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SUNDAY_CAMP
January 1-18, 2005
Beginning the new year, reading
"Notes On 'Camp'" (1964)
in honor of the death of Susan Sontag.
The early date of her writing
shows, she spends much time on (I like her approach,
elementary work, nailing down the a listing of points,
concept by examples (because as she rather than a treatise...
points out, the concept is hard to though I'm not sure
discuss -- a "sensibility"). that numbering them
was the best idea.)
The examples occasionally
seem peculiar: some of the
things she treats as Camp
I would take more
seriously (e.g. "Maltese
Falcon", Busby Berkeley). Most of what she calls "Camp"
I would call "Kitsch", but she
THE_FALCON seems to reserve that for it's
literal meaning of "bad stuff".
(Maybe her German is
better than mine.)
Working through Sontag's "On Camp",
quoting some of Sontag's numbered
points (though not necessarily in
order)...
"18. One must distinguish between
naive and deliberate Camp. Pure
Camp is always naive. Camp which
knows itself to be Camp ('camping') Godzilla vs King Ghidora (1991):
is usually less satisfying." Camp: "Experimental Room"
Camping: "Super Science Play Room"
"20. Probably, intending to be It is true there's something
campy is always harmful. [...] enthralling about the first,
When self-parody lacks ebullience but but disappointing about the
instead reveals (even sporadically) a second.
contempt for one's themes and one's
materials [...] the results are And the second retroactively
forced and heavy-handed, rarely Camp. changes the meaning of the
Successful Camp [...] even when first -- the innocent pose
it reveals self-parody, reeks of is broken?
self-love.
SUNDAY_MORNING
"21. So, again, Camp rests on
innocence. That means Camp discloses
innocence, but also, when it can,
corrupts it. Objects, being objects, If innocence is a
don't change when they are singled necessary condition for
out by the Camp vision. Persons, good camp, then isn't
however, respond to their Sontag's notes on the
audiences. Persons begin 'camping': subject a dangerous
Mae West, Bea Lillie, La Lupe, work? Doesn't it
Tallulah Bankhead in Lifeboat, Bette threaten to undermine
Davis in All About Eve. [...]" the process of creation
of what she holds dear?
Would it be fair to say that
camping is worse than true Did it in fact
camp? So evaluations are not undermine it?
abandoned. There's still an
aesthetic standard in play. "The Attack
Despite point 34: of the Killer
Tomatoes"
"34. Camp taste turns its
back on the good-bad axis (Help! I'm trapped
of ordinary aesthetic in Camp Sontag
judgment. Camp doesn't and I can't get out!)
reverse things. It
doesn't argue that the
good is bad, or the bad
is good. What it does is
to offer for art (and
life) a different-- a But what standards?
supplementary-- set of Supplementary?
standards."
Supplemental to what?
Esthetic good and bad?
"55. Camp taste is, above all, Moral good and evil?
a mode of enjoyment, of Both?
appreciation - not judgment.
Camp is generous. It wants Style in addition
to enjoy. It only seems like to substance?
malice, cynicism. (Or, if it
is cynicism, it's not a
ruthless but a sweet
cynicism.) Camp taste But the question that runs
doesn't propose that it is throughout her notes is "Is
in bad taste to be serious; this a good or bad example
it doesn't sneer at someone of camp?"
who succeeds in being
seriously dramatic. What it Take it literally?
does is to find the success List some examples,
in certain passionate and classify them?
failures."
Have to work by
introspection, no?
"56. Camp taste is a kind of love, Does it touch you
love for human nature. It relishes, just right...
rather than judges, the little
triumphs and awkward intensities of
'character.' ... Camp taste
identifies with what it is
enjoying. People who share this Points 55 and 56 are
sensibility are not laughing at the nice tries... but don't
thing they label as 'a camp,' they ring hollow, reek
they're enjoying it. Camp is a of waffling?
tender feeling."
To love something as kitsch/camp
is a very condescending love.
The love for a pet, which will
never be allowed it's own life.
"57. Camp taste nourishes itself on
the love that has gone into certain Someone has to
objects and personal styles. The care about something
absence of this love is the reason to produce good Camp.
why such kitsch items as Peyton
Place (the book) and the Tishman The fan of camp,
Building aren't Camp." taking things as
camp... do they
"58. The ultimate Camp statement: care about anything?
it's good because it's awful ...
Of course, one can't always say Sontag's true camp is
that. Only under certain failed seriousness, it
conditions, those which I've must be produced by an
tried to sketch in these notes." un-selfconscious innocent.
This makes assumptions DUMAS
about the naivette of
the artist that may not
be supportable.
What if you learned that the team
that produced a favorite piece of
kitsch didn't really regard it as
serious work, but merely knew the
value of presenting it with a
straight-face?
The maker's of "Ghidra the
Three-Headed Monster" are
not allowed self-awareness? People seem to want to believe
that the James Bond films must
have been produced by people
unaware of their silly
aspects... hence the many even
sillier "spoofs"...
Bad camp following good?
I suggest the opposite:
the best material is
done by people who are
aware of the risk of
becoming mere kitsch, The work should be taken
but do their best with as seriously as it can
the material in be taken, in spite of the
spite of that risk. obvious ridiculousness
and absurdity of many of
This is the reason that it's aspects.
people who are "camping"
seem worse than the THUNDER
truly camp: they lack
serious engagement with
the material.
Yes, failed seriousness
can be camp: Ed Wood.
But understanding your own absurdity
and daring to remain serious, that This is the
can also be camp: Doctor Who. high camp. An elevated
camp?
The breakdown
of the high/low A deep
distinction? pit in
a high
mountain?
A volcano
spewing
from the
depths...
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