28
Jan
Written by: Elliott
Landon Donovan scored his first goal for Everton in the Premier league. He was assisted by Tim Cahill, an Australian. Both men have returned to the land that colonized their land of birth. What does this mean in the post-colonial struggle to reestablish notions of the self and identity that do not rely on the colonizer’s assumptions? Okay, take a moment and skim over “Gender Trouble” by Judy Butler. Now, we begin.
Landon is “on loan” to Everton, a “football club” of the “English Premiership.” Donovan has been criticized for being indecisive, but these critiques fail to take into account one simple truth – Donovan is playing the role of “player” in an attempt to subvert postcolonial balances of power. His performance today was just that – a brilliant individual act, a single step on the path towards redefining power relations.
Take a second and “watch” the “goal.”
There are two obvious critiques to the above interpretation. First, Donovan is playing by the “master’s rules.” He has returned to the brutal colonizer’s home and is begging on the doormat to be let back in. He is getting paid in pounds and speaking English in interviews. But this criticism overlooks the power of irony – Donovan’s performance contains a subtle wink and nod to the close interpreter of texts. When Donovan clinched his fist and shrieked after the goal, it was if to say – “I am only doing this to draw attention to the flawed values and discourse pervasive in this societal undertaking. Look at yourselves – what have you done today?”
The second critique is that what I just wrote makes absolutely no sense but to a bunch of over educated nerds. The drinking of a beer would be more beneficial to brain cell development.
I have no reply.
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January 28th, 2010 at 2:00 am
… So, if I hate Donovan, am I supporting or opposing our former colonial masters? I would feel much more comfortable with a label. Or, alternately, a beer.
January 28th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Brilliant.
Couldn’t a further interpretation be that his goal was simply a way of letting the subaltern speak? That Donovan was offering a dramatic new argument drawing off Said’s Orientalism to suggest that it is not just a hegemonic West subverting the East, but an epistemic shift from old world to new? I guess I’m suggesting that there may be an archaeology of (tactical) knowledge that has allowed the subjectivity of Donovan and Cahill to move beyond crypto-normativity. Which you may be missing. Or maybe it’s just the beer.
January 28th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Martha-
if you “hate” Donovan, then there are much more profound issues at work here beyond the scope of this blog. And I think your hatred of Donovan may have played a role in re AFFIRMING post-colonial relationships.
Andrew-
my only response is that Said’s “Orientalism” revisionism overlooks the obvious capitalist argument that the shifting of geopolitical realities, ie, the concentration of capital in the east, still depends upon Western consumption of oil. As long as western “consumers” continue to “purchase” from the middle east, this process will continue. But has this changed either culture? And what happens when consumer preferences change or the oil dries up? Or both?
I prefer to refer to Cahill and Donovan’s “understanding” as its own creole-esque language spoken and shared from the same bonds of a cruel colonial master. This language was developed in Australia and the US due to both geographic factors but also as a means of subverting the tyrant. And of course, in the 21st century, it has the risk of being com-modified and spit out for global consumption. That’s what makes Donovan’s “act” so impressive.
Also, this post is best read after either one Shiner or two Widmers.
January 28th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
I don’t want to complicate matters, but I feel it should be noted that Cahill has Irish blood in him, as Donovan surely does with a name like that. What this means I’ll leave to the more alcoholic amongst you.
January 28th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Come on Elliott, the game is up when you substitute Judy for Gayatri Spivak, the obvious choice. !! Top notch.
January 28th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Fredo-
The irony in your comment kept with the spirit of Donovan’s act, so I have some great AA referrals if you shoot me an email. Purely non-ironical.
Splurgos-
You are master of nothing!
You think you can just waltz into this blog, show off your big fancy Playa-Hatin-Degree and…..and……and……wow. That’s a pretty big degree. How does it fit in your….