Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
I’ve been struggling
with this question. I’ve been trying to think of an example where the feedback
cycle between performer and audience closely matches the story of Nigel the
Gannet. By closely matches I mean an
instance where the performance elicits no response from the audience. A time
when there is not a positive response, or a negative response. The performer is
ignored because the audience is unwilling or unable to respond. There is a cliché that “even bad publicity is
good publicity” so I feel like in the attention economy even a misunderstanding
of a performative act is a productive result if it draws any attention.
with this question. I’ve been trying to think of an example where the feedback
cycle between performer and audience closely matches the story of Nigel the
Gannet. By closely matches I mean an
instance where the performance elicits no response from the audience. A time
when there is not a positive response, or a negative response. The performer is
ignored because the audience is unwilling or unable to respond. There is a cliché that “even bad publicity is
good publicity” so I feel like in the attention economy even a misunderstanding
of a performative act is a productive result if it draws any attention.
Even in some extreme
situations, such as performing a religious ritual, or reading to loved one on
life support. The feedback cycle may appear one-sided to an observer yet the
performer may feel that there is a rich connection from their gods or family. Professor
Sonya Cooke says “Nothing is more real than energy.” Which suggests that if the performers in these
cases feel the energetic feedback it is just as valid as a standing ovation.
situations, such as performing a religious ritual, or reading to loved one on
life support. The feedback cycle may appear one-sided to an observer yet the
performer may feel that there is a rich connection from their gods or family. Professor
Sonya Cooke says “Nothing is more real than energy.” Which suggests that if the performers in these
cases feel the energetic feedback it is just as valid as a standing ovation.
So then again, what
is a performance where the feedback cycle is one sided and not a cycle? I keep
cycling back to the same events:
is a performance where the feedback cycle is one sided and not a cycle? I keep
cycling back to the same events:
The year is 1990 and
the United States has entered into the gulf war. Several hundred students held
a peace rally in front of the administration buildings on the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst. Then we marched to the student center occupied the
building and held a “die-in” falling on the floor and lying prone and silent.
Only the bustling student center wasn’t silent. Despite what we hoped would be
a chilling demonstration that would cause our community to reflect on the cost
of war the center was filled with the sounds of casual conversation, footsteps of
passing students, and beep of ATM machines. Though I couldn’t see from my
vantage point on the floor it sounded like any other day in the student center.
To my knowledge there was no response to this protest. There was an article in
the school newspaper relating the facts, but there wasn’t any coverage of it in
even the Amherst town news. There wasn’t any feedback cycle indicating we’d
caused any response, even annoyance from anyone.
the United States has entered into the gulf war. Several hundred students held
a peace rally in front of the administration buildings on the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst. Then we marched to the student center occupied the
building and held a “die-in” falling on the floor and lying prone and silent.
Only the bustling student center wasn’t silent. Despite what we hoped would be
a chilling demonstration that would cause our community to reflect on the cost
of war the center was filled with the sounds of casual conversation, footsteps of
passing students, and beep of ATM machines. Though I couldn’t see from my
vantage point on the floor it sounded like any other day in the student center.
To my knowledge there was no response to this protest. There was an article in
the school newspaper relating the facts, but there wasn’t any coverage of it in
even the Amherst town news. There wasn’t any feedback cycle indicating we’d
caused any response, even annoyance from anyone.
 |
| "We Were Ignored.": The Guardian |
A week after our
protest a local man went to the town common and staked up a sign which said “peace”.
He then doused himself with accelerant and immolated himself in protest of the
war. The local paper covered the event. The school paper might have also. But there was again little reaction to his
performative suicide. Someone published an editorial about how his act had not
made the national news. No one knew about it beyond our little town in western
Massachusetts. No one cared what we did in idyllic little Amherst to protest a
war on the other side of the world. This is the most like the story of Nigel,
because like Nigel the protesters in these instances had a target for their performance.
A target audience they were trying to attain energetic feedback or physical
action from. And the response was neither the desired effect nor the opposite
effect. It was no effect at all.
protest a local man went to the town common and staked up a sign which said “peace”.
He then doused himself with accelerant and immolated himself in protest of the
war. The local paper covered the event. The school paper might have also. But there was again little reaction to his
performative suicide. Someone published an editorial about how his act had not
made the national news. No one knew about it beyond our little town in western
Massachusetts. No one cared what we did in idyllic little Amherst to protest a
war on the other side of the world. This is the most like the story of Nigel,
because like Nigel the protesters in these instances had a target for their performance.
A target audience they were trying to attain energetic feedback or physical
action from. And the response was neither the desired effect nor the opposite
effect. It was no effect at all.
