UNLOCKED - Desire, Drive, & Football w/ Jack Black
Sep 29, 2023
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Jack Black, Associate Professor of Culture, Media, and Sport at Sheffield Hallam University, discusses football as an emblematic example of the Freudian/Žižekian concept of drive. They explore the cultural differences and popularity of a soccer song, share frustrations of being fans, and talk about loss and melancholy in sports. They also have a lighthearted conversation about British comedians, goalkeeper challenges, and the emotions and history of English football.
Football embodies the Freudian/Žižekian concept of drive with its endless cycle of striving and the paradoxical relationship between desire and loss.
Watching sports creates an intimate experience for fans, where desire, loss, and fantasy intersect, contributing to a unique emotional connection.
Sports studies provide a rich interdisciplinary field for analyzing desire, fantasy, and human behavior despite some academic apprehensions towards sports.
Deep dives
The Contradictions and Drive in Sports
Sports, particularly football, display contradictions and embody the drive. The desire to win, the pursuit of trophies, and the thrill of competition are central elements in sports. However, winning does not bring permanent satisfaction as the new season offers new challenges and the possibility of failure. The endless cycle of striving and the repetition of games demonstrate the complex dynamics of sports and the paradoxical relationship between desire and loss.
The Intimate Experience of Sports
Watching sports evokes an intimate experience for fans, where the outcome of the game feels personal. The involvement, rituals, and emotional investment contribute to this sense of intimacy. Fans often establish a deep connection with their teams, and the impact of wins and losses can strongly affect their emotions. The attachment to sports creates a space where desire, loss, and fantasy intersect, providing a unique experience.
Sport as a Theoretical Paradigm
Sports offer a rich terrain for theoretical exploration. The theoretical position of sports studies is multidisciplinary, encompassing various subdisciplines such as sports science, sociology of sport, psychology of sport, and philosophy of sport. The contradictions, drive, repetition, and failure in sports make it a fertile ground for analyzing desire, fantasy, and human behavior. Despite some apprehensions towards sports in academia, it holds significant theoretical value and deserves deeper analysis and appreciation.
The Contradictions and Capitalism in Sports
This podcast episode delves into the contradictions and capitalist nature of sports. The discussion highlights how sports, despite being enjoyed as a form of entertainment and escape, are inherently tied to capitalism. Examples are given, such as the buying of sports teams by regimes for 'sports washing' purposes. The episode also touches on the role of advertising and sponsorship in sports, as well as the impact of betting on sports. The conversation acknowledges the dissonance between the enjoyment of sports and the critique of its capitalist nature, highlighting the complexities of navigating this relationship.
The Ties Between Loss, Melancholy, and Enjoyment in Sports
Another main theme explored in the podcast is the connection between loss, melancholy, and enjoyment in sports. The discussion delves into the idea that sports often involve experiencing loss, and how this relates to Lacanian concepts of lack and excess. The distinction between mourning and melancholy is also explored, with specific focus on how melancholy can be seen as accepting loss as inherent rather than trying to overcome it. The episode touches upon the enjoyable aspects of sports, which go beyond just the on-pitch performance, such as the social experiences and the anticipation for future seasons. Overall, the conversation reflects on the contradictions and complexities of sports as a source of enjoyment and melancholic experiences.
Unlocked from our patreon: this week, we're joined again by Jack Black, Associate Professor of Culture, Media, and Sport at Sheffield Hallam University. We're talking football, melancholy, and English football anthems. How does football, or 'soccer', serve as an emblematic example of the Freudian/Žižekian concept of drive? Jack explains!
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Enjoy!
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