Drew Summer Program

World History
Unit 3: Mass Culture and Popular Culture
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Unit Overview
Rethinking Popular Culture and Media
By Elizabeth Marshall and zlem Sensoy
Few would disagree with the idea that good teachers ground curriculum in the lives of their students. But what
happens when the lives of children and youth are thoroughly saturated by corporate influences that promote values of
consumption, competition, hierarchy, sexism, homophobia, racism, and contempt for equality? Whats an educator to
do? Rethinking Popular Culture and Media sees to answer these questions. !he articles collected here, drawn from
the Rethinking Schools archive, offer insightful analyses of popular culture and media and suggest ways to help youth and
adults reflect on aspects of life that they may "ust tae for granted#what $ut %hally, founder of the &edia 'ducation
Foundation, would describe as (getting the fish to thin about the water.)
*n many ways, popular culture is the +olaroid snapshot or Faceboo photo page that documents our lives in the social
world, it is a bacdrop of day-to-day life. .nd its power is both diffuse and indisputable. From /isney to Barbie to
&y$pace, youth today navigate a range of popular culture and media. !he reality that children and youth interact with a
vast amount of media#boos, toys, video games, advertisements, etc.#requires teachers to become aware of and fluent
with the diverse popular cultural materials young people read, view, and consume.
0orporate interests and mareting activities aimed at youth are nothing new, however, young people today are the ob"ects
of a corporate media landscape that circulates messages with an intensity and range that is increasingly sophisticated.
.ccording to the 0ampaign for a 0ommercial-Free 0hildhood1 (0hildren ages 2344 see at least 25,666 advertisements on
!7 alone, a figure that does not include product placement. !hey are also targeted with advertising on the internet, cell
phones, &+8 players, video games, school buses, and in school.) $imilarly, a study published in 2646 by the 9aiser
Family *nstitute reports that youth between the ages of : and 4: spend approximately ;.5 hours per day, seven days a
wee with media such as video games, !7, music, and boos. *t is important to note that time reading boos has actually
increased slightly rather than declined over the past 46 years#revealing some complicated connections between boos
and other texts. .nd as the authors in this collection demonstrate, the relationship among pop culture, media, and
corporations, more broadly, is a messy one.
<iven the increasing amount of media with which youth interact, Rethinking Popular Culture and Media is an important
collection largely written by and for teachers. !he authors of these articles consider how and what popular cultural
artifacts =such as toys> as well as popular media =lie films and boos> (teach) and the role that these materials have in
the everyday lives of students.
!he decision to pull together this collection came out of our own experiences in classrooms and as teacher
educators. !he articles in Rethinking Schools have framed our own wor with children, youth, and adults as they offer
examples that critically examine and re-imagine popular culture and media in relationship to education. !he articles
collected here complicate the idea that popular culture is either bad or good and instead invite readers to loo at familiar
movies, boos, games, and so on as spaces where meanings are made and contested. .uthors in this collection
complicate the idea that children and teens are naive, agent-less, or disengaged. ?ather, children and youth in these
articles are actors who view, read, watch, play, and often instruct their teachers about popular culture and media. &ost
importantly, this boo illustrates that young people are capable of critical analyses that disrupt the limited representations
of race, class, gender, and sexuality offered up in mainstream popular culture and media.
What Ea!tly "s Popular Culture#
(+opular culture) is a challenging term to define. Writing a boo about popular culture is an even tricier
proposition given that culture is constantly changing and renders what was once popular soon to be outdated and
perhaps quaint. With this collection, we offer an approach to popular culture. 'ven though the stuff of popular culture
becomes dated almost as quicly as it is produced, this boo focuses on the questions educators as and the pedagogies
they use to approach popular culture and media.
!his boo examines and taes on a variety of expressions of popular culture1
+opular culture can describe texts lie &ichael %acsons Thriller album that are or were widely lied by many
people,
+opular culture is often used to refer to things that are less sophisticated or considered (low) culture. .dults often
dismiss childrens culture as innocent, crass, or dumbed down. For instance, popular series boos produced for
youth, such as the @ancy /rew mysteries, were not available in public library collections for decades because
librarians dismissed them as popular texts that had little or no literary value,
+opular culture is often synonymous with a consumer culture that is produced for mass consumption =/isneys
animated films, &c/onalds Aappy &eal toys>,
+opular culture might also be defined as a place for creating new forms of expression as well as a vehicle for
critique. *n particular, mainstream popular culture and media offer a space where new meanings are made
through tactics such as culture "amming. 0ulture "amming refers to the rewriting or reimagining of media such as
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corporate logos or advertisements in a way that subverts or overturns taen-for-granted ideas. .dbusters
=www.adbusters.org> provides numerous examples of this approach.
!he articles in this collection help us to see the relationship between the many forms of popular culture and education.
What "s the Relationship Bet$een Popular Culture and Media#
Whereas media of previous generations may have referred to newspapers, magaBines, and boos, todays media include
an explosion of onlineCglobal networing systems =!witter, Faceboo, Bebo, Dou!ube>, as well as a music culture that has
moved beyond musical exchange to include the mareting and selling of culture, lifestyle, and products. 0ross-mareting
between and among corporately structured partners has become the norm. &any movies =especially those targeting
young audiences> are released not simply as movies, but rather as carefully orchestrated campaigns of online, print,
television promotions, soundtracs, clothing lines, toys, eychains#and in the case of Aannah &ontana, even shoelaces
and granola bars. Douth live in an increasingly complex world that holds potential for increasing participation and
citiBenship via mediated culture =such as blogging and global networing> as well as increasing vulnerability to corporate
maneuvering such as (embedded mareting.) From one of the earliest examples of embedded mareting#?eeses
+ieces in the 4E:2 blocbuster film ET#to more recent examples such as 0oca-0olas ongoing sponsorship of the
Flympic <ames and the (0oca 0ola Flympic Flame,) this increasingly sophisticated machinery demands that educators
remain vigilant about the relationship between media, popular culture, and mareting.
*n response to these challenges, the teachers in this collection share examples of their strategies to remain engaged. For
example, in (!uning *n to 7iolence1 $tudents Gse &ath to .nalyBe What !7 *s !eaching !hem,) &argot +epper leads her
students in a data-collection activity of childrens shows, after which they compile and analyBe their data. +eppers
students learn the importance of noticing the pervasiveness of particular inds of media messages in their everyday
environment. +epper writes that she wants students to be in (the habit of asing Hwhy about their world instead of merely
consuming it#of maing educated hypotheses then requiring multiple sources of supporting evidence.)
What to %o with Popular Culture and Media#
When we consider youth culture and the media that children, tweens, and teens find popular, the tas of defining popular
culture becomes even more difficult because as adults, we often dismiss what children and teens adopt as childish or in
opposition to the (good) values of adults#as inferior to (adult) culture. !hroughout this collection, readers are encouraged
to thin about popular culture and media in all its complexity. For example, rather than simply critiquing (popular) or (id)
culture as anti-intellectual, entertainment, or fluff to pass the time, we can as questions lie the ones the authors in this
collection tae up, including1
Aow are youth maing meaning of these popular phenomena?
What economic and political forces have helped mae a particular text, toy, film, or game popular? Aow is it
mareted? Where? !o whom? For example, in (Why * $aid @o to 0oca-0ola,) %ohn $heehan explains how his
opinion about advertising in schools shifted as his concerns about the long-term consequences of advertising
directly to students increased.
Aow are youth using =revising, andCor resisting> popular culture and media? What are the implications of this for
concepts such as agency, citiBenship, and consumer action? For example, .ntero <arcia considers the
importance of &y$pace in the lives of his students in his article (?ethining &y$pace.) .t the same time, he
points out that he finds it hard to reconcile wanting students to develop critical consciousness and connection by
using a corporate-owned media tool such as &y$pace, which is owned by ?upert &urdochs @ews 0orporation.
Aow might teachers wor with, and simultaneously critique, the texts that youth find pleasurable? For example, in
(Seventeen, $elf-*mage, and $tereotypes,) Baari 0havanu guides students through a content analysis of teen
magaBines, especially images of girls and women. Ais goal was not to dissuade students from subscribing to the
magaBines but rather to encourage the teens in his class to be (critically conscious citiBens rather than
manipulated consumers.)
Aow are youth and adults using popular culture and media to transgress or rethin their environments? *n
($tenciling /issent,) students bring their own nowledge of street art as protest to a class pro"ect .ndrew ?eed
designed on the history of dissent in the Gnited $tates in which students created political graffiti that was later
displayed in the hallway of the school.
How does popular culture help us to think about the past?
Part "& Criti'ue (o$ Popular Culture and Media )rame (istori!al E*ents and +!tors
+opular culture and media are an important place to critique the politics of seemingly straightforward storylines,
plots, characters, and images. For many of us, populariBed accounts of history are familiar. For example, Schindlers
ist is often used to teach about the Aolocaust. !he articles in this section examine the politics of popular historical
childrens literature, populariBed biographies of ?osa +ars, 0hristopher 0olumbus, and Aelen 9eller, as well as
childrens films and toys.
.uthors focus on the representation of history within popular childrens picture boos and novels, films such as
/isneys Mulan and Pocahontas, and the popular .merican <irl dolls and boos. .uthors such as /ebbie ?eese and her
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colleagues point out misrepresentations in popular cultural texts such as $cholastics (/ear .merica) series and the ways
in which certain parts of a history are foregrounded =such as the (happiness) of @ative .merican students in residential
schools> while others remain in the bacground =such as the colonial legacy of genocide for indigenous peoples>. *n
casting the government boarding schools in a positive light, popular narratives elide the effects of residential schooling on
native peoples and the obligations to redress and remedy the history of coloniBation in @orth .merica and around the
globe.
Part "", Eamine Ra!e- Class- .ender- Seuality- and So!ial (istories in Popular Culture and
Media
+opular culture and media relentlessly reproduce existing relationships between dominant and subordinate groups. *n this
way, culture produced for mass consumption sees to erase difference and mae certain sexist, racist, classist, and
colonial representations seem natural. Because much of this representation is widely circulated as normal and natural, the
authors in this section attempt to mae visible the ideas about race, class, and gender that masquerade as authoritative
and fixed. .uthors challenge gender stereotypes and racist representations in various media locales such as music
videos, movies, toys, and cartoons and connect these discussions to existing curricular goals. 0ontributors also offer a
variety of strategies, including sending students on a toy store field trip, giving students surveys, and offering content
analysis of popular texts, and guiding discussion questions. By sharing strategies and explanations for how this wor
occurs with students, the authors in this section do not simply uncover bias, they also illustrate how this type of wor can
occur with students as they model the inds of critical engagements that can be taen up in classrooms.
Part """, /ie$ and +nalyze Representations o0 1ea!hers- 2outh- and S!hools
From !lackboard "ungle to #reedo$ %riters to High School Musical and &lee, teachers and students are regular sub"ects
of film and !7. !hese texts capture our shifting anxieties about adultCchild relationships and about the desires we hold for
teachers to (save) students. !hese are familiar stories in which a caring#usually white#teacher saves students in an
under-resourced school. 9ids in popular film and television are usually presented as unciviliBed, uneducated, and in need
of adult protection. !he critiques offered in this section are important because they draw our attention to the political
nature of schooling as a place of ideological struggle.

Part "/, 1ake +!tion 0or a 3ust So!iety
+opular culture and media present an opportunity for teachers and students to tae action in and beyond the classroom.
*n this section, authors describe the ways that teachers and students resist corporate incursions into everyday life as well
as how educators might use popular culture and media to examine issues such as exploitation, violence, power, and
privilege. Fne of the most interesting examples is .nn +elo and 9endra +elo"oaquins (Why We Banned Iegos) and the
resulting baclash their article received from Fox @ews and other right-wing outlets. !he authors begin with the
assumption that even young children are (political) and that they, too, can understand and question inequity. !heir story
illustrates how doing critical media literacy from a social "ustice orientation often aligns with (being political,) but in reality it
draws attention to the false neutrality of schooling. .s such, the best (defense) is to anchor resistance wor in a strong
theoretical and conceptual framewor. We believe that this collection offers such a grounding for any critical media literacy
and resistance wor teachers may want to tae up in their classrooms.
Part /, 4se Popular Culture and Media to 1ransgress
*n this section, the authors examine how popular culture and media provide the space and materials to brea the rules
and challenge the status quo. &edia such as Bines, fan fiction, blogs, graffiti, and so on offer avenues to represent
transgressive ideas and identities. !o provide "ust one example, on fan fiction sites authors, illustrators, and filmmaers
revise familiar storylines and images from popular cultural texts.
*n the articles collected here authors use a range of media#poetry, graffiti, film, and anime#to teach about and
encourage resistance. ?enJe Watson uses poetry with a group of middle school students to explore the realities of racism
and police brutality in the Bronx. Watson reminds readers that (for centuries poets and writers have put in to paper to
celebrate, encourage, heal, challenge, teach, and even chastise their world.) $he introduces students to Willie +erdomos
(K4 Bullets off Broadway) about .madou /iallo, a 28-year-old <uinean immigrant, who in 4EEE was shot 4E times when
police fired K4 bullets at him. Watson ties this to the contemporary 266L murder of .frican .merican $ean Bell, a 28-year-
old, police shot 56 bullets at the unarmed Bell and his two friends. !he middle school students create their own poems
about $ean Bell that put to paper the marginaliBed perspectives and experiences of ids of color as they are consistently
targeted by law enforcement.
Con!lusion
+opular culture, then, is also a way for adults, children, and teens to reposition themselves, from cogs in the machine to
social actors intent on "amming, resisting, andCor rewriting the status quo. *n this way, the authors give us examples of a
critical media literacy in which critique maes way for revision and protest and where students and teachers have access
to and power over the everyday media we consume, read, and view.
While corporations have quicly "umped to the blacboard to school youth in lessons of consumption, in many ways
educators have been playing catch-up. !he realities of the classroom and school politics#not to mention the spotlight on
standardiBed testing that often results in more heat than light#mae doing critical media literacy wor challenging. We
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believe this collection of essays offers strong conceptual critiques and relevant pedagogical strategies for educators at
every level to engage with the popular.
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From: Mythologies by Roland Barthes, translated by Annette Lavers, Hill and ang,
!e" #or$, 1%&4
'(o)y*edited and s)ell*+he+$ed by ,+ott At$ins, ,e)tember 1%%5- .agged in html,
/+tober 1%%5-0
THE WORLD OF WRESTLING
The grandiloquent truth o ge!ture!
on lie"! great o##a!ion!$
%audelaire
.he virt1e o2 all*in "restling is that it is the s)e+ta+le o2 e3+ess- Here "e 2ind a
grandilo41en+e "hi+h m1st have been that o2 an+ient theaters- And in 2a+t "restling is an
o)en*air s)e+ta+le, 2or "hat ma$es the +ir+1s or the arena "hat they are is not the s$y 5a
romanti+ val1e s1ited rather to 2ashionable o++asions6, it is the dren+hing and verti+al
41ality o2 the 2lood o2 light- 7ven hidden in the most s41alid 8arisian halls, "restling
)arta$es o2 the nat1re o2 the great solar s)e+ta+les, 9ree$ drama and b1ll2ights: in both, a
light "itho1t shado" generates an emotion "itho1t reserve-
.here are )eo)le "ho thin$ that "restling is an ignoble s)ort- restling is not a s)ort, it
is a s)e+ta+le, and it is no more ignoble to attend a "restled )er2orman+e o2 ,122ering
than a )er2orman+e o2 the sorro"s o2 Arnol)he or Androma41e-: /2 +o1rse, there e3ists a
2alse "restling, in "hi+h the )arti+i)ants 1nne+essarily go to great lengths to ma$e a
sho" o2 a 2air 2ight; this is o2 no interest- .r1e "restling, "rongly +alled amate1r
"restling, is )er2ormed in se+ond*rate halls, "here the )1bli+ s)ontaneo1sly att1nes itsel2
to the s)e+ta+1lar nat1re o2 the +ontest, li$e the a1dien+e at a s1b1rban +inema- .hen
these same )eo)le "a3 indignant be+a1se "restling is a stage*managed s)ort 5"hi+h
o1ght, by the "ay, to mitigate its ignominy6- .he )1bli+ is +om)letely 1ninterested in
$no"ing "hether the +ontest is rigged or not, and rightly so; it abandons itsel2 to the
)rimary virt1e o2 the s)e+ta+le, "hi+h is to abolish all motives and all +onse41en+es:
"hat matters is not "hat it thin$s b1t "hat it sees-
.his )1bli+ $no"s very "ell the distin+tion bet"een "restling and bo3ing; it $no"s that
bo3ing is a <ansenist s)ort, based on a demonstration o2 e3+ellen+e- /ne +an bet on the
o1t+ome o2 a bo3ing*mat+h: "ith "restling, it "o1ld ma$e no sense- A bo3ing* mat+h is
a story "hi+h is +onstr1+ted be2ore the eyes o2 the s)e+tator; in "restling, on the +ontrary,
it is ea+h moment "hi+h is intelligible, not the )assage o2 time- .he s)e+tator is not
interested in the rise and 2all o2 2ort1nes; he e3)e+ts the transient image o2 +ertain
)assions- restling there2ore demands an immediate reading o2 the =13ta)osed meanings,
so that there is no need to +onne+t them- .he logi+al +on+l1sion o2 the +ontest does not
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interest the "restling*2an, "hile on the +ontrary a bo3ing*mat+h al"ays im)lies a s+ien+e
o2 the 21t1re- ?n other "ords, "restling is a s1m o2 s)e+ta+les, o2 "hi+h no single one is a
21n+tion: ea+h moment im)oses the total $no"ledge o2 a )assion "hi+h rises ere+t and
alone, "itho1t ever e3tending to the +ro"ning moment o2 a res1lt-
.h1s the 21n+tion o2 the "restler is not to "in; it is to go e3a+tly thro1gh the motions
"hi+h are e3)e+ted o2 him- ?t is said that =1do +ontains a hidden symboli+ as)e+t; even in
the midst o2 e22i+ien+y, its gest1res are meas1red, )re+ise b1t restri+ted, dra"n a++1rately
b1t by a stro$e "itho1t vol1me- restling, on the +ontrary, o22ers e3+essive gest1res,
e3)loited to the limit o2 their meaning- ?n =1do, a man "ho is do"n is hardly do"n at all,
he rolls over, he dra"s ba+$, he el1des de2eat, or, i2 the latter is obvio1s, he immediately
disa))ears; in "restling, a man "ho is do"n is e3aggeratedly so, and +om)letely 2ills the
eyes o2 the s)e+tators "ith the intolerable s)e+ta+le o2 his )o"erlessness-
.his 21n+tion o2 grandilo41en+e is indeed the same as that o2 an+ient theater, "hose
)rin+i)le, lang1age and )ro)s 5mas$s and b1s$ins6 +on+1rred in the e3aggeratedly visible
e3)lanation o2 a !e+essity- .he gest1re o2 the van41ished "restler signi2ying to the "orld
a de2eat "hi+h, 2ar 2rom disg1ising, he em)hasi@es and holds li$e a )a1se in m1si+,
+orres)onds to the mas$ o2 anti41ity meant to signi2y the tragi+ mode o2 the s)e+ta+le- ?n
"restling, as on the stage in anti41ity, one is not ashamed o2 oneAs s122ering, one $no"s
ho" to +ry, one has a li$ing 2or tears-
7a+h sign in "restling is there2ore endo"ed "ith an absol1te +larity, sin+e one m1st
al"ays 1nderstand everything on the s)ot- As soon as the adversaries are in the ring, the
)1bli+ is over"helmed "ith the obvio1sness o2 the roles- As in the theater, ea+h )hysi+al
ty)e e3)resses to e3+ess the )art "hi+h has been assigned to the +ontestant- .ha1vin, a
2i2ty*year*old "ith an obese and sagging body, "hose ty)e o2 ase31al hideo1sness al"ays
ins)ires 2eminine ni+$names, dis)lays in his 2lesh the +hara+ters o2 baseness, 2or his )art
is to re)resent "hat, in the +lassi+al +on+e)t o2 the salaud, the AbastardA 5the $ey*+on+e)t
o2 any "restling*mat+h6, a))ears as organi+ally re)1gnant- .he na1sea vol1ntarily
)rovo$ed by .ha1vin sho"s there2ore a very e3tended 1se o2 signs: not only is 1gliness
1sed here in order to signi2y baseness, b1t in addition 1gliness is "holly gathered into a
)arti+1larly re)1lsive 41ality o2 matter: the )allid +olla)se o2 dead 2lesh 5the )1bli+ +alls
.ha1vin la barbaque, Astin$ing meatA6, so that the )assionate +ondemnation o2 the +ro"d
no longer stems 2rom its =1dgment, b1t instead 2rom the very de)th o2 its h1mo1rs- ?t "ill
therea2ter let itsel2 be 2reneti+ally embroiled in an idea o2 .ha1vin "hi+h "ill +on2orm
entirely "ith this )hysi+al origin: his a+tions "ill )er2e+tly +orres)ond to the essential
vis+osity o2 his )ersonage-
?t is there2ore in the body o2 the "restler that "e 2ind the 2irst $ey to the +ontest- ? $no"
2rom the start that all o2 .ha1vinAs a+tions, his trea+heries, +r1elties and a+ts o2
+o"ardi+e, "ill not 2ail to meas1re 1) to the 2irst image o2 ignobility he gave me; ? +an
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tr1st him to +arry o1t intelligently and to the last detail all the gest1res o2 a $ind o2
amor)ho1s baseness, and th1s 2ill to the brim the image o2 the most re)1gnant bastard
there is: the bastard*o+to)1s- restlers there2ore have a )hysi41e as )erem)tory as those
o2 the +hara+ters o2 the Commedia dell'Arte, "ho dis)lay in advan+e, in their +ost1mes
and attit1des, the 21t1re +ontents o2 their )arts: =1st as 8antaloon +an never be anything
b1t a ridi+1lo1s +1+$old, Harle41in an ast1te servant and the Co+tor a st1)id )edant, in
the same "ay .ha1vin "ill never be anything b1t an ignoble traitor, Reinieres 5a tall
blond 2ello" "ith a lim) body and 1n$em)t hair6 the moving image o2 )assivity, Ma@a1d
5short and arrogant li$e a +o+$6 that o2 grotes41e +on+eit, and /rsano 5an e22eminate
teddy*boy 2irst seen in a bl1e* and*)in$ dressing*go"n6 that, do1bly h1moro1s, o2 a
vindi+tive salope, or bit+h 52or ? do not thin$ that the )1bli+ o2 the 7lysee* Montmartre,
li$e Littre, believes the "ord Dsalo)eD to be a mas+1line6-
.he )hysi41e o2 the "restlers there2ore +onstit1tes a basi+ sign, "hi+h li$e a seed
+ontains the "hole 2ight- B1t this seed )roli2erates, 2or it is at every t1rn d1ring the 2ight,
in ea+h ne" sit1ation, that the body o2 the "restler +asts to the )1bli+ the magi+al
entertainment o2 a tem)erament "hi+h 2inds its nat1ral e3)ression in a gest1re- .he
di22erent strata o2 meaning thro" light on ea+h other, and 2orm the most intelligible o2
s)e+ta+les- restling is li$e a dia+riti+ "riting: above the 21ndamental meaning o2 his
body, the "restler arranges +omments "hi+h are e)isodi+ b1t al"ays o))ort1ne, and
+onstantly hel) the reading o2 the 2ight by means o2 gest1res, attit1des and mimi+ry
"hi+h ma$e the intention 1tterly obvio1s- ,ometimes the "restler tri1m)hs "ith a
re)1lsive sneer "hile $neeling on the good s)ortsman; sometimes he gives the +ro"d a
+on+eited smile "hi+h 2orebodes an early revenge; sometimes, )inned to the gro1nd, he
hits the 2loor ostentatio1sly to ma$e evident toall the intolerable nat1re o2 his sit1ation;
and sometimes he ere+ts a +om)li+ated set o2 signs meant to ma$e the )1bli+ 1nderstand
that he legitimately )ersoni2ies the ever* entertaining image o2 the gr1mbler, endlessly
+on2ab1lating abo1t his dis)leas1re-
e are there2ore dealing "ith a real H1man (omedy, "here the most so+ially*ins)ired
n1an+es o2 )assion 5+on+eit, right21lness, re2ined +r1elty, a sense o2 A)aying oneAs debtsA6
al"ays 2eli+ito1sly 2ind the +learest sign "hi+h +an re+eive them, e3)ress them and
tri1m)hantly +arry them to the +on2ines o2 the hall- ?t is obvio1s that at s1+h a )it+h, it no
longer matters "hether the )assion is gen1ine or not- hat the )1bli+ "ants is the image
o2 )assion, not )assion itsel2- .here is no more a )roblem o2 tr1th in "restling than in the
theater- ?n both, "hat is e3)e+ted is the intelligible re)resentation o2 moral sit1ations
"hi+h are 1s1ally )rivate- .his em)tying o1t o2 interiority to the bene2it o2 its e3terior
signs, this e3ha1stion o2 the +ontent by the 2orm, is the very )rin+i)le o2 tri1m)hant
+lassi+al art- restling is an immediate )antomime, in2initely more e22i+ient than the
dramati+ )antomime, 2or the "restlerAs gest1re needs no ane+dote, no de+or, in short no
trans2eren+e in order to a))ear tr1e-
& | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
7a+h moment in "restling is there2ore li$e an algebra "hi+h instantaneo1sly 1nveils the
relationshi) bet"een a +a1se and its re)resented e22e+t- restling 2ans +ertainly
e3)erien+e a $ind o2 intelle+t1al )leas1re in seeing the moral me+hanism 21n+tion so
)er2e+tly- ,ome "restlers, "ho are great +omedians, entertain as m1+h as a Moliere
+hara+ter, be+a1se they s1++eed in im)osing an immediate reading o2 their inner nat1re:
Armand Ma@a1d, a "restler o2 an arrogant and ridi+1lo1s +hara+ter 5as one says that
Har)agon:: is a +hara+ter6, al"ays delights the a1dien+e by the mathemati+al rigor o2 his
trans+ri)tions, +arrying the 2orm o2 his gest1res to the 21rthest rea+hes o2 their meaning,
and giving to his manner o2 2ighting the $ind o2 vehemen+e and )re+ision 2o1nd in a great
s+holasti+ dis)1tation, in "hi+h "hat is at sta$e is at on+e the tri1m)h o2 )ride and the
2ormal +on+ern "ith tr1th-
hat is th1s dis)layed 2or the )1bli+ is the great s)e+ta+le o2 ,122ering, Ce2eat, and
<1sti+e- restling )resents manAs s122ering "ith all the am)li2i+ation o2 tragi+ mas$s- .he
"restler "ho s122ers in a hold "hi+h is re)1tedly +r1el 5an arm* lo+$, a t"isted leg6 o22ers
an e3+essive )ortrayal o2 ,122ering; li$e a )rimitive 8ieta, he e3hibits 2or all to see his
2a+e, e3aggeratedly +ontorted by an intolerable a22li+tion- ?t is obvio1s, o2 +o1rse, that in
"restling reserve "o1ld be o1t o2 )la+e, sin+e it is o))osed to the vol1ntary ostentation o2
the s)e+ta+le, to this 73hibition o2 ,122ering "hi+h is the very aim o2 the 2ight- .his is
"hy all the a+tions "hi+h )rod1+e s122ering are )arti+1larly s)e+ta+1lar, li$e the gest1re
o2 a +on=1ror "ho holds o1t his +ards +learly to the )1bli+- ,122ering "hi+h a))eared
"itho1t intelligible +a1se "o1ld not be 1nderstood; a +on+ealed a+tion that "as a+t1ally
+r1el "o1ld transgress the 1n"ritten r1les o2 "restling and "o1ld have no more
so+iologi+al e22i+a+y than a mad or )arasiti+ gest1re- /n the +ontrary s122ering a))ears as
in2li+ted "ith em)hasis and +onvi+tion, 2or everyone m1st not only see that the man
s122ers, b1t also and above all 1nderstand "hy he s122ers- hat "restlers +all a hold, that
is, any 2ig1re "hi+h allo"s one to immobili@e the adversary inde2initely and to have him
at oneAs mer+y, has )re+isely the 21n+tion o2 )re)aring in a +onventional, there2ore
intelligible, 2ashion the s)e+ta+le o2 s122ering, o2 methodi+ally establishing the +onditions
o2 s122ering- .he inertia o2 the van41ished allo"s the 5tem)orary6 vi+tor to settle in his
+r1elty and to +onvey to the )1bli+ this terri2ying slo"ness o2 the tort1rer "ho is +ertain
abo1t the o1t+ome o2 his a+tions; to grind the 2a+e o2 oneAs )o"erless adversary or to
s+ra)e his s)ine "ith oneAs 2ist "ith a dee) and reg1lar movement, or at least to )rod1+e
the s1)er2i+ial a))earan+e o2 s1+h gest1res: "restling is the only s)ort "hi+h gives s1+h
an e3ternali@ed image o2 tort1re- B1t here again, only the image is involved in the game,
and the s)e+tator does not "ish 2or the a+t1al s122ering o2 the +ontestant; he only en=oys
the )er2e+tion o2 an i+onogra)hy- ?t is not tr1e that "restling is a sadisti+ s)e+ta+le: it is
only an intelligible s)e+ta+le-
.here is another 2ig1re, more s)e+ta+1lar still than a hold; it is the 2orearm smash, this
lo1d sla) o2 the 2orearm, this embryoni+ )1n+h "ith "hi+h one +lo1ts the +hest o2 oneAs
adversary, and "hi+h is a++om)anied by a d1ll noise and the e3aggerated sagging o2 a
% | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
van41ished body- ?n the 2orearm smash, +atastro)he is bro1ght to the )oint o2 ma3im1m
obvio1sness, so m1+h so that 1ltimately the gest1re a))ears as no more than a symbol;
this is going too 2ar, this is transgressing the moral r1les o2 "restling, "here all signs
m1st be e3+essively +lear, b1t m1st not let the intention o2 +larity be seen- .he )1bli+
then sho1ts AHeAs laying it onEA, not be+a1se it regrets the absen+e o2 real s122ering, b1t
be+a1se it +ondemns arti2i+e: as in the theater, one 2ails to )1t the )art a+ross as m1+h by
an e3+ess o2 sin+erity as by an e3+ess o2 2ormalism-
e have already seen to "hat e3tent "restlers e3)loit the reso1r+es o2 a given )hysi+al
style, develo)ed and )1t to 1se in order to 1n2old be2ore the eyes o2 the )1bli+ a total
image o2 Ce2eat- .he 2la++idity o2 tall "hite bodies "hi+h +olla)se "ith one blo" or
+rash into the ro)es "ith arms 2lailing, the inertia o2 massive "restlers rebo1nding
)itiably o22 all the elasti+ s1r2a+es o2 the ring, nothing +an signi2y more +learly and more
)assionately the e3em)lary abasement o2 the van41ished- Ce)rived o2 all resilien+e, the
"restlerAs 2lesh is no longer anything b1t an 1ns)ea$able hea) s)read o1t on the 2loor,
"here it soli+its relentless reviling and =1bilation- .here is here a )aro3ysm o2 meaning in
the style o2 anti41ity, "hi+h +an only re+all the heavily 1nderlined intentions in Roman
tri1m)hs- At other times, there is another an+ient )ost1re "hi+h a))ears in the +o1)ling
o2 the "restlers, that o2 the s1))liant "ho, at the mer+y o2 his o))onent, on bended $nees,
his arms raised above his head, is slo"ly bro1ght do"n by the verti+al )ress1re o2 the
vi+tor- ?n "restling, 1nli$e =1do, Ce2eat is not a +onventional sign, abandoned as soon as
it is 1nderstood; it is not an o1t+ome, b1t 41ite the +ontrary, it is a d1ration, a dis)lay, it
ta$es 1) the an+ient myths o2 )1bli+ ,122ering and H1miliation: the +ross and the )illory-
?t is as i2 the "restler is +r1+i2ied in broad daylight and in the sight o2 all- ? have heard it
said o2 a "restler stret+hed on the gro1nd: AHe is dead, little <es1s, there, on the +ross,A
and these ironi+ "ords revealed the hidden roots o2 a s)e+ta+le "hi+h ena+ts the e3a+t
gest1res o2 the most an+ient )1ri2i+ations-
B1t "hat "restling is above all meant to )ortray is a )1rely moral +on+e)t: that o2 =1sti+e-
.he idea o2 A)ayingA is essential to "restling, and the +ro"dAs A9ive it to himA means above
all else AMa$e him )ayA- .his is there2ore, needless to say, an immanent =1sti+e- .he baser
the a+tion o2 the AbastardA, the more delighted the )1bli+ is by the blo" "hi+h he =1stly
re+eives in ret1rn- ?2 the villain**"ho is o2 +o1rse a +o"ard** ta$es re21ge behind the
ro)es, +laiming 1n2airly to have a right to do so by a bra@en mimi+ry, he is ine3orably
)1rs1ed there and +a1ght, and the +ro"d is =1bilant at seeing the r1les bro$en 2or the sa$e
o2 a deserved )1nishment- restlers $no" very "ell ho" to )lay 1) to the +a)a+ity 2or
indignation o2 the )1bli+ by )resenting the very limit o2 the +on+e)t o2 <1sti+e, this
o1termost @one o2 +on2rontation "here it is eno1gh to in2ringe the r1les a little more to
o)en the gates o2 a "orld "itho1t restraints- For a "restling*2an, nothing is 2iner than the
revenge21l 21ry o2 a betrayed 2ighter "ho thro"s himsel2 vehemently not on a s1++ess21l
o))onent b1t on the smarting image o2 2o1l )lay- !at1rally, it is the )attern o2 <1sti+e
"hi+h matters here, m1+h more than its +ontent: "restling is above all a 41antitative
1F | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
se41en+e o2 +om)ensations 5an eye 2or an eye, a tooth 2or a tooth6- .his e3)lains "hy
s1dden +hanges o2 +ir+1mstan+es have in the eyes o2 "restling habit1es a sort o2 moral
bea1ty: they en=oy them as they "o1ld en=oy an ins)ired e)isode in a novel, and the
greater the +ontrast bet"een the s1++ess o2 a move and the reversal o2 2ort1ne, the nearer
the good l1+$ o2 a +ontestant to his do"n2all, the more satis2ying the dramati+ mime is
2elt to be- <1sti+e is there2ore the embodiment o2 a )ossible transgression; it is 2rom the
2a+t that there is a La" that the s)e+ta+le o2 the )assions "hi+h in2ringe it derives its
val1e-
?t is there2ore easy to 1nderstand "hy o1t o2 2ive "restling mat+hes, only abo1t one is
2air- /ne m1st reali@e, let it be re)eated, that A2airnessA here is a role or a genre, as in the
theater: the r1les do not at all +onstit1te a real +onstraint; they are the +onventional
a))earan+e o2 2airness- ,o that in a+t1al 2a+t a 2air 2ight is nothing b1t an e3aggeratedly
)olite one: the +ontestants +on2ront ea+h other "ith @eal, not rage; they +an remain in
+ontrol o2 their )assions, they do not )1nish their beaten o))onent relentlessly, they sto)
2ighting as soon as they are ordered to do so, and +ongrat1late ea+h other at the end o2 a
)arti+1larly ard1o1s e)isode, d1ring "hi+h, ho"ever, they have not +eased to be 2air- /ne
m1st o2 +o1rse 1nderstand here that all these )olite a+tions are bro1ght to the noti+e o2 the
)1bli+ by the most +onventional gest1res o2 2airness: sha$ing hands, raising the arms,
ostensibly avoiding a 2r1itless hold "hi+h "o1ld detra+t 2rom the )er2e+tion o2 the
+ontest-
(onversely, 2o1l )lay e3ists only in its e3+essive signs: administering a big $i+$ to oneAs
beaten o))onent, ta$ing re21ge behind the ro)es "hile ostensibly invo$ing a )1rely
2ormal right, re21sing to sha$e hands "ith oneAs o))onent be2ore or a2ter the 2ight, ta$ing
advantage o2 the end o2 the ro1nd to r1sh trea+hero1sly at theadversary 2rom behind,
2o1ling him "hile the re2eree is not loo$ing 5a move "hi+h obvio1sly only has any val1e
or 21n+tion be+a1se in 2a+t hal2 the a1dien+e +an see it and get indignant abo1t it6- ,in+e
7vil is the nat1ral +limate o2 "restling, a 2air 2ight has +hie2ly the val1e o2 being an
e3+e)tion- ?t s1r)rises the a2i+ionado, "ho greets it "hen he sees it as an ana+hronism
and a rather sentimental thro"ba+$ to the s)orting tradition 5AArenAt they )laying 2air,
those t"oA6; he 2eels s1ddenly moved at the sight o2 the general $indness o2 the "orld, b1t
"o1ld )robably die o2 boredom and indi22eren+e i2 "restlers did not 41i+$ly ret1rn to the
orgy o2 evil "hi+h alone ma$es good "restling-
73tra)olated, 2air "restling +o1ld lead only to bo3ing or =1do, "hereas tr1e "restling
derives its originality 2rom all the e3+esses "hi+h ma$e it a s)e+ta+le and not a s)ort- .he
ending o2 a bo3ing*mat+h or a =1do*+ontest is abr1)t, li$e the 21ll sto) "hi+h +loses a
demonstration- .he rhythm o2 "restling is 41ite di22erent, 2or its nat1ral meaning is that
o2 rhetori+al am)li2i+ation: the emotional magnilo41en+e, the re)eated )aro3ysms, the
e3as)eration o2 the retorts +an only 2ind their nat1ral o1t+ome in the most baro41e
+on21sion- ,ome 2ights, among the most s1++ess21l $ind, are +ro"ned by a 2inal
11 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
+harivari, a sort o2 1nrestrained 2antasia "here the r1les, the la"s o2 the genre, the
re2ereeAs +ens1ring and the limits o2 the ring are abolished, s"e)t a"ay by a tri1m)hant
disorder "hi+h over2lo"s into the hall and +arries o22 )ell*mell "restlers, se+onds, re2eree
and s)e+tators-
?t has already been noted that in Ameri+a "restling re)resents a sort o2 mythologi+al 2ight
bet"een 9ood and 7vil 5o2 a 41asi*)oliti+al nat1re, the AbadA "restler al"ays being
s1))osed to be a Red6- .he )ro+ess o2 +reating heroes in Fren+h "restling is very
di22erent, being based on ethi+s and not on )oliti+s- hat the )1bli+ is loo$ing 2or here is
the grad1al +onstr1+tion o2 a highly moral image: that o2 the )er2e+t AbastardA- /ne +omes
to "restling in order to attend the +ontin1ing advent1res o2 a single ma=or leading
+hara+ter, )ermanent and m1lti2orm li$e 81n+h or ,+a)ino, inventive in 1ne3)e+ted
2ig1res and yet al"ays 2aith21l to his role- .he AbastardA is here revealed as a Moliere
+hara+ter or a A)ortraitA by La Br1yere, that is to say as a +lassi+al entity, an essen+e,
"hose a+ts are only signi2i+ant e)i)henomena arranged in time- .his styli@ed +hara+ter
does not belong to any )arti+1lar nation or )arty, and "hether the "restler is +alled
G1@+hen$o 5ni+$named Mo1sta+he a2ter ,talin6, #er)a@ian, 9as)ardi, <o Hignola or
!ollieres, the a2i+ionado does not attrib1te to him any +o1ntry e3+e)t A2airnessA**
observing the r1les-
hat then is a AbastardA 2or this a1dien+e +om)osed in )art, "e are told, o2 )eo)le "ho are
themselves o1tside the r1les o2 so+iety I 7ssentially someone 1nstable, "ho a++e)ts the
r1les only "hen they are 1se21l to him and transgresses the 2ormal +ontin1ity o2 attit1des-
He is 1n)redi+table, there2ore aso+ial- He ta$es re21ge behind the la" "hen he +onsiders
that it is in his 2avor, and brea$s it "hen he 2inds it 1se21l to do so- ,ometimes he re=e+ts
the 2ormal bo1ndaries o2 the ring and goes on hitting an adversary legally )rote+ted by
the ro)es, sometimes he reestablishes these bo1ndaries and +laims the )rote+tion o2 "hat
he did not res)e+t a 2e" min1tes earlier- .his in+onsisten+y, 2ar more than trea+hery or
+r1elty, sends the a1dien+e beside itsel2 "ith rage: o22ended not in its morality b1t in its
logi+, it +onsiders the +ontradi+tion o2 arg1ments as the basest o2 +rimes- .he 2orbidden
move be+omes dirty only "hen it destroys a 41antitative e41ilibri1m and dist1rbs the
rigoro1s re+$oning o2 +om)ensations; "hat is +ondemned by the a1dien+e is not at all the
transgression o2 insi)id o22i+ial r1les, it is the la+$ o2 revenge, the absen+e o2 a
)1nishment- ,o that there is nothing more e3+iting 2or a +ro"d than the grandilo41ent
$i+$ given to a van41ished AbastardA; the =oy o2 )1nishing is at its +lima3 "hen it is
s1))orted by a mathemati+al =1sti2i+ation; +ontem)t is then 1nrestrained- /ne is no
longer dealing "ith a salaud b1t "ith a salope**the verbal gest1re o2 the 1ltimate
degradation-
,1+h a )re+ise 2inality demands that "restling sho1ld be e3a+tly "hat the )1bli+ e3)e+ts
o2 it- restlers, "ho are very e3)erien+ed, $no" )er2e+tly ho" to dire+t the s)ontaneo1s
e)isodes o2 the 2ight so as to ma$e them +on2orm to the image "hi+h the )1bli+ has o2 the
12 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
great legendary themes o2 its mythology- A "restler +an irritate or disg1st, he never
disa))oints, 2or he al"ays a++om)lishes +om)letely, by a )rogressive solidi2i+ation o2
signs, "hat the )1bli+ e3)e+ts o2 him- ?n "restling, nothing e3ists e3+e)t in the absol1te,
there is no symbol, no all1sion, everything is )resented e3ha1stively- Leaving nothing in
the shade, ea+h a+tion dis+ards all )arasiti+ meanings and +eremonially o22ers to the
)1bli+ a )1re and 21ll signi2i+ation, ro1nded li$e !at1re- .his grandilo41en+e is nothing
b1t the )o)1lar and age*old image o2 the )er2e+t intelligibility o2 reality- hat is
)ortrayed by "restling is there2ore an ideal 1nderstanding o2 things; it is the e1)horia o2
men raised 2or a "hile above the +onstit1tive ambig1ity o2 everyday sit1ations and )la+ed
be2ore the )anorami+ vie" o2 a 1nivo+al !at1re, in "hi+h signs at last +orres)ond to
+a1ses, "itho1t obsta+le, "itho1t evasion, "itho1t +ontradi+tion-
hen the hero or the villain o2 the drama, the man "ho "as seen a 2e" min1tes earlier
)ossessed by moral rage, magni2ied into a sort o2 meta)hysi+al sign, leaves the "restling
hall, im)assive, anonymo1s, +arrying a small s1it+ase and arm*in*arm "ith his "i2e, no
one +an do1bt that "restling holds that )o"er o2 transm1tation "hi+h is +ommon to the
,)e+ta+le and to Religio1s orshi)- ?n the ring, and even in the de)ths o2 their vol1ntary
ignominy, "restlers remain gods be+a1se they are, 2or a 2e" moments, the $ey "hi+h
o)ens !at1re, the )1re gest1re "hi+h se)arates 9ood 2rom 7vil, and 1nveils the 2orm o2 a
<1sti+e "hi+h is at last intelligible-
:?n MoliereAs L'Ecole des Femmes and Ra+ineAs Andromaque-
::?n MoliereAs L'Avare-
13 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
Lo1 9ehrig:
Fare"ell to Baseball, <1ly 4, 1%3%
delivered by Iou <ehrig, on %uly K, 4E8E Fans, for the past two wees you have
been reading about a bad brea * got. Det today * consider myself the luciest man
on the face of the earth. * have been in ballpars for seventeen years and have
never received anything but indness and encouragement from you fans. Ioo at
these grand men. Which of you wouldnMt consider it the highlight of his career "ust to
associate with them for even one day? $ure, *Mm lucy. Who wouldnMt consider it an
honor to have nown %acob ?uppert, also the builder of baseballMs greatest empire,
'd Barow, to have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow &iller Auggins,
then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart
student of psychology -- the best manager in baseball today -- %oe &c0arthyN $ure,
*Mm lucy. When the @ew Dor <iants, a team you would give your right arm to beat,
and vice versa, sends you a gift, thatMs somethingN When everybody down to the
groundseepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies, thatMs
something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who taes sides with you in
squabbles against her own daughter, thatMs something. When you have a father and
mother who wor all their lives so that you can have an education and build your
body, itMs a blessingN When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and
shown more courage than you dreamed existed, thatMs the finest * now. $o * close
in saying that * might have had a tough brea, but * have an awful lot to live forN
$ource1
!his text is part of the *nternet &odern Aistory $ourceboo. !he $ourceboo is a
collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in
modern 'uropean and World history.
Gnless otherwise indicated the specific electronic form of the document is copyright.
+ermission is granted for electronic copying, distribution in print form for educational
purposes and personal use. *f you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source.
@o permission is granted for commercial use of the $ourceboo.
O +aul Aalsall, %anuary 4EEE
halsallPfordham.edu
.imothy Leary: .he Ce+laration o2 7vol1tion
When in the course of organic evolution it becomes obvious that a mutational process is inevitably dissolving
the physical and neurological bonds which connect the members of one generation to the past and inevitably
directing them to assume among the species of 'arth the separate and equal station to which the Iaws of
14 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
@ature and @atureMs <od entitle them, a decent concern for the harmony of species requires that the causes
of the mutation should be declared.
We hold these truths to be self evident1
!hat all species are created different but equal,
!hat they are endowed, each one, with certain inalienable rights,
!hat among them are Freedom to Iive, Freedom to <row, and Freedom to pursue Aappiness in their
own style,
!hat to protect these <od-given rights, social structures naturally emerge, basing their authority on
the principles of love of <od and respect for all forms of life,
!hat whenever any form of government becomes destructive of life, liberty, and harmony, it is the
organic duty of the young members of that species to mutate, to drop out, to initiate a new social
structure, laying its foundations on such principles and organiBing its power in such form as seems
liely to produce the safety, happiness, and harmony of all sentient beings.
<enetic wisdom, indeed, suggests that social structures long established should not be discarded for frivolous
reasons and transient causes. !he ecstasy of mutation is equally balanced by the pain. .ccordingly all
experience shows that members of a species are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, rather
than to discard the forms to which they are accustomed.
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, all pursuing invariably the same destructive goals, threaten
the very fabric of organic life and the serene harmony of the planet, it is the right, it is the organic duty to drop
out of such morbid covenants and to evolve new loving social structures.
$uch has been the patient sufferance of the freedom-loving peoples of this earth, and such is now the
necessity which constrains us to form new systems of government.
!he history of the white, menopausal, mendacious men now ruling the planet earth is a history of repeated
violation of the harmonious laws of nature, all having the direct ob"ect of establishing a tyranny of the
materialistic aging over the gentle, the peace-loving, the young, the colored. !o prove this, let Facts be
submitted to the "udgement of generations to come.
!hese old, white rulers have maintained a continuous war against other species of life, enslaving and
destroying at whim fowl, fish, animals and spreading a lethal carpet of concrete and metal over the
soft body of earth.
!hey have maintained as well a continual state of war among themselves and against the colored
races, the freedom-loving, the gentle, the young. <enocide is their habit.
!hey have instituted artificial scarcities, denying peaceful fol the natural inheritance of earthMs
abundance and <odMs endowment.
!hey have glorified material values and degraded the spiritual.
!hey have claimed private, personal ownership of <odMd land, driving by force of arms the gentle from
passage on the earth.
*n their greed they have erected artificial immigration and customs barriers, preventing the free
movement of people.
*n their lust for control they have set up systems of compulsory education to coerce the minds of the
children and to destroy the wisdom and innocence of the playful young.
*n their lust for power they have controlled all means of communication to prevent the free flow of
ideas and to bloc loving exchanges among the gentle.
*n their fear they have instituted great armies of secret police to spy upon the privacy of the pacific.
*n their anger they have coerced the peaceful young against their will to "oin their armies and to wage
murderous wars against the young and gentle of other countries.
*n their greed they have made the manufacture and selling of weapons the basis of their economies.
For profit they have polluted the air, the rivers, the seas.
15 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
*n their impotence they have glorified murder, violence, and unnatural sex in their mass media.
*n their aging greed they have set up an economic system which favors age over youth.
!hey have in every way attempted to impose a robot uniformity and to crush variety, individuality, and
independence of thought.
*n their greed, they have instituted political systems which perpetuate rule by the aging and force
youth to choose between plastic conformity or despairing alienation.
!hey have invaded privacy by illegal search, unwarranted arrest, and contemptuous harassment.
!hey have enlisted an army of informers.
*n their greed they sponsor the consumption of deadly tars and sugars and employ cruel and unusual
punishment of the possession of life-giving alaloids and acids.
!hey never admit a mistae. !hey unceasingly trumpet the virtue of greed and war. *n their
advertising and in their manipulation of information they mae a fetish out of blatant falsity and pious
self-enhancement. !heir obvious errors only stimulate them to greater error and noisier self-approval.
!hey are bores.
!hey hate beauty.
!hey hate sex.
!hey hate life.
We have warned them from time to time to their inequities and blindness. We have addressed every available
appeal to their withered sense of righteousness. We have tried to mae them laugh. We have prophesied in
detail the terror they are perpetuating. But they have been deaf to the weeping of the poor, the anguish of the
colored, the rocing mocery of the young, the warnings of their poets. Worshipping only force and money,
they listen only to force and money. But we shall no longer tal in these grim tongues.
We must therefore acquiesce to genetic necessity, detach ourselves from their uncaring madness and hold
them henceforth as we hold the rest of <odMs creatures - in harmony, life brothers, in their excess, menaces to
life.
We, therefore, <od-loving, peace-loving, life-loving, fun-loving men and women, appealing to the $upreme
%udge of the Gniverse for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name and by the .uthority of all sentient
beings who see gently to evolve on this planet, solemnly publish and declare that we are free and
independent, and that we are absolved from all .llegiance to the Gnited $tates <overnment and all
governments controlled by the menopausal, and that grouping ourselves into tribes of lie-minded fellows, we
claim full power to live and move on the land, obtain sustenance with our own hands and minds in the style
which seems sacred and holy to us, and to do all .cts and !hings which independent Freemen and
Freewomen may of right do without infringing on the same rights of other species and groups to do their own
thing.
.nd for the support of this /eclaration of 'volution with a firm reliance on the protection of /ivine +rovidence,
and serenely confident of the approval of generations to come, in whose name we spea, do we now mutually
pledge to each other our Iives, our Fortunes, and our $acred Aonor.
.uthor1 /r. !imothy Ieary, +h./.
1> | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
Song o the Sau!age &reature
'( Hunter S$ Tho)*!on
.here are some things nobody needs in this "orld, and a bright*red, h1n+h*ba+$, "ar)*
s)eed %FF++ +a2e ra+er is one o2 them * b1t ? "ant one any"ay, and on some days ?
a+t1ally believe ? need one- .hat is "hy they are dangero1s-
7verybody has 2ast motor+y+les these days- ,ome )eo)le go 15F miles an ho1r on t"o*
lane bla+$to) roads, b1t not o2ten- .here are too many on+oming tr1+$s and too many
radar +o)s and too many st1)id animals in the "ay- #o1 have to be a little +ra@y to ride
these s1)er*tor41e high*s)eed +rot+h ro+$ets any"here e3+e)t a ra+etra+$ * and even
there, they "ill s+are the "him)ering shit o1t o2 yo1--- .here is, a2ter all, not a )igAs eye
"orth o2 di22eren+e bet"een going head*on into a 8eterbilt or side"ays into the blea+hers-
/n some days yo1 get "hat yo1 "ant, and on others, yo1 get "hat yo1 need-
hen (y+le orld +alled me to as$ i2 ? "o1ld road*test the ne" Harley Road Ging, ? got
1))ity and said ?Ad rather have a C1+ati s1)erbi$e- ?t seemed li$e a +hi+ de+ision at the
time, and my 2riends on the s1)erbi$e +ir+1it got very e3+ited- DHot damn,D they said-
De "ill ta$e it to the tra+$ and blo" the bastards a"ay-D
DBalls,D ? said- D!ever mind the tra+$- .he tra+$ is 2or )1n$s- e are Road 8eo)le- e
are (a2e Ra+ers-D
.he (a2e Ra+er is a di22erent breed, and "e have o1r o"n sit1ations- 81re s)eed in si3th
gear on a 5FFF*2oot straighta"ay is one thing, b1t )1re s)eed in third gear on a gravel*
stre"n do"nhill ess*t1rn is 41ite another-
B1t "e li$e it- A thoro1ghbred (a2e Ra+er "ill ride all night thro1gh a 2og storm in
2ree"ay tra22i+ to )1t himsel2 into "hat somebody told him "as the 1gliest and tightest
de+reasing*radi1s t1rn sin+e 9enghis Ghan invented the +or$s+re"-
(a2e Ra+ing is mainly a matter o2 taste- ?t is an atavisti+ mentality, a )e+1liar mi3 o2 lo"
style, high s)eed, )1re d1mbness, and over"eening +ommitment to the (a2e Li2e and all
its dangero1s )leas1res--- ? am a (a2e Ra+er mysel2, on some days * and it is one o2 my
2inest addi+tions-
? am not "itho1t s+ars on my brain and my body, b1t ? +an live "ith them- ? still 2eel a
sh1dder in my s)ine every time ? see a )i+t1re o2 a Hin+ent Bla+$ ,hado", or "hen ?
"al$ into a )1bli+ restroom and hear +ri))led men "his)ering abo1t the terri2ying
Ga"asa$i .ri)le--- ? have visions o2 +om)o1nd 2em1r*2ra+t1res and large bla+$ men in
"hite hos)ital s1its holding me do"n on a g1rney "hile a n1rse +alled DBessD se"s the
2la)s o2 my s+al) together "ith a stit+hing drill-
1B | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
Ho, ho- .han$ 9od 2or these 2lashba+$s- .he brain is s1+h a "onder21l instr1ment 51ntil
9od sin$s his teeth into it6- ,ome )eo)le hear .iny .im singing "hen they go 1nder, and
some others hear the song o2 the ,a1sage (reat1re-
hen the C1+ati t1rned 1) in my drive"ay, nobody $ne" "hat to do "ith it- ? "as in
!e" #or$, +overing a )olo to1rnament, and )eo)le had threatened my li2e- My la"yer
said ? sho1ld give mysel2 1) and enroll in the Federal itness 8rote+tion 8rogram- /ther
)eo)le said it had something to do "ith the )olo +ro"d-
.he motor+y+le b1siness "as the last stra"- ?t had to be the "or$ o2 my enemies, or
)eo)le "ho "anted to h1rt me- ?t "as the vilest $ind o2 bait, and they $ne" ? "o1ld go
2or it-
/2 +o1rse- #o1 "ant to +ri))le the bastardI ,end him a 13F*m)h +a2e*ra+er- And in+l1de
some li+ense )lates, heAll thin$ itAs a streetbi$e- HeAs 41eer 2or anything 2ast-
hi+h is tr1e- ? have been a +onnoisse1r o2 2ast motor+y+les all my li2e- ? bo1ght a brand*
ne" >5F B,A Lightning "hen it "as billed as Dthe 2astest motor+y+le ever tested by Hot
Rod maga@ine-D ? have ridden a 5FF*)o1nd Hin+ent thro1gh tra22i+ on the Hent1ra
Free"ay "ith b1rning oil on my legs and r1n the Ga"a B5F .ri)le thro1gh Beverly Hills
at night "ith a head 21ll o2 a+id--- ? have ridden "ith ,onny Barger and smo$ed "eed in
bi$er bars "ith <a+$ !i+holson, 9ra+e ,li+$, Ron Jigler and my in2amo1s old 2riend, Gen
Gesey, a legendary (a2e Ra+er-
,ome )eo)le "ill tell yo1 that slo" is good * and it may be, on some days * b1t ? am here
to tell yo1 that 2ast is better- ?Ave al"ays believed this, in s)ite o2 the tro1ble itAs +a1sed
me- Being shot o1t o2 a +annon "ill al"ays be better than being s41ee@ed o1t o2 a t1be-
.hat is "hy 9od made 2ast motor+y+les, B1bba----
,o "hen ? got ba+$ 2rom !e" #or$ and 2o1nd a 2iery red ro+$et*style bi$e in my garage,
? reali@ed ? "as ba+$ in the road*testing b1siness-
.he brand*ne" C1+ati %FF Campione del Mundo Desmodue ,1)ers)ort do1ble*barreled
magn1m (a2e Ra+er 2illed me "ith 2eelings o2 l1st every time ? loo$ed at it- /thers 2elt
the same "ay- My garage 41i+$ly be+ame a magnet 2or drooling s1)erbi$e gro1)ies-
.hey 41arreled and bit+hed at ea+h other abo1t "ho "o1ld be the 2irst to hel) me
eval1ate my ne" toy--- And ? did, o2 +o1rse, need a +ertain s)e+tr1m o2 o)inions, besides
my o"n, to )ro)erly =1dge this motor+y+le- .he oody (ree$ 8erverse 7nvironmental
.esting Fa+ility is a long "ay 2rom Caytona or even to)*21el +hallenge*s)rints on the
8a+i2i+ (oast High"ay, "here teams o2 big*bore Ga"asa$is and #amahas are said to ra+e
head*on against ea+h other in death*de2ying games o2 D+hi+$enD at 1FF miles an ho1r----
1& | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
!o- !ot everybody "ho b1ys a high*dollar tor41e*br1te yearns to go o1t in a ball o2 2ire
on a )1bli+ street in L-A- ,ome o2 1s are de+ent )eo)le "ho "ant to stay o1t o2 the
emergen+y room, b1t still blast thro1gh neo*gridlo+$ tra22i+ in residential distri+ts
"henever "e 2eel li$e it--- For that "e need Fine Ma+hinery-
hi+h "e had * no do1bt abo1t that- .he C1+ati )eo)le in !e" <ersey had o)ted, 2or
some reasons o2 their o"n, to send me the %FFss*s) 2or testing * rather than their %1>
+ra@y*2ast, state*o2*the*art s1)erbi$e tra+$*ra+er- ?t "as 2ar too 2ast, they said * and
)rohibitively e3)ensive * to 2arm o1t 2or testing to a gang o2 hal2*mad (olorado +o"boys
"ho thin$ theyAre "orld*+lass (a2e Ra+ers-
.he C1+ati %FF is a 2inely engineered ma+hine- My neighbors +alled it bea1ti21l and
admired its ra+ing lines- .he nasty little b1gger loo$ed li$e it "as going %F miles an ho1r
"hen it "as standing still in my garage-
.a$ing it on the road, tho1gh, "as a gen1inely terri2ying e3)erien+e- ? had no sense o2
s)eed 1ntil ? "as going %F and +oming 1) 2ast on a b1n+h o2 )i+$1) tr1+$s going into a
"et +1rve along the river- ? "ent 2or both bra$es, b1t only the 2ront one "or$ed, and ?
almost "ent end over end- ? "as o1t o2 +ontrol staring at the tail)i)e o2 a K-,- Mail tr1+$,
still stabbing 2ranti+ally at my rear bra$e )edal, "hi+h ? =1st +o1ldnAt 2ind--- ? am too tall
2or these ne"*age roadra+ers; they are not b1ilt 2or any rider taller than 2ive*nine, and the
rearset bra$e )edal "as not "here ? tho1ght it "o1ld be- Mid*si@e ?talian )im)s "ho li$e
to ra+e 2rom one +a2e to another on the bo1levards o2 Rome in a 2lat*line )rone )osition
might li$e this, b1t ? do not-
? "as h1n+hed over the tan$ li$e a )erson diving into a )ool that got em)tied yesterday-
ha+$oE Bashed on the +on+rete bottom, 2lesh ri))ed o22, a ,a1sage (reat1re "ith no
teeth, 21+$ed*1) 2or the rest o2 its li2e-
e all love .or41e, and some o2 1s have ta$en it straight over the high side 2rom time to
time * and there is al"ays 8ain in that--- B1t there is also F1n, the deadly element, and
F1n is "hat yo1 get "hen yo1 s+re" this monster on- B//ME ?nstant ta$e*o22, no
s+ree+hing or s41a"$ing aro1nd li$e a 2ool "ith yo1r teeth +lam)ing do"n on o1r tong1e
and yo1r mind +om)letely em)ty o2 everything b1t 2ear-
!o- .his b1gger digs right in and shoots yo1 straight do"n the )i)e, 2or good or ill-
/n my 2irst ta$e*o22, ? hit se+ond gear and "ent thro1gh the s)eed limit on a t"o*lane
bla+$to) high"ay 21ll o2 ran+h tra22i+- By the time ? "ent 1) to third, ? "as going B5 and
the ta+h "as barely above 4FFF r)m----
1% | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
And thatAs "hen it got its se+ond "ind- From 4FFF to >FFF in third "ill ta$e yo1 2rom B5
m)h to %5 in t"o se+onds * and a2ter that, B1bba, yo1 still have 2o1rth, 2i2th, and si3th-
Ho, ho-
? never got to si3th gear, and ? didnAt get dee) into 2i2th- .his is a shame21l admission 2or
a 21ll*bore (a2e Ra+er, b1t let me tell yo1 something, old s)ort: .his motor+y+le is
sim)ly too goddamn 2ast to ride at s)eed in any $ind o2 normal road tra22i+ 1nless yo1Are
ready to go straight do"n the +enterline "ith yo1r n1ts on 2ire and a silent s+ream in yo1r
throat-
hen aimed in the right dire+tion at high s)eed, tho1gh, it has 1nnat1ral +a)abilities-
.his ? 1n"ittingly dis+overed as ? made my a))roa+h to a shar) t1rn a+ross some railroad
tra+$s, sa" that ? "as going "ay too 2ast and that my only +han+e "as to veer right and
s+re" it on totally, in a des)erate attem)t to lea)2rog the +1rve by going airborne-
?t "as a bold and re+$less move, b1t it "as ne+essary- And it "or$ed: ? 2elt li$e 7vel
Gnievel as ? soared a+ross the tra+$s "ith the rain in my eyes and my =a"s +lam)ed
together in 2ear- ? tried to s)it do"n on the tra+$s as ? )assed them, b1t my mo1th "as too
dry--- ? landed hard on the edge o2 the road and lost my gri) 2or a moment as the C1+ati
began 2ishtailing +ra@ily into on+oming tra22i+- For t"o or three se+onds ? +ame 2a+e to
2a+e "ith the ,a1sage (reat1re----
B1t someho" the br1te straightened o1t- ? )assed a s+hoolb1s on the right and got the
bi$e 1nder +ontrol long eno1gh to gear do"n and )1ll o22 into an abandoned gravel
drive"ay "here ? sto))ed and t1rned o22 the engine- My hands had sei@ed 1) li$e +la"s
and the rest o2 my body "as n1mb- ? 2elt na1seo1s and ? +ried 2or my mama, b1t nobody
heard, then ? "ent into a tran+e 2or 3F or 4F se+onds 1ntil ? "as 2inally able to light a
+igarette and +alm do"n eno1gh to ride home- ? "as too hysteri+al to shi2t gears, so ?
"ent the "hole "ay in 2irst at 4F miles an ho1r-
hoo)sE hat am ? sayingI .all stories, ho, ho--- e are motor+y+le )eo)le; "e "al$
tall and "e la1gh at "hateverAs 21nny- e shit on the +hests o2 the eird----
B1t "hen "e ride very 2ast motor+y+les, "e ride "ith imma+1late sanity- e might ab1se
a s1bstan+e here and there, b1t only "hen itAs right- .he 2inal meas1re o2 any riderAs s$ill
is the inverse ratio o2 his )re2erred .raveling ,)eed to the n1mber o2 bad s+ars on his
body- ?t is that sim)le: ?2 yo1 ride 2ast and +rash, yo1 are a bad rider- And i2 yo1 are a bad
rider, yo1 sho1ld not ride motor+y+les-
.he emergen+e o2 the s1)erbi$e has heightened this e41ation drasti+ally- Motor+y+le
te+hnology has made s1+h a great lea) 2or"ard- .a$e the C1+ati- #o1 "ant o)tim1m
2F | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
+r1ising s)eed on this b1ggerI .ry %Fm)h in 2i2th at 55FF r)m * and =1st then, yo1 see a
b1ll moose in the middle o2 the road- HA(G/- Meet the ,a1sage (reat1re-
/r maybe not: .he C1+ati %FF is so 2inely engineered and balan+ed and tor41ed that yo1
:+an: do %F m)h in 2i2th thro1gh a 35*m)h @one and get a"ay "ith it- .he bi$e is not =1st
2ast * it is :e3tremely: 41i+$ and res)onsive, and it :"ill: do ama@ing things--- ?t is li$e
riding a Hin+ent Bla+$ ,hado", "hi+h "o1ld o1tr1n an F*&> =et 2ighter on the ta$e*o22
r1n"ay, b1t at the end, the F*&> "o1ld go airborne and the Hin+ent "o1ld not, and there
"as no )oint in trying to t1rn it- HAM/E .he ,a1sage (reat1re stri$es again-
.here is a 21ndamental di22eren+e, ho"ever, bet"een the old Hin+ents and the ne" breed
o2 s1)erbi$es- ?2 yo1 rode the Bla+$ ,hado" at to) s)eed 2or any length o2 time, yo1
"o1ld almost +ertainly die- .hat is "hy there are not many li2e members o2 the Hin+ent
Bla+$ ,hado" ,o+iety- .he Hin+ent "as li$e a b1llet that "ent straight; the C1+ati is li$e
the magi+ b1llet in Callas that "ent side"ays and hit <FG and the 9overnor o2 .e3as at
the same time-
?t "as im)ossible- B1t so "as my terri2ying side"ays lea) a+ross the railroad tra+$s on
the %FFs)- .he bi$e did it easily "ith the gra+e o2 a 2leeing tom+at- .he landing "as so
easy ? remember thin$ing, goddamnit, i2 ? had s+re"ed it on a little more ? +o1ld have
gone a lot 2arther-
Maybe this is the ne" (a2e Ra+er ma+ho- My bi$e is so m1+h 2aster than yo1rs that ?
dare yo1 to ride it, yo1 lame little t1rd- Co yo1 have the balls to ride this B/../ML7,,
8?. /F ./RLK7I
.hat is the attit1de o2 the ne"*age s1)erbi$e 2rea$, and ? am one o2 them- /n some days
they are abo1t the most 21n yo1 +an have "ith yo1r +lothes on- .he Hin+ent =1st $illed
yo1 a lot 2aster than a s1)erbi$e "ill- A 2ool +o1ldnAt ride the Hin+ent Bla+$ ,hado"
more than on+e, b1t a 2ool +an ride a C1+ati %FF many times, and it "ill al"ays be a
blood+1rdling $ind o2 21n- .hat is the (1rse o2 ,)eed "hi+h has )lag1ed me all my li2e- ?
am a slave to it- /n my tombstone they "ill +arve, D?. !7H7R 9/. FA,. 7!/K9H
F/R M7-D
21 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
22 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
High Hurdle! and White Glove!
.H7 F?R,. M/C7R! /L#M8?( 9AM7, .//G 8LA(7 ?! A.H7!, ,?M.#
#7AR, A9/ ?! A ,.AC?KM H/LC?!9 ,7H7!.#*F?H7 .H/K,A!C- .H7
AM7R?(A! HKRCL7R .H/MA, 8- (KR.?, /! .H7 9/LC M7CAL ?! H?,
7H7!.; H7 AL,/ F/K!C .?M7 ./ MAG7 !/.7, /F HA. HA887!7C
By Thomas P. Curtis
.H7 "ay o1r K-,- team "as sele+ted 2or those 2irst modern /lym)i+
games held at Athens in 1&%> "o1ld seem e3traordinary to an athlete
o2 1%32- ?n e22e+t "e sele+ted o1rselves- hen an invitation "as
re+eived in this +o1ntry, as$ing the Knited ,tates to send
re)resentatives to 9ree+e, the )o"ers o2 the Boston Athleti+
Asso+iation "ent into a h1ddle and de+ided that the B-A-A- had a
)retty good tra+$ team "hi+h had met "ith reasonable s1++ess at home
and that the Asso+iation +o1ld a22ord to send a gro1) o2 seven athletes
and a +oa+h to the 2irst /lym)iad- 8rin+eton Kniversity also de+ided to
send over a small team, and as the amate1r standing o2 all "as
satis2a+tory, that "as all there "as to it- !aiveI #es, b1t so "as the
"hole idea, "hi+h had blossomed in the brain o2 Baron 8ierre de
(o1bertin- ,o "ere the +om)etitors and so "ere the s)e+tators- ,o
"ere most o2 the governments "hi+h sent re)resentatives to Athens,
and so "ere many o2 the in+idents, "hi+h seem =1st as 21nny today as
they did at the time, )erha)s even more so, in vie" o2 modern
develo)ments-
23 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
e sailed by the so1thern ro1te to !a)les, )assing the A@ores, and "e
$e)t in +ondition as "ell as "e +o1ld by e3er+ising on the a2terde+$-
At 9ibraltar the British o22i+ers invited 1s to 1se their 2ield 2or
)ra+ti+e, and "e managed to get rid o2 o1r sea legs to a +ertain e3tent-
B1t "hen "e arrived at Athens on the day )re+eding the o)ening o2 the
gamesNa2ter +rossing ?taly by train, s)ending t"enty*2o1r ho1rs on
the boat 2rom Brindisi to 8atras, and then +rossing 9ree+e by trainN
"e "ere not e3a+tly in "hat todayAs /lym)i+ +oa+hes "o1ld +all the
)in$-
!or did o1r re+e)tion at Athens, $ind and hos)itable as it "as, hel)-
e "ere met "ith a )ro+ession, "ith bands blaring be2ore and behind,
and "ere mar+hed on 2oot 2or "hat seemed miles to the Hotel de Hille-
Here s)ee+h a2ter s)ee+h "as made in 9ree$, )res1mably very
2lattering to 1s, b1t o2 +o1rse entirely 1nintelligible- e "ere given
large b1m)ers o2 the "hite*resin "ine o2 9ree+e and told by o1r
advisors that it "o1ld be a gross brea+h o2 eti41ette i2 "e did not drain
these o22 in res)onse to the vario1s toasts- As soon as this +eremony
"as over, "e "ere again )la+ed at the head o2 a )ro+ession and
mar+hed to o1r hotel- ? +o1ld not hel) 2eeling that so m1+h mar+hing,
+ombined "ith several noggins o2 resino1s "ine, "o1ld tell on 1s in
the +ontests the 2ollo"ing day-
My do1bts "ere dee)ened on meeting the )ro)rietor o2 o1r hotel- He
as$ed me in "hat events ? "as going to +om)ete, and "hen ? named
)arti+1larly the high h1rdles, he b1rst into roars o2 la1ghter- ?t "as
24 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
some time be2ore he +o1ld s)ea$, b1t "hen he had +almed do"n
eno1gh, he a)ologi@ed and e3)lained that it had seemed to him
ine3)ressibly droll that a man sho1ld travel 5FFF miles to ta$e )art in
an event "hi+h he had no )ossible +han+e to "in- /nly that a2ternoon,
the 9ree$ h1rdler in )ra+ti+e had h1ng 1) an absol1tely 1nbeatable
re+ord-
ith a good deal o2 an3iety, ? as$ed him "hat this re+ord "as- He
glan+ed aro1nd g1iltily, led me to a +orner o2 the room, and "his)ering
in my ear li$e a stage +ons)irator, said that the re+ord "as not
s1))osed to be made )1bli+ b1t that he had it on 1nim)ea+hable
a1thority that the 9ree$ hero had r1n the h1rdles in the ama@ing time
o2 nineteen and 2o1r*2i2ths se+ondsE
Again he "as over+ome "ith mirth b1t re+overed to say that ? sho1ld
not be too dis+o1raged, )erha)s ? might "in se+ond )la+e- As ? had
never heard o2 anyone r1nning the high h1rdles, 11F meters, in s1+h
ama@ingly slo" time, ? de+ided that ? sho1ld not ta$e the mental ha@ard
o2 the 9reat 9ree$ .hreat too serio1sly-
/ne o2 the British h1rdlers, ho"ever, "as more dist1rbing- He had
41ite a n1mber o2 medals h1ng on his "aist+oat, and these he insisted
on sho"ing me- D#o1 see this medal,D he "o1ld say- D.hat "as 2or the
time ? "on the +ham)ionshi) o2 ,o1th A2ri+a- .his one here "as 2rom
the All*7ngland gamesD N and so on- He "as )er2e+tly +ertain that he
"o1ld "in the /lym)i+ event, b1t he, too, +onsoled me "ith the
25 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
)ossibility o2 my ta$ing se+ond )la+e- ? never met a more +on2ident
athlete-
.H7 ne3t day the games o)ened in a s1)erb stadi1m, gi2t o2 a "ealthy
and )atrioti+ 9ree$, b1ilt o2 8enteli+ marble and seating seventy*2ive
tho1sand s)e+tators- Aro1nd and above it, on three sides, rose bare
hills, "hi+h )rovided 2ree s)a+e 2or the lo+al deadheadsNa sort o2
Athenian (ooganAs Bl122- ?n b1ilding the stadi1m the 9ree$s had
1nearthed 2o1r stat1es "hi+h had mar$ed the t1rns in the an+ient
Athenian games held on the same site, and these "ere no" installed at
the 2o1r t1rns o2 the ne" +inder tra+$ 2or the 2irst /lym)i+ revival- .he
tra+$, by the "ay, "as "ell intended and "ell b1ilt, b1t it "as so2t,
"hi+h a++o1nted in )art 2or the slo" times re+orded- A2ter the o)ening
+eremonies be2ore the Ging and L1een, the ta$ing o2 the /lym)i+
oath, and the lighting o2 the /lym)i+ tor+h, "e )ro+eeded to b1siness-
.he 2irst event "as a trial heat in the 1FF*meter dash- 7ntered in the
heat "ith me "ere a 9erman, a Fren+hman, an 7nglishman, and t"o
9ree$s- As "e stood on o1r mar$s, ? "as ne3t to the Fren+h man, a
short, sto+$y man- He, at that moment, "as b1sily engaged in )1lling
on a )air o2 "hite $id gloves, and having some di22i+1lty in doing so
be2ore the starting )istol- 73+ited as ? "as, ? had to as$ him "hy he
"anted the gloves- DAh*haED he ans"ered, D@at is be+a1se ? r1n be2ore
@e GeengED
Later, a2ter the heat "as r1n, ? as$ed him in "hat other events he "as
entered- He "as in only t"o, D@ecent metre and @e marathon,D to me a
2> | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
+1rio1s +ombination- He "ent on to e3)lain his method o2 training-
D/ne day ? r1n a leetle "ay, vairy 41ee$- Je ne3t day, ? r1n a long
"ay, vairy slo"-D
? remember the last day o2 the games- .he marathon had been r1n- All
the other r1nners "ho 2inished had +om)leted the ra+e- .he Ging and
L1een had le2t, and the stadi1m "as abo1t to be +losed 2or the night-
And then, all alone, the little Fren+hman +ame =ogging into the
stadi1m, r1nning Dvairy slo",D and )assed in 2ront o2 the em)ty
thrones o2 the Royal Bo3, "earing his little "hite $id gloves, even
tho1gh D@e GeengD "as not there to see them-
hen it +ame to the high h1rdles, ? learned ho" the 9ree$ .hreat had
managed to s)end nineteen and 2o1r*2i2ths se+onds in +overing the
distan+e- ?t "as entirely a matter o2 te+hni41e- His method "as to treat
ea+h h1rdle as a high =1m), trotting 1) to it, lea)ing, and landing on
both 2eet- At that, given the method, his time "as really remar$able-
?n the 2inals ? met the +on2ident Britisher "ho "as, in 2a+t, a better
h1rdler than ?- Ho"ever, he "as not so 2ast on the gro1nd, and ? beat
him in the stret+h, "here1)on he sto))ed neither to linger nor to say
2are"ell, b1t "ent 2rom the stadi1m to the station and too$ the 2irst
train o1t o2 Athens-
A)ro)os o2 the 9ree$ .hreat it is only 2air to add that 9ree+e, as a
nation, $ne" very little abo1t modern tra+$ and 2ield s)orts- .hey had
im)orted an 7nglish trainer named 8erry shortly be2ore the games- ?n
2B | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
the s)rints, the middle, and the long*distan+e r1ns, he +o1ld give them
1se21l hints on 2orm and +ondition, b1t the )ole va1lt and the h1rdles
and high =1m) "ere too di22i+1lt 2or satis2a+tory res1lts 2rom any s1+h
athleti+ D+ramming-D .he 9ree$ ho)esNaside 2rom those o2 my hotel
)ro)rietorN+entered on t"o events, the dis+1s and the marathon r1n-
For the 2irst they had the +lassi+ e3am)le o2 the Discobolus to st1dy
and analy@e, and 2or the se+ond they had the e41ally +lassi+ )re+edent
o2 8heidi))ides, "ho had r1n over almost identi+ally the same +o1rse
to death and immortal glory-
?n the dis+1s they "ere doomed to disa))ointment by a )er2orman+e
"hi+h ill1strates as "ell as anything else the naivete o2 the +ontests-
e had on o1r team a 8rin+eton re)resentative, Robert 9arrett, a very
)o"er21l, long*armed athlete "ho had never seen a dis+1s, let alone
thro"n one, b1t "ho de+ided to enter the event =1st 2or the s)ort o2 it-
hen the moment +ame, the 9ree$ +ham)ion ass1med the attit1de o2
the Discobolus, "hi+h in+identally is a very trying and +om)li+ated
attit1de, and )ro+eeded to ma$e three )er2e+t thro"s in the +lassi+
manner-
9arrett, "ith no $no"ledge o2 2orm or o2 ho" to s$im the a"$"ard
dis+1s, +a1sed in2inite merriment by r1nning 1) to the mar$ and
+om)letely 2l1bbing his 2irst t"o attem)ts- /n his third attem)t, aided
by his great strength, great length o2 arm, and an enormo1s amo1nt o2
good l1+$, he s1++eeded in DsailingD the dis+1s to a ne" re+ord,
2& | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
beating the +ham)ion by almost a 2oot- .his "as a tragedy 2or 9ree+e,
b1t high +omedy 2or 1s-
? thin$ it "as on the third or 2o1rth day o2 the games that the
Ameri+ani@ation o2 71ro)e began- /1r team sat in a bo3 not 2ar 2rom
that o2 the Ging, and "henever the +ir+1mstan+es seemed to +all 2or it,
s1+h as a "in 2or the Knited ,tates or a )arti+1larly good )er2orman+e,
e gave the reg1lar B-A-A- +heer, "hi+h +onsisted o2 DB-*A-*A-N
RahE RahE RahED three times, 2ollo"ed by the name o2 the individ1al
)er2ormer "ho had evo$ed it- .his +heer never 2ailed to astonish and
am1se the s)e+tators- .hey had never heard organi@ed +heering in their
lives- C1ring one o2 the intervals bet"een events "e "ere m1+h
s1r)rised to see one o2 Ging 9eorgeAs aides*de*+am), an enormo1s
man some si3 2eet si3 tall, "al$ solemnly do"n the tra+$, sto) in 2ront
o2 1s, sal1te, and say: DHis Ma=este, @e Ging, re41ests @at yo1, 2or
heem, "eel ma$e on+e more, @at 2onnee so1nd-D e sho1ted DB-*A-*A-
NRahE RahE RahED three times and then ended 1) "ith a mighty DZito
HellasED "here1)on the Ging rose and sna))ed into a sal1te and
everyone a))la1ded vigoro1sly-
Ging 9eorge "as m1+h intrig1ed by this barbarian +1stom- hen "e
brea$2asted "ith him the day a2ter the +om)letion o2 the games, he
as$ed 1s to +heer in the middle o2 brea$2ast- ?2 "e had only $no"n
then abo1t the movies and Holly"ood and Henry Ford and mass
)rod1+tion, "e might have +onsidered o1rselves the advan+e agents o2
Ameri+ani@ation, and +ommitted s1i+ide-
2% | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
hen "e le2t Athens, more than a h1ndred 1ndergrad1ates o2 the
Kniversity "ere at the station and gave 1s an organi@ed +heer in 9ree$
Ns1+h as never "as heard be2ore on sea or land- ?t "as a )ity that a
gro1) o2 7lis "ere not there to res)ond "ith the Frog (hor1sNDBre$*
e$*$e$, +o*a3, +o*a3DN b1t )robably the 9ree$s "o1ld not have
1nderstood it, 9ree$ tho1gh it +laims to be-
/n the "hole, o1r team did very "ell- illiam Hoyt "on the )ole
va1lt, 7llery (lar$e the high =1m) and broad =1m), .om B1r$e the 1FF
meters and 4FF meters- ? "on the high h1rdles, and Arth1r Bla$e "as
se+ond in, ? thin$, the 15FF meters- /1r 2inest )er2orman+es "ere by
the t"o sons o2 9eneral 8aine o2 Boston, ,1mner and <ohn, "ho "on
the revolver and )istol +ontests against the )i+$ o2 the military and
+ivilian shots o2 71ro)e- .hese "ere really o1tstanding a+hievements-
For the a41ati+ events "e had on o1r team a very 2ast short*distan+e
s"immer, "ho had "on many ra+es in "arm Ameri+an s"imming
)ools- He =o1rneyed to the 8irae1s on the day o2 the 2irst s"imming
+om)etition bliss21lly ignorant that even the Mediterranean is bitterly
+old in the month o2 A)ril-
He had traveled 5FFF miles 2or this event, and as he )osed "ith the
others on the edge o2 the 2loat, "aiting 2or the g1n, his s)irit thrilled
"ith )atriotism and determination- At the +ra+$ o2 the )istol, the
+ontestants dived head2irst into the i+y "ater- ?n a s)lit se+ond his head
rea))eared- D<es1 (hristoE ?Am 2ree@ingED; "ith that shrie$ o2
3F | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
astonished 2ren@y he lashed ba+$ to the 2loat- For him the /lym)i+s
"ere over-
.he 9ree$ )eo)le, 2rom high to lo", treated 1s "ith great +o1rtesy and
2riendliness- ,ometimes their $indness "as embarrassing- ?2 "e had
"on an event, o1r ret1rn to o1r 41arters "o1ld be attended by admiring
2ollo"ers sho1ting DNieDNDHi+toryED ,ho)$ee)ers "o1ld herd 1s
into their sho)s and invite 1s to hel) o1rselves to their "ares gratis-
/ne mer+hant s1++ess21lly insisted on ea+h o2 1s ta$ing three 2ree
ne+$ties- 9a@ing on their +olor and design, ? sa" a ne" meaning in the
)hrase timeo Danaos et dona !erentes- B1t the "hole thing "as so
sim)le, so naive, that in s)ite o2 o1r am1sement "e "ere to1+hed and
)leased-
/n the last day o2 the games, 9ree+e +ame into her o"n- Lo1es, a
9ree$ don$ey boy, led all the other +ontestants home in the great
marathon- As he +ame into the stret+h, a h1ndred and t"enty*2ive
tho1sand )eo)le "ent into deliri1m- .ho1sands o2 "hite )igeons,
"hi+h had been hidden in bo3es 1nder the seats, "ere released in all
)arts o2 the stadi1m- .he hand+la))ing "as tremendo1s- 7very re"ard
"hi+h the an+ient +ities hea)ed on an /lym)i+ vi+tor, and a lot o2 ne"
ones, "ere sho"ered on the +on41eror, and the games ended on this
ha))y and thrilling note-
e stayed on in Athens 2or abo1t ten days o2 entertainment and
merryma$ing- ? re+all es)e+ially a great re+e)tion at Mme-
,+hliemannAs and also a )i+ni+ in the Hale o2 Ca)hne, "hi+h the
31 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y
(ro"n 8rin+e, later Ging (onstantine, and his brother, 8rin+e 9eorge,
attended- .heir Royal Highnesses "ere e3tremely interested in
learning ho" Ameri+an baseball "as )layed- e e3)lained to them the
21n+tions o2 the )it+her, +at+her, in2ielders, and o1t2ielders and the
theory o2 r1nning bases-
!othing "o1ld do, ho"ever, e3+e)t a demonstration, and as the )i+ni+
yielded little in the "ay o2 )ara)hernalia, "e "ere obliged to
demonstrate "ith a "al$ing sti+$ and an orange- e a))ointed 8rin+e
9eorge )it+her and the (ro"n 8rin+e +at+her, and, 2or my sins, ? "as
named batter- At the 2irst orange )it+hed, ? str1+$ not "isely b1t too
"ell, and the sti+$ +1t the orange in halves, both o2 "hi+h the (ro"n
8rin+e +a1ght on the bosom o2 his best +o1rt 1ni2orm- He "as a good
s)ort and =oined in the some"hat s1bd1ed la1ghter, b1t ? thin$ the
Ameri+ani@ation o2 9ree+e ended right there-
.his arti+le available online at:
htt):OO"""-theatlanti+-+omOmaga@ineOar+hiveO1%5>O12Ohigh*h1rdles*
and*"hite*glovesO3F34B1O
Copyright 2014 by The Atlantic Monthly Group. All Rights
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32 | D r e w S u m m e r P r o g r a m Wo r l d H i s t o r y