Question: I need help making my paper flow and adding in more details to it: Aileen Berl COMM 2800 - Sport and Spectacle Professor Granelli June
I need help making my paper flow and adding in more details to it:
Aileen Berl
COMM 2800 - Sport and Spectacle
Professor Granelli
June 23, 2024
Pele (Soccer)
Pel, universally celebrated as one of the greatest football players of all time. The film "Pel" explores the interplay between his prowess on the field and the broader implications of his identity as shaped by media, culture, and politics. By applying the lenses of performance studies, particularly Richard Schechner's concepts of performance, ritual, play, performativity, and performance processes, this paper aims to dissect how Pel's public persona was crafted and how it functioned within various socio-cultural and media frameworks. Additional scholarly works from Guy Debord, Raymond Williams, Jesse McCarthy, Duncan & Brummett, and Lev Kreft will also be employed to enrich the analysis of the film's portrayal of Pel.
The film "Pel" intricately explores the life of this legendary athlete, focusing not only on his undeniable prowess on the football field but also on his remarkable ability to shape and influence identity and culture through his career. This analysis employs the lens of performance studies, specifically utilizing concepts articulated by Richard Schechner, to delve into how Pel's performances?both on and off the pitch?crafted a persona that resonated globally. By integrating Schechner's theories with additional academic perspectives from Guy Debord, Raymond Williams, Jesse McCarthy, Duncan & Brummett, and Lev Kreft, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the multifaceted nature of Pel's public persona and its impact. The primary purpose of this essay is to analyze how Pel's identity was not merely formed by his athletic achievements but was also significantly shaped by media portrayals, cultural expectations, and his own actions as performances that engaged with and influenced societal and cultural narratives. The thesis of this paper posits that Pel's career can be viewed as a series of performative acts that, when examined through the combined frameworks of performance studies and identity creation, reveal a complex interplay between athlete, media, and society, illustrating how sports figures can embody and influence national identity and international perceptions. Through this analysis, Pel emerges not just as a sports hero but as a pivotal cultural icon, whose legacy is as much about his identity and influence as it is about his contributions to football.
**Performance Studies Framework**
Richard Schechner's broad definition of performance, which includes sports, provides a robust framework for analyzing Pel's actions on and off the field. Schechner (1985) notes, "Performances mark identities, bend time, reshape and adorn the body, and tell stories" (p. 36). In the context of Pel, each match, media interaction, and public appearance served as a performance that constructed his identity not just as a player but as a symbol of Brazilian national pride and global sportsmanship.
In the film "Pel," there is a pivotal scene following Brazil's victory in the 1958 World Cup where Pel, overcome with emotion, is seen crying on the field. This moment, frozen in time by the camera, is not just a display of joy but a performative act that constructs Pel's identity beyond sports. According to Schechner (1985), "Performances mark identities" (p. 36), and here Pel's tears mark a rite of passage from a young talent to a national icon, embodying hope and pride for Brazil. This scene illustrates how his performances on the field were intricately tied to national identity, resonating deeply with Brazilian spectators and elevating his status to a symbol of resilience and excellence.
**Performativity and Ritual in Pel's Career**
Pel's football career can be dissected through Schechner's concepts of ritual and play. His pre-game preparations and post-game interactions were ritualistic, providing a sense of continuity and communal engagement. As Schechner articulates, "rituals are collective memories enacted through performance" (Schechner, 1985, p. 71). The film highlights moments such as Pel's routines before entering the field, which align with Schechner's idea of performance processes where "restored behaviors" are repeated to achieve perfection and resonance with the audience.
**The Spectacle of Pel**
Guy Debord's "Society of the Spectacle" offers a critical lens on how the media manipulated and commodified Pel's image. Debord (1994) asserts, "The spectacle is not a collection of images, but a social relation among people, mediated by images" (p. 12). The film depicts numerous instances where Pel's sporting achievements were transformed into spectacles, emphasizing how media narratives shaped public perception, making Pel a commodity within the global cultural industry.
**Televised Football and Media Narratives**
Building on the spectacle, Raymond Williams's analysis of "The Structure of Televised Football" provides insights into how television reshapes sports into narrative forms. Williams (1974) notes that televised sports turn "physical actions into dramatic spectacles" with close-ups and replays enhancing the emotional and dramatic elements (p. 53). This technique is evident in the film's portrayal of Pel's games, where slow-motion sequences of his goals amplify the drama and his iconic status.
**Activism and Media Representation**
Jesse McCarthy's "Colin Kaepernick Has a Job" sheds light on sports as a platform for identity and resistance, similar to how Pel used his influence. McCarthy (2017) discusses how Kaepernick's kneeling became a performative act of protest, resonating with how Pel's victories on international stages became acts of national significance and resistance against socio-political contexts in Brazil.
**Spectatorship and Emotional Engagement**
Duncan & Brummett's work on the mediation of spectator sport explores how media shapes the consumption of sports narratives, focusing on the emotional and cognitive engagement of viewers. They argue that "media transform the subjective experience of the sports into accessible public spectacles" (Duncan & Brummett, 1987, p. 45). This notion is visible in the film through scenes showing diverse groups of people from different backgrounds unified and emotionally engaged by Pel's performances.
**Dramatic Narratives in Sports**
Finally, Lev Kreft's "Sport as Drama" provides a useful framework for understanding the dramatization of sports events, particularly in how Pel's career is portrayed in the film. Kreft (1993) posits that sports events are "staged dramas" where the outcomes are uncertain but the narrative structures are clearly defined (p. 112). The dramatic representation of Pel's decisive goals and career-defining matches highlights this theatricality, drawing clear parallels to traditional drama.
Lev Kreft's concept in "Sport as Drama" is exemplified in the dramatic narrative arc of Pel's final World Cup game, presented in the film with heightened emotional and narrative stakes (Kreft, 1998). Each play, each strategic move is framed as part of a larger narrative of struggle, climax, and resolution, echoing traditional dramatic structures. This approach not only captivates the audience but also amplifies the emotional resonance of Pel's actions, portraying them as integral components of a larger cultural and sporting drama.
**Conclusion**
The film "Pel" encapsulates the essence of how sports, media, and cultural identities intertwine within the spectacle of modern society. Through the theoretical frameworks provided by Schechner, Debord, Williams, McCarthy, Duncan & Brummett, and Kreft, this analysis has explored the multiple layers of performance, identity, and narrative construction in Pel's career. His journey from a sports icon to a global legend
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