How to feel about RayGun?
RayGun aka Rachel Gunn of Australia has become a viral sensation over the summer. Her quirky signature moves saw her kangaroo hop across our screens as we took in the new Olympic sport of break dancing. As an Australian I have been on a journey with this pop culture moment, so indulge me whilst I share...
Immediate impression!
Eek! Intense cultural cringe, it was as if a scene from Kath & Kim (a 90's TV show highlighting everything that makes bogan culture in Australia great) was being acted out on the world stage for all to see. Long lost memories of the "dance shows" my 7 year old friends and I would subject my Mum to came flooding back.
Pure Entertainment
What started as a giggle became a full belly laugh. RayGun is pure joy, entertainment and fun. Sure the performance didn't score highly (at all) but she was out there giving her all, (dressed in her cricket kit???). She was embodying the Aussie, "Have a Go!" spirit and I was here for it. What she lacked in skill she made up for in energy and enthusiasm. She was no more failing than the hammer thrower who hit the net, the diver who over-rotated or the gymnast who fell from the beam. That's sport, you need winners and losers to make the contest work.
Discomfort and Questions
After the initial hilarity some deeper questions started to come up for me. The Olympics is about the best of the best - was she really the best we had? If so, how had the selections taken place? Is break-dancing really set up to function as a sport, and if so has the offering been inclusive enough to ensure the true masters of the craft where spotted for their talent and able to compete at the Games? If not, who should be responsible for putting that right? Why didn't a high performing sporting nation not check into that? How tough is it to make it as a female "b-girl" and does the culture of this sport encourage females to take part in solid numbers?
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Breaking has its roots in US African American and Latino culture, originating in the Bronx New York in the 1970's, when Hip Hop was coming into it's own. How does a white Australian navigate the issue of cultural appropriation and respect for history, whilst embracing what is now a world-wide phenomenon? How can they weave in their own artistry and creativity without mocking the craft? With the sport not appearing in LA 2028 or Brisbane 2032, I fear these conversations may not occur.
The Memes... Oh the Memes!
The explosion of memes online was rapid. From outright mocking, to clever comedy and a huge number of Gen X's in their parachute trackies "training" for the next Olympics. They were funny and I admit our family chat is littered with them! But sadly the trolls were out in force as well. Gentle mocking was mixed in with full blown hate and a healthy dose of conspiracy theories. Let us not forget that there is a human being in this story and however ill-advised you believe her Olympic campaign to be, she trained and put herself out there. Mental health consequences of online bullying are very real, so I do hope Rachel is OK. I am reminded of Teddy Roosevelt's famous "The Man In the Arena" speech and I do hope she is able to filter out the feedback from those who are sat on their sofa or behind their keyboard and hone in on the feedback from those that matter. Pleasingly the footage of the Olympic closing ceremony showed the Australian team holding RayGun aloft on their shoulders and cheering her on madly as she performed in the stadium. The Chef de Mission Anna Meares offered her unconditional support.
Where to From Here...
For my part I hope RayGun monetises her 15mins of fame and the last laugh is on us. I hope we can vow to make it easier for more women and girls to explore breaking and ensure that future break dancing events have a broader and bigger talent pool to select from. Love her or hate her - RayGun bought more global attention to breaking than anyone in recent history. There's no such thing as bad publicity? Whilst acknowledging some of the more problematic elements of the performance and the subsequent discourse, I choose to celebrate RayGun as an individual. We can have a flawed system and a gutsy individual, both things can be true.
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4moRayGun definitely brought humour and attention to the sport. Like you say, any publicity is good publicity, in bringing attention to an often overlooked form of dance.