Profane Culture by Willis Paul E Willis Paul E

Author:Willis, Paul E, Willis, Paul E
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Published: 2014-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Authenticity for them was not the demand for a spartan reduction of personality. The demand was for the expression of a unique self. Extremity and flamboyance of style were positively welcomed as the expression of the particular of the special. Most ‘heads’ were ‘real characters’.

Being a ‘real character’ meant, in part, understanding the importance of the big gesture. There was a hippy wedding during the period of my research which involved the bridegroom in some classic big gestures. Long before closing time in the Anchor, where celebrations were taking place after the wedding, the barman told me, passing by, that he had no idea how he was going to get the bar shut. When closing time did come, his protestations had no effect whatsoever. The publican became concerned and eventually threatened with the law. Eventually it was the bridegroom, not the publican nor the police, who decisively called closing time and emptied the pub. He did this with a big gesture. Standing on a table, he carefully donned his long velvet cloak, put his hands together in a diving position, and called out, ‘Will anyone catch me and take me outside?’ People cheered and shouted as he launched off the table in to the arms of the people below. He was carried out triumphantly. The pub was emptied in seconds. There was quite a mêlée outside on the pavement and the bridegroom kept things going with another gesture. The pub was on a slip road off a main road. Cars were slowly edging past. Quite spontaneously the bridegroom leapt on to the moving bonnet of a well-polished Rolls-Royce. The driver was surprised, but did not make an issue of it. There were about 50 ‘weirdos’ around who seemed to find it particularly amusing and who might do anything if he acted wrongly. He drove forward gently until he was clear of the main crowd and then stopped, gratefully, to put his passenger down. Two or three people tried it, shoppers stopped in the street, soon there was a large crowd: it had become an urban spectacle. The culmination came fittingly with a bad choice by the bridegroom. He mounted the bonnet of an old van driven by a humourless old man who did not see the funny side of things. Instead of slowing down to let him off, he accelerated up the road. The bridegroom avoided being thrown off only by leaning the weight of his torso on the roof of the van. He disappeared around the corner out of sight. There were great cheers and shouts, and some concern when he did not reappear. A few minutes later the bridegroom came running back to a hero’s welcome. He was paler than he had been. But he could not miss this chance. What a culmination of the festivities: he threw his arms up as he fell into the group, cursing the old man for all he was worth. His bold gesture had almost resulted in disaster, but for that very

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