Sporting Fascism

~Kavita Kulkarni

http://www.cheddarheads.co.uk/nfl/sb38/. Viewed on 4/26/04.

According to Günter Berghaus in his analysis of power performance by fascist regimes, theatre and the creation of spectacle are used to "fulfil the function of leading the spectator out of the everyday sphere and away from the realities of an alienated existence... in order to bind the community in an emotionally elating experience that transcended class divisions, political divergencies, [and] individualism..." (5). In the United States, a country that prides itself on the political and social pluralism of its constituency, the use of such devices necessitates the employment of cultural phenomena that is far removed from political debate and void of association with isolated, individualistic experience. Professional sport is one such cultural phenomenon that exemplifies the transcendence of social division among its enthusiasts. It is for this reason that I choose to inspect the elements of political performance in Super Bowl XXXVIII, held on February 1st, 2004. In particular, I wish to focus on a pre-game performance involving a tribute to the astronauts who died in the Columbia shuttle tragedy of 2003.

http://www.cheddarheads.co.uk/nfl/sb38/. Viewed on 4/26/04.

Though the inclusion of a pre-game homage to the loss of the seven astronauts is hardly a reason to accuse this country of fascist theatrics, I do believe that the way in which the tribute was carried out unnecessarily focused on manipulating the emotional impact of such a widely-received event (it is said that more people watched the Super Bowl than will vote in this upcoming presidential election) for the sake of pushing a patriotism that is much needed by the Bush administration. The creation of what Roger Griffin terms "radically anti-liberal... ultra-nationalism" (13) succeeds through the tribute's association of tragic loss with patriotic sentiment; in this case, if you objected to the ostentatious display of patriotism, you are in fact demonstrating your irreverence toward the loss of seven American lives.

http://www.cheddarheads.co.uk/nfl/sb38/. Viewed on 4/26/04.

As you can see from the photographs, the tribute employs a number of captivating devices. Josh Groban, a recent "popular" music sensation, was selected to perform a poignant rendition of his already heartrending song, "You Raise Me Up", accompanied by a choir of 80 children. At midfield, a troupe of performers brandished a number of red, white, and blue banners, along with a 30 x 30 foot cloth depiction of the NASA logo. Members of the next space shuttle mission, uniformly dressed in blue NASA jumpsuits, stood silently in a single file on the field. CBS spliced all of this action with clips and photos of the Columbia seven for the at-home viewing audience. The performance, which lasted a little longer than three minutes, came to a climax when the NASA logo was removed to reveal a mock moon surface. An actor, fully clad in astronaut space gear, emerged from an elevating platform on to the "moon's surface", wielding a United States flag. As Grosban finished his last verse, the "astronaut" planted the flag into the "moon" while a crew of parachutists dropped from the rafters on to the field, much to the delight of the rapturous audience in the stands.

Günter Berghaus quotes Hitler as saying, "When [the individual] as a seeker is swept along by the mighty effect of the ecstasy and enthusiasm of three to four thousand others... the he will submit to the magic spell of what we call 'mass suggestiveness'" (60). Indeed, the Super Bowl is already charged with an atmosphere of exhilaration, as thousands of ticket-holders and millions of at-home viewers anticipate the outcome of the battle between the two greatest football teams of the season. As the Bush administration's efforts to garner public support of the Iraq occupation seemingly falter through more traditional, "rational" forms of propaganda (e.g. Bush's ineffectual performance on Meet the Press), it must rely on public spectacles that are more geared toward the "primitive and irrational drives of mass man" (Berghaus 47), such as sporting events. The Super Bowl, categorically an apolitical event, was used to progress a heightened sense of patriotism aimed at fostering the public approval of government policies, including the controversial invasion of Iraq. Indeed, the targeting of popular, apolitical events is characteristic of a fascist performance of power, according to Emilio Gentile in "The Theatre of Politics in Fascist Italy". Gentile asserts that the use of traditional festivities divested the fascist regime from "its most overtly political features and as such was made more suited to influence the lives of individuals still diffident or resistant to the Fascist message" (86). By involving the popular appeal of the Super Bowl and the emotional weight of the Columbia tragedy, the patriotism/nationalism imbedded in this tribute was more readily assumed by the spectators.

http://www.cheddarheads.co.uk/nfl/sb38/. Viewed on 4/26/04.