Chat with Austen

Austen: I found your Berwick blog.  I didn't know you were working on something about fans!

Also, you met Allen Guttman,  I met him -- talked to him about my div III.

He's mad famous.  Not just as a sports scholar, but as an American Studies person'

me: yeah i kept meaning to talk to you about it

stupid boy problems have gotten in the way of our intellectualism

yeah I know!

Allen was super awesome to me too

Austen: Yeah, he's pretty cool.

It's crazy some of what he says seems pretty obvious, but then you realize that no one else said it.

Like he talks about how there's an erotic element in watching sports, and everyone flipped out at him

Like duh.

You are watching finely tuned bodies doing amazing things.  Of course there is an erotic element

me: well this was back in the day. also at the time no one was really thinking about sports in that way

sports were considered so defacto

Austen: Yeah, everyone was really insulted that there could be an erotic element

me: i am having so much trouble with this project though

Austen: Well, you've had other things on your mind

me: i can't seem to figure out what i want. which is super frustrating because the material is really rich

i should be popping out ideas

Austen: I don't have nearly as much on my mind, and I'm struggling with my writing.  It's hard when you can't just completely just give into what you are creating.  Art required you to be able to trust that everything else in your life will take care of itself for a little while

The mapping of the ball seemed interesting

me: so true. with my personal life currently in shreds its hard to trust anything.

yeah i am super focused on the ball

Austen: Did you read those studies that testosterone levels in fans are almost the same as the players.

me: ooh no

interesting

Austen: Yeah, and when your team wins, your testosterone levels go up, and when it loses, they go down.

Yeah, hormonally, there's almost no difference from playing the game as watching the game.

me: you know i am wondering if i should do what andy warhol did with a couple of his projects: ask his friends what he should do. Thats how a lot of the screenprints came about. Its like he knew even if he was being told what to do it would still be totally andy.

Austen: Interesting.

me: i am so excited about this testosterone thing though

it really brechtian!

Austen: You should look it up, because I might not be 100% accurate, but there's something like that.

me: like the hormones break down the 4th wall or something

Austen: Yes.

me: arg how do i translate this into a project!!

Austen: You should spray pheremones around as people watch robtos play with a ball (did you get this, already -- chat seems to be acting oddly)me: hah. adorable robot soccer players

i feel only tenderness towards the robot soccer

they are absurdly cute.

Austen: I should go and do some writing work.  I don't get much done, but it makes me feel better to try

me: cool.--hey i am going to post this convo on the blog

Austen: sweet!