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The Cadre, Friday Apia-1 1, 1977.page 26 ' ‘

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‘ A ‘ ‘Sexuali‘tyon 51092 I

By PAUL HOCH ’ Psychologists like Erich Eromm and

, Paul Goodman have noted that, in.

“America, a large part of the military impetus for both war and for militarized sports like football, hockey, and boxing has always come from, repressed, and hence diverted, sexual energy.

Repressed sexuality is one of the biggest things making big games so big. The homecoming game, the bowl game bashes, the. big winter weekend football booze-up—all have been the officially recognized occasions when our sexually repressed collegians and alumni of former generations have gotten together to blow off a little steam. Alcohol has always flowed freely at the parties (and in the stands),- and the conception of masculinity and health being pushed has always been of the hard-drinking, hard-fighting, hard- Ioving, womanizing ‘brute.’ Like New Year’s Eve, the big gladiator festivals

battlefield, whose central arena, the

space between the two enemy lines, is v

called ‘the pit.’ The overwhelmingly male audience in the stands and watching on television thereby also learns the socially correct and approved standards of ‘masculinity’ which they then seek to carry on in their own, lives.

The cheerleader is absolutely crucial

to the whole ritual. Not, only does her

beautiful body represent the ultimate

goal and prize of all the intramale competition in society, as_represen’ted by the gridiron battle; but also, by worshipping this particular conception of masculinity in her assigned role as a cheerleader she thereby confers the most important possible legitimacy on it.

It would be impossible to elevate a '

certain standard of masculinity to a pedestal position without'securing in advance the worshipful approval of

Basically, this is just the same sort of ‘you’re only as good 'as what you're putting out’ criterion of performance that one is supposedly judged by in a factory, on a ball field, or, apparently, in a bedroom. The rat race to ‘masculinity’ never ends, and no matter how many games you ‘win’ (or how much you

‘score'), each day the game begins,

anew. Which is probably why Mailer describes himself as_,The Prisoner of Sex. ‘ '

The upper class, which by virtue of its

privileged social position, never has to.

produce that much of ar/tything, can easily afford to ‘have other, more ‘humanistic,’

involving an emphasis on process rather than product, as well as vague ideals of what it calls human dignity. Working class men, and particularly the men of the so-called minority groups, however, are often stuck in such, boring and

standards of ‘manhood‘

the correct virginal, girl-next—door image

of American purity. Though the TV commentators are quick to comment on the well-roundedness of each cheer- leader’s sweater, the message is strictly: look, don’t touch. The girls‘ drill teams strutting around at halftime in mock military uniforms above their tiny skirts, and parading in precision drill' steps, provide a clear link-up ’ between repressed sexuality and the militarism that surrounds all aspects of the big game gladiator battle.

Men‘who cannot be super-masculine gladiators end up as perpetual consumers of- ‘masculine” products, from. the big game itself to ‘manlier’ beers to sports cars ‘with drive’ to the man after-Shave lotion. Womerr-"whose

‘face and figure do not fit the vestal

virgin cheerleader ideal'can then get their ‘feminity’ by consuming everything

‘7

have been established occasions when the barriers of sexual repression have been allowed to come down. At such times, sex is OK. if enjoyed in the proper plastic spirit, that is—combined * with alcohol, fraternity' parties, and spending money. And the whole thing has been sold to the old grads who come back for the big game as ‘tradition' and even ’Americanism.‘

An important aspect of the ancient Roman gladiator spectacles was the sanctifying presence of scantily clad vestal virgins to bless the combatants and elevate the event into an almost religious celebration of the powers of brute male gladiator strength and dominance. Today the vestal virgin function at such modern day gladiator rituals as football bowl games has been ;aken over by the cheerleaders, girls’ jrill teams, drum majorettes, baton twirlers and the evening gown clad beauty contest winners.

The whole ritual can easily be compared to a primitive male puberty rite, which for the gladiators consists of a sort of ritualized battle for the laurels of the tribe's conception of ‘manhood.’ This is to be won by the gridiron gladiator‘s proofs of valor on the

those sex objects that this kind of masculinity will magically enchant. To him that society adjudgestothe victor; or

super-male, belong the spoils. Or to put’

it in a more'modern way, “You’ve gotta be a football hero to get along with a bee-u-tee-ful gal...."

The conception of ‘manhood’ being pushed in our modern day gladiator rites consists essentially of a battle of each and every gladiator to ‘prove his masculinity’ through intramale competi- tion, struggle for dominance (which transmits into a struggle for dominance over women), conquest and direct physical brutality, with a heavy emphasis being placed on brawn not brain and complete obedience to the team owners and coaches (representing our modern day economic 'caesars). ldeologically this view of manhood not only makes every man' the ‘competitor’ (and, to some extent, the enemy) of every other, but forces every man. to continuously ‘prove’ what is called his ‘mascminity‘ by repeated proofs of potency and dominance. Thus, One gets through macho sport, the same sort ,of psychopathic performance-oriented cri— teria of manhood that one gets in the n0ve|s of Norman Mailer (and particular- ly in his essay ‘The White Negro’).

abrasive jobs that their main conSolation all too often lies in this repressive definition of ‘masculinity.’ Particularly so, since this emphasis on machismo provides the ideological rationale for

dominating one’s women and-identify- , _

ing with one’s own- group’s. super- masculine. sports heroes. These. then become the main*sops in a working- man’s life, after his job and bees have robbed him of' a large part of his potential for creativity, self—actualiza- tion and real involvement .in his work.

For the fans, the gridirongladiators ,

are supposed to typify'the ultimate in

' American ‘manhood.’ As one columnist - put it, “football players represent the

deep-seated desire of every red-blooded American male to be a Superman (with their shoulder pads the gridiron gladiators even look like Superman), all- powerful and immortal, the average fan’s Ultimate trip, the fulfillment of" the American dream.” On the" other hand, the cheerleaders typify good, clean, virginal American ‘womanhood,’ brought up to passively worship their Supermen from the sidelines of a ritual they are never really allowed to be fully a part of. They provide the right degree of sexual tension (and hint of sexual

. rewards) fo'rthe battle, while preserving

r . Not really mesh.“

from make-up to hair-spray to vaginal deodorants. it seems that this endless rat race to ‘masculinity’ and ‘femininity‘ is one of the main things that keeps this kind [of economy churning._

In summation, our“ mass- public ‘ gladiator festivals have become one of

- the key national arenas in which. we are , taught our_conception of ‘masculinity’

and ‘feminity,’ which we» are then encouraged (especially during commer- cial breaks in the action) to tfanslate ihto mass consumption of ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ products. Furthermore these! mass gladiatbr spectacles are. much; more effective than any other kind of“ public entertainment or spectacle tor inculcating- these values because the - male ‘fans’ fully identify» With thevalues ‘

displayed by their sports heroes to afar;

greater extent than they do with the values'of movie stars or TV heroes. After‘

, all, though a men might allow himself to

be put to sleep by a late night TV war movie, he does not normally jump up!

' and down in his seat screaming “Kill the

enemy"! On the other hand, at a football game he might do exactly that, and a lot‘ . ' more, to cheer on his heroes in the big game. , ' /

again.