boris_denominat
Cricket Spectator
It seems pretty obvious and self evident to say this but twenty20 is a manifestation of desire, a caricature of desire. Desire in Lacanian psychoanalysis that thing which is always unattainable (objet petit a), that thing we chase and shall never behold. Desire is always unknown to us and in a way we secretly desire not to realise our desire (unconsciously).
So what better way to mirror desire but to create a cricket tournament modelled on it. It is quite clear the IPL maintains this spectral form to begin with; that which untouchable and to all accounts unreal, that which is suspended in a cauldron of stasis and majesty. Do we desire the IPL though? No, no we do not. The IPL functions more literally as this form of desire in that it is the temptress, the red herring, the feigned realisation and mirage of desire.
What do we want? we want to see Ricky Ponting and Tendulkar bat together, we want to see McGrath bowl at Ponting, see Asif and Mcgrath together. What do we get? Yes we get Punter and McCullum, we get dream line-ups, however what is it this? What is going on? One of the world’s best batsmen is slogging the ball in the air! The dream was feigned and fetishised but in this instantaneous moment each of our dreams is forced to commit suicide! Each one of our dreams takes up root and hoiks the ball in the air, gets top edged for six and then gets paid money for it.
What an insult, twenty20 is an insult, it pulls you in, as desire does, shows you the simulacra of your desire and then shows the strings of puppet and hoiks the ball in the air. Twenty20 is a guilty masturbation, one feels attracted to that saucy picture of angelina jolie but once the tugging is over one realises that perhaps a symbolic relationship with a real person might be a more wholesome experience than a simple flogging of a penis or cricketer.
What would happen if we were to realise a test dream league? As with desire it can only tease and leave us longing in its lack.
So what better way to mirror desire but to create a cricket tournament modelled on it. It is quite clear the IPL maintains this spectral form to begin with; that which untouchable and to all accounts unreal, that which is suspended in a cauldron of stasis and majesty. Do we desire the IPL though? No, no we do not. The IPL functions more literally as this form of desire in that it is the temptress, the red herring, the feigned realisation and mirage of desire.
What do we want? we want to see Ricky Ponting and Tendulkar bat together, we want to see McGrath bowl at Ponting, see Asif and Mcgrath together. What do we get? Yes we get Punter and McCullum, we get dream line-ups, however what is it this? What is going on? One of the world’s best batsmen is slogging the ball in the air! The dream was feigned and fetishised but in this instantaneous moment each of our dreams is forced to commit suicide! Each one of our dreams takes up root and hoiks the ball in the air, gets top edged for six and then gets paid money for it.
What an insult, twenty20 is an insult, it pulls you in, as desire does, shows you the simulacra of your desire and then shows the strings of puppet and hoiks the ball in the air. Twenty20 is a guilty masturbation, one feels attracted to that saucy picture of angelina jolie but once the tugging is over one realises that perhaps a symbolic relationship with a real person might be a more wholesome experience than a simple flogging of a penis or cricketer.
What would happen if we were to realise a test dream league? As with desire it can only tease and leave us longing in its lack.