End of the Circus

Evolutionary Semiotics and Cultural Resilience

Inbunden, Engelska, 2021

AvPaul Bouissac

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This book analyses two features of the traditional circus that have come under increasing attack since the mid-20th century: the use of wild animals in performance and the act of clowning. Positioning this socio-cultural change within the broader perspective of evolutionary semiotics, renowned circus expert Paul Bouissac examines the decline of the traditional circus and its transformation into a purely acrobatic spectacle. The End of the Circus draws on Bouissac’s extensive ethnographic research, including previously unpublished material on the training of wild animals and clown make-up, to chart the origins of the circus in Gypsy culture and the drastic change in contemporary Western attitudes on ethical grounds. It scrutinizes the emergence of the new form of circus, with its focus on acrobatics and the meaning of the body, showing how acrobatic techniques have been appropriated from traditional Gypsy heritage and brought into the fold of mainstream popular entertainment. Questioning the survival of the new circus and the likely resurgence of its traditional forms, this book showcases Bouissac’s innovative approach to semiotics and marks the culmination of his ground-breaking work on the circus.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2021-09-09
Mått156 x 234 x undefined mm
Vikt544 g
FormatInbunden
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor264
FörlagBloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN9781350166493

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Acknowledgements1. Overture: Themes and VariationsIntroductionWhence and wither the ‘traditional’ circus?‘Death to the circus’Clowns on the waneThe body: from ritual to spectacleThe human tragedy: “You! Wretched Gypsies!”2. First Movement, Andante Sostenuto: The Time of the GypsiesWho are the Gypsies?Where do Gypsies come from?Contrapuntal development #1Being a Gypsy: the bane or bliss of differenceA deeper time perspectiveThe circus enters history: Was Philip Astley a Gypsy?The art of survivalContrapuntal development #2: What is a name?Our inner GypsyAn ode to resilienceOn the flipsideThe evolution of space, time, and cultures3. Second Movement Vivace Furioso: AnimalsA memoryHunger rules the worldThe human animal: the game of life and deathBear powerThe hyena men of NigeriaWolvesThe death of a tigressHunger never stopsFrom non-animal humans to non-human animalsThe cage acts of yesteryearsWhat is a wild animal?The antiquity of the animal circus: the elephantsThe antiquity of the animal circus: the predatorsWild utopiaEthos, ethics, and the Peterson effectA self-defeating strategyCultural entropy and semiotic panic4. Third Movement, Adagio Lamentendo: ClownsPerplexed clownsMasksWhat is a clown?A detour to India: the VidûshakaA modern master: Charlie ChaplinTwo kinds of laughterThe twilight of the clown: off-limit humorThe clown and its discontentsThe white-face clown: the waxing and waning of a cultural heroBlack face mattersThe crucifixion of the clownFree speech and the clowns: Is Jordan Peterson a trickster?5. Fourth Movement, Maestoso Appassionato: BodiesWhat is a body?Modes of survivalLife on the brink of deathEpiphaniesThe body brought into playGreatness and misery of acrobats’ bodiesNegotiating one’s own body: benefit-to-cost ratioBodies unboundThe visceral circus: bodies of fear and desireTechnological evolution and the perception of riskFor your eyes only: Eros at the circusFrom ritual to spectacle6. Coda, SforzandoResistance and resilienceThe downfall of the traditional circusThe Anthropocene delusionThe reign of anthropomorphismThe return of the hyenasReferencesIndex