2.3: The Enthusiast's Infatuation

Overview

This section explores a related but subtler ethical dilemma known as the Enthusiast’s Infatuation, which involves well-meaning performers who, driven by fascination, engage with cultural materials in a superficial and inaccurate way. For example, a non-Japanese performer inspired by Memoirs of a Geisha might imitate Geisha traditions without fully understanding their cultural significance, thereby reducing a complex and meaningful practice to mere aesthetics. This approach risks misrepresentation, cultural flattening, and exoticization by relying on stereotypes rather than authentic knowledge. To avoid these pitfalls, ethical performance demands humility, thorough research, and a deep respect for the culture’s context and voices. Only by honoring the true meaning behind cultural traditions can performers engage responsibly and avoid causing harm.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Gotipua performance (a traditional dance from Odisha, India). (CC-BY-SA; TAPAS KUMAR HALDER - Gotipua Performance)

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the concept of the Enthusiast’s Infatuation.
2. Recognize the risks of misrepresentation, cultural flattening, and exoticization.

What is The Enthusiast's Infatuation?

As we previously discussed, the Custodial's Rip-Off refers to a practice in which individuals outside a culture appropriate its stories, traditions, or performance practices without proper understanding, respect, or consent. Performers engage in this practice for personal gain, recognition, or entertainment. This act not only diminishes the cultural significance of the material but can also cause real harm to the communities from which it originates.

While this approach is overtly exploitative, Conquergood (1985) also warns against a more subtle but equally problematic stance: The Enthusiast's Infatuation. This occurs when well-meaning performers, driven by fascination or admiration, attempt to engage with cultural materials without fully appreciating their context or distinctiveness. As Conquergood explains, this “quick-fix” approach leads performers to gloss over cultural differences with sweeping generalizations, often under the assumption that “all people are really just alike.” This belief ultimately trivializes and flattens cultural complexity (p. 6).

For instance, consider a non-Japanese performer who becomes captivated by Geisha culture after watching Memoirs of a Geisha. Motivated by admiration and a romanticized view of the tradition, the performer begins to imitate Geisha mannerisms in theatrical or cosplay contexts. The choose to wear a kimono, mimic gestures, and attempt to replicate an aesthetic of elegance. However, these performances are carried out without a grounded understanding of the cultural, historical, and social significance of Geisha traditions. As a result, the portrayal is not only superficial but often inaccurate, reducing a complex and deeply rooted cultural role to a visual spectacle.

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Activity 1: Identifying Enthusiast’s Infatuation

Instructions:
Read the following brief descriptions of performances or cultural engagements. Identify which examples illustrate Enthusiast’s Infatuation and explain why.

Examples:

1. A dancer practices traditional Flamenco moves after attending an in-depth workshop taught by Spanish Flamenco masters.
2. A student watches a popular film about Native American culture and then performs a tribal dance without learning about its cultural or spiritual significance.
3. A theater group collaborates with a local Indigenous community to create a play based on traditional stories, involving community members as consultants.

Discussion:
What distinguishes respectful cultural engagement from Enthusiast’s Infatuation? How does context and understanding affect the ethical considerations?

Within the Enthusiast’s Infatuation, the intent may be appreciation, but the outcome often results in misrepresentation, cultural flattening, and exoticization. The performer strips the tradition of its depth and meaning by relying on media portrayals or stereotypes rather than engaging with authentic sources or community voices. As Conquergood cautions, even well-meaning fascination can become harmful when it turns lived cultural practices into fantasy or aesthetic performance, ignoring the very people and histories behind them. Ethical performance, therefore, demands not only admiration, but also humility, research, and a commitment to honoring cultural context and agency.