tediums, frustrations and sheer
disappointments whicharetheconstant oftheeverydaysurfingexperience.
Global Surfer
Whilethereis muchthat couldbesaidabout the genreandits evolution,wearemost
interestedhereintheutopianideal which generates muchofthis articulation–thesearchfor
the'perfect wave'. LikeThePilgrim's Progress,indeedlikemanyidealizedand
metaphoricizedjourneys, thesurfjourneyis generallyexperiencedas anidyll,adomainthat
transcends the restraints ofeverydaylife,its conventions andsocial mores. Most particularly,
theperfect surf cannot be constrainedbynational borders; theutopiaofperfect surfis most
likelytobefoundoutside thecrowded andurbanizedgeographies of First Worldcities and
theircivilization.Tothisextent manyoftheearlysurfmovies parallel theexplorations of
affluent, youngtravelers ofthe1960s and1970s whowereseekingsome greaterknowingin
the"ThirdWorld"(seeHamilton,1990).Thus,thetransborder excursions depictedinfilms
likeTheEndless Summer andMorningof theEarth areinformedbybroadersocial and
cultural processes. Thesurf,that is, is imagined as aparticularkindofterritory–aspace
whichis bothevanescent andmiraculous inits formations but eternal inits rhythmicre-
appearanceandconnections toall otherwaves andall otherwaterontheplanet.These
Romanticimaginings of airandwaterdefythelogics andterritorial imperatives ofland-based
cartographies andinternational political andmilitarydeterminations. Surfingcouldfreethe
individual from thesuffocatingorderliness oftheland; thesurferis uniquelyplacedtoaccess
themysteryandprimitivepleasures ofthis essentialized,'other'geography.
This Romanticism,however,is verymuchsteeped intheimperialist-orientalist problematic
outlinedbyEdwardSaid (1978,1993)andothers (e.g.Perera,1993,1996). Films suchas
Morningof theEarth engagedthe 'east', especiallyBali/Indonesia, andits mystical otherness
intotheconstructedessentialism ofsurfing. Like theRomanticpoets andphilologists so
criticallycondemnedbypostcolonial theory,theearlysurffilmmakers framedmuchofthe
surfingbodywithimages ofexoticcultureandnatural (primitive,tribal)knowing. Indeed,the
concept of 'nature'(sense,energy,natural knowing,essence)represents somethingofa
constant insurfingmovies. Thus,thede-bordered wateras anideological manifestationof
globalism is idealizedas nature,as natural.Theframedterritories ofother culturearesimply
integratedthroughthis naturalization; theimaginedcommunityofwaterandthebodily
pleasureofsurfingconstituteauniversalism –liketheliberal humanism of thenineteenthand
earlytwentiethcenturies –whichimplicitlyvindicates theappropriation.
Said,ofcourse,is generallycorrect inhis estimationofFirst Worldcultural appropriation,
andall that is trueofJaneAustenandE.M. Forsteris also trueofsurffilm-makers like
BruceBrownand Albert Falzon.ThetextualizationofThirdWorldcultures andtheir
geographies is theprivilegeofthe First World.Theideal of global communitymight inspire a
utopianimagininginsurfing,but there canbelittledoubt that thepostcolonial critiqueis
equallyforceful. Beyond this dispute,however,andas IenAngandJonStrattonhavepointed
out,all suchtextual appropriations must beplacedwithinabroaderinternational economic
andethnographic context (AngandStratton,1996).ArjunAppadurai makes thefurtherpoint
that global trends andthe internationalizationofcommunications andculturemakes it
extremelydifficult toidentifysimplecausal connections; theappropriation ofterritories is
itselfdifficult tolocatewithinthecomplex ofcultural andeconomicdisjunctures (Appadurai,
1990).
This is tosay,that theongoingmarchof global capital (seeHall,1991; Soja,1989)has most
certainlyswept upthe activityandtextualizationsofsurfing,producingmodes of 'globalism'
that aresignificantlyremovedfrom utopianessentialism.Thegrowthofacorporatizedand
internationalizedsurfindustryhas clearlyaffected thecharacter,content andproductionof
surfingtexts. Indeed, whiletheearlysurfmovies wereproducedbyindependent filmmakers
andwerecharacteristicallylow-budget,innovative andoflimitedtechnical sophistication,the
morerecent movies have beenverymuchshaped bythesystematizations ofcorporatecapital.
Manyofthetraveloguestylemovies ofthelater1980s and1990s, infact, havebeendesigned
as promotionvehicles for themajorsurfcompanies, theirproducts andtheir sponsored
surfers. Inparticular,the international competitioncircuit has providedthelarger
corporations withanideal facilityforproduct marketing; thecompetitions themselves
becometherawmaterial forsurfmovies that can beshot onvideoanddistributedthroughthe
chainofsurfshops carryingall other forms ofsurf accessories and clothing. Economies of
scalehaveenabledthepromotional surfmovietodominatethemarket,squeezingthe
independent movies almost entirelyout ofthescene.Whiletheindependent,16mm,privately
distributedsurfmoviealmost disappearedduringthelate1980s andearly1990s, therehave
beenafewenthusiasts foramoreinnovative andadventurous moviestylehaveattemptedto
revivetheindependent film tradition.Whileretainingafocus onsomeoftheworld's best
surfers, TaylorSteele's worksuchas Hit &Run(2000),inparticular,has attemptedto
reinstatethelowbudget moviethat features arangeofsurfers andsurfingstyles without
functioningprimarilyas acorporatepromotionvehicle.
In fact,thetypological distancebetweenthehighlyprofessionalizedandmarket-basedsurf
text,andtheeverydaypractices of everydaysurfers has markedlyincreasedinthe
corporatizedsystem.As withmanyotherprofessionalizedsports texts, corporatizationhas
exaggeratedthedifferences betweenthestarandtheevery-person, producingimages of
extremeathleticism incircumstances, whichmost approximatetheideal of theperfect surf.
Theseidealizations might seem also toreconcilethecontrarymovements ofdanger and
pleasure,producingsomethinglikethe conditionof(mythological)bliss,as outlinedby
Barthes. However,this reconciliationis onlyever partial andtheforceoftheunremitting
annihilation/apocalypseis neverfaraway.Whilethecorporatizedsurfmovieprefers toedit
out themistakes, injuries andwipeouts ofits 'extra-men'professionals, manymovies include
images oflargedangerous waves andtheperils of lessersurfers. Moreover, theaudiences, the
everydaypractitioners of thesurf,areexposedtoalternativetexts, includingtheirown
experiences, which restoreinevitablythememoryofdanger anddamage; thedissociating
signifierofapocalyptichedonism dissembles at themoment it seems most resolved.Tothis
extent,thecorporatized,global surferbecomes theunattainable.Theimpossibilityofthe
apocalyptichedonism ideal returns as threat,as prosthetic,as ironyagainst theaspirations of
bodilyandexperiential perfection(Lewis, 1998). Thus,theidentityofthe everydaysurfer
andhis/herpractices can neverbe fullyrealized,nevercomplete.
Indeed,this returningimplosionandseparationof thehedonism/apocalypseideal is equally
problematicforthe corporatizedsurferhimself.As adissociatingsignifier,thecorporatized
surfer canneverbe actualizedas global 'surfer',but canonlyeverbetheconstitutivity
(symbol)of commodifiedsuccess.This success is limitedintimeandspaceandis alreadya
predeterminederasureof itself–i.e.immanent toanynotionofpresent success is priorand
eventual failure.Theutilitarianprincipleof competitiveandindividualizedpleasure ensures
that success canneverbe sustainedoverand abovethesuccess ofothers. Success,therefore,
is ephemeral andpartial, but it is also thethingofits ownlimits,its ownabsence. Failureis
theinterdependencyofsuccess,thedouble entrymatrix inLacanianterms; andas one
succeeds, onealso fails. This principleapplies most obviouslytothelimits ofthe
commodifiedbodyitself sinceall that abodycan dois determinedbyall that it cannot do.
Thecommodifiedbodyis aconstructionofcorporatecapital.Thebodyas display,as
advertisement,is onlyvalidinasmuchas it satisfies theneeds ofthe corporation,its identity,
its products, its success.This hierarchyofbodies is demonstratedmost powerfullyinthe
SurfingHall ofFamerecentlyinitiatedbytheRip Curl surfingcorporation. Theprogenitors
anddirectors ofthecorporationhaveplacedtheir ownimages andmemorabiliabesidethe
images ofsurfinglegends, therebyremindingpatrons that thecorporationis thesignificant
contingencywithinandas thesupportingframeworkofmodernsurfing. Theindividual body
thereforebecomes universalizedas currency,symbolicexchangevalue; but againthis
conjunctureofsuccess/failure,universal,individual,pleasure/fearis also andalways
threateningtosplit anddissembleits dissociatingmeanings inveryprocess ofits formation.
Gendered Surfer
Clearly, wearearguingherethat thetextualizationofsurfingis bothvirtual (as symbols and
ideals)andvisceral (as theengagement ofemotions andphysiology).Tothis extent,genderis
implicatedinarangeofsurfingdictions andideological disputes. JohnFiskehas arguedthat
the'surfiejournal'tends toexcludefemalesurfers as participants, preferringtodepict the
femalebodyas theshore-basedfocus ofmalesexuality(Fiske,1989).Whileit is truethat the
surfingideal might seem tomarginalizethefemale bodyinparticularways, theunattainable
conditionofthat idealizedmalebodyandtheconstant threat ofdiscursivesplit,infact,
threatentheidentityas surferofbothgenders. The heroicideal whichwould reconciledanger
andpleasureis always imposingitselfagainst theeverydaypractices ofsurfing. Ofcourse,
thelimitedpresenceofanidealizedfemalesurfingbodyandidentitycarries its ownwell-
discussedperturbations. But forthemaletheconstant exposuretotheheroicideal as
unattainabledemands an ongoingdialoguebetweenhis owneverydaypractices andthe
ineluctablethreat ofidentitydisjuncture.Thethreat ofhis failuremust contendinevitably
withtheprospect ofbliss.
Inthis context, LauraMulvey's well-knownformulationoversimplifies thecomplex of
genderedscreenpresence andthe gendered gazeoftheaudience(Mulvey, 1984).The
castrationthreat outlinedbyMulveyis onlypartlysustainablebecausethe movement is both
towardandagainst this prospect ofbliss.Thefemalebodyis energizedinthemale
imaginationinequallycomplex andcontradictoryways. As notedinmyearlieressayonthis
topic,theprosthetics ofthecomicstripsuper-surferGonadManandofthe femalesuper-surf-
starPamelaAnderson (Baywatch)constituteanhyperbolicorironicmanifestationofthese
samecontradictions (Lewis, 1998).Theonerepresents anexcess oftheunattainableheroic,
theotheranunattainable desire.
This dialoguebetween comicreflexivityanddesireis also evident inthebroadertextual
fusings of fearandecstasy. Inparticular,therelativelyfewexamples ofnarrativefictional
films constructedaround surfingdemonstratetheuneasiness ofthesemultipledictions. In
films suchas Big Wednesday(1978)and BlueJuice(1995)thepopulist imageofsurfingas a
transgressive anti-authorityactivityis deployedas acentral trope.This political 'naturalism'is
articulatedthroughthe communityof youngmale surfers whoselifestyleis unrestrainedby
social andfinancial duty. Thedramaticimpetus of bothfilms, however,is constructedaround
thesignificant challenges tothis freedom constitutedbythedomestic-femaleontheonehand
andthe 'natural'declineofmaleprowess ontheother.
Superficially,at least,thesedramas seem toaccord withnarrativetropes commontomany
sports basedfilms. Domesticityandwiderforms ofsocial engagement appeartoameliorate
thedanger andtheheroic potential ofthis 'extreme'activity.Adarkandthreateningnatureis
replacedbyabland,domesticageing,anaturethat has nofacebut whichmanifests itself
continuouslyinthefailingofmaleprowess. Lifechanges, domesticityand childrendrawthe
surfer further andfurther awayfrom theideal.Thus, it is onlytherestorativeandrevitalized
danger,which might challengethedeclineintogradual death. Inboth Big Wednesdayand
BlueJuicethis declineis halted,ifonlymomentarilybythereturntothedarkandpowerful
natureofdangerous pleasure; so it canonlybethe restorativeand redemptivepleasureof
threat whichmight savethesurferfrom the greyvisionofaMarlowor aCaptainWillard.
Paradoxically,however,this re-immersionindangerous bliss andthere-confirmationofthe
heroicideal ofmasculine cultureis not inscribedas apermanent returnto youthful vigor.
Bothfilms, infact,concludewiththeheroic act beingcounterbalanced, evenreconciled,with
thedomesticandsocial. Inbothfilms gloryis restoredbytheheroes steppingout from the
crowdandtakingtothe exceptionallylarge anddangerous surf.Thedestructiveand
redemptivepowerofnatureis transformedthroughtheextra-social actions oftheheroic
males; thesurfingideal ofdangerous pleasureis re-confirmedthrough anewandrejuvenated
fusingofmale/female,domestic/nature.
Surfing,therefore,is presentedas bothnormative andexceptional; inanAristoteliansense
theclimax draws togethertheexceptional withthebanal,leavingtheprotagonists withlittle
elsebut themajestyoftheirfall.Themalebodyinboth Big Wednesdayand BlueJuiceis
featuredas activeandpotentiallyheroicbut also as vulnerable.This juxtapositionofphysical
powerandvulnerabilityexposes themalebodyto arangeofemotional,sexual and
ideological responses. As DavidBuchbinderandothercommentators interestedin
masculinityhavenoted,thesexualizationanddisplayofthemalebodycomplicates the
"cultural pressure toforcenotions ofmasculinityintoneat representational configurations"
(Buchbinder,1998: 27). For Buchbinderthis cultural pressure,whichmayalso bemanifest in
critique,demonstrates clearlythat representations ofthemasculinewill necessarilystrayfrom
thenorm,and,significantly,"that this is thecause ofsomeconsiderableanxietyinthe
culture" (Buchbinder,1998: 27).Themalesurfer, that is, is frequentlyexposedtohis sexual
andphysical vulnerability: thefusionofdangerous pleasureand self-mockingdesireare
manifestations ofthis inevitablevulnerabilityand simplehumanbanality.
Endangered Surfer
Thedissociationofsignifierandsignifiedincontemporarycultureimplicates ideologyand
relationships ofpower. It is not enough,as Ernesto Laclaupoints out inhis discussions on
identityandemancipation,tocelebratetheradialityoflanguage; at somepoint wemust
engagewithor activelyopposehegemonies, even as weconfront theirconstitutivenature
(Laclau,1996; seealso Agger,1992; McGuigan,1992; Inglis, 1993).Themultipledictions
that surround,inform and issuefrom surfingarenot ofthemselves political gestures, norare
theythe rawmaterial of anidealizedpostmodernism,as Deleuzeseems to suggest inthe
followingpassage:
Manyofthenewsports –surfing, windsurfing,hanggliding–taketheform of
entryintoan existingwave.There's nolongeran originas startingpoint,but a
sort ofputtingintoorbit.Thebasicthingis howtoget takenupinthe
movement ofabigwave, columnofrisingair,to"comebetween"ratherthan
betheoriginofan effort. Yet inphilosophywe're goingbacktoeternal values
(Deleuze,1992: 283)
Indeed,surfingneeds to beunderstoodas potentiallytransgressiveonlywhentheconditionof
dissociationis fullyconfronted,andits incorporationintothehegemonies ofcapital is
effectivelychallenged.
Inparticular,it is theinstabilityofthesignifier-signifiedrelationshipwhich carries the
facilityofpowernodalization,as well as theopportunities fordispute.As wehavenoted,this
instabilityis immanent tothosediscursivecompounds whichdrawtogether oppositeand
contendingcultural claims. AndrewMilner's postmoderntypology,apocalyptichedonism,is
certainlysignificant tothecontemporarysurfingtext; theapparent resolutionofthetension
wouldseem also toremovethesurfingtext's capacityfortransgressionand renderit amore
orderly,sublimeandcompliant (Milner,1994).That is, withtheresolutionofalternative
cultural claims, thesurfingtext might well beconscriptedintothegrandideologyof
international capital.Yet,as wehavealso seen,thedissociationprocess is bynomeans
monadic,noreven complete,but ratherit works invarious directions simultaneously. The
question,therefore,is not whetherthesurfingtext is ofitselftransgressive, but ratherhow
might theimpulseofdissociationbemobilizedforthepurposes ofactivecontention.Equally,
thenominationofsurfingas aprimary,postmoderntextual defineris farless important than
theopportunities that surfingtexts might providefordisruptiontothesystematizationof
global capital andexternallyimposedorder.
Thenotionof'apocalypse'is sufficientlyvagueto allowit torefertothe revelatory
annihilationofanindividual,communityorentire lifegroup. Inourdiscussions onsurfing
wehavetendedtoemphasizethepersonal dangers ofthesurferwhich are attachedto
personal pleasures. However,becauseofits attachment toRomanticideals andsocial
conceptions, surfingmight also articulatethewider globalist devastations of'nature'orthe
'natural environment'.Through arangeofofficial, aestheticandprivatedictions, thesurfand
surfingcultureis verymuchimbuedwiththis 'highvalue'.And yet,fundamental paradoxes
persist since 'nature'is itselfthreatenedbytheconsumptioncapitalism (most particularlythe
petro-chemical industry) whichprovides theproducts forthesurfers touse. Thewaves break
accordingtothepatterns ofnature; but it is theaffluenceof culturethat constitutes thespace,
theactionandthemeaningofthesurf.Naturebecomes acontingencyofaffluence.
Ofcoursetheconcept of 'nature'–like 'environment'or 'ecology'–is byno means an
ideologicallyneutral term,but has beenwidelydeployedforpolemical andpolitical purposes.
Inparticular,surfingtexts construct nature as a 'non-originaryorigin',aRomantictropein
whichpurenatureis contrastedwithmodernity,social constraint,and environmental damage.
Thus,settingforthonan existingwave,as Deleuzedescribes it,might seem tocommendthe
surfingact as uniquelynatural -derivingfrom andaccedingto apre-lingual condition,the
spirit ofatribal orprimordial (un)consciousness. Bothdirectlyandindirectlythis political
natureis anundercurrent ofmuchsurfingdiscourse,eventhoughtheparadoxes persist.
Organizedandofficial discourses such as theinternational,corporatizeddiscourses of
competitionsurfing,forexample,arereplete withenvironmental messages. TheQuicksilver
Proheldannuallyat Garujigan, Indonesia,specificallyaddresses theissue ofenvironment,
development andworldheritagethoughwithout acknowledgingtheimplications ofits own
corporatist appropriations, its privileges andpower.
JeanFrancois Lyotardhas spokenabout thesignificanceoftheinhumandimensions ofthe
humancondition(Lyotard,1986,1991,1995). Lyotardis railingagainst thediminishingof
imaginationbytheprocesses ofsystematization,but his discussiondirects us toconsider
morefullythecharacter ofourculture. Formany, liberationcanbe estimatedinterms of
logicallyconstructedideology,definitions ofpowerthat areeasilylocatableandeasily
challenged.Evenwithout theconvenienceof class-basedstruggle,proponents ofthis
approachlocatetheiroppositioninzones ofprivilege andpower.Theproblem withthis
approachis that it fails continuallytoaccount for thecomplex natureofpowerandlanguage,
andwhereverit defines itself,thereis always therushinginofnewmodes ofcontrol.
Lyotard's definitionoftheinhumanpermits amoreelusiveandcontradictoryapprehensionof
ourhumanity. Insurfingtheinhumanis most noticeable.Thedimensions ofsurfing's
multipledictions canonlybeilluminated,neveractualized.Thedissociationofsignifiers like
apocalyptichedonism allowus towriggle freeof closures that wouldinfinitelydefineus in
acts ofpleasureor resistance.Ourpleasureis bleak.Weought,therefore, resist the
confinements oflanguageandpowerbygestures andactions oftheimagination.The
immediacyofexperience shouldallowus thefreedom toimagineand articulate,toconstruct
apolitics that will confront theparadox without thereturnof 'glassyessence', as Rortycalls
it.That is, ouraesthetic must beaccomplishedpoliticallyandthroughahorizonal vision
ratherthanthroughtheunsustainableutopias offaith,pleasureorsubmissivereconciliation.
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