HALF ART
CHRIS THURMAN: Celebrity scrum strips away flesh in favour of fantasy
‘Huisgenoot morality’ views celebrity as a projection or fantasy of ordinary citizens that cannot accommodate the complexity of being human, writes Chris Thurman
Following the death of Joost van der Westhuizen this week, effusive tributes to the great scrumhalf came from all corners of the globe. Mostly — and appropriately so – they tried to balance recognition of his on-field achievements with admiration of a brave battle against the motor neuron disease (MND) that eventually ended his life. His struggle with his health was a private one (even though Van der Westhuizen’s interviews and appearances along with the work of his J9 Foundation kept it peripherally in the public view). Humans are not very good at confronting the idea or image of a body wasting away. We tend to speak euphemistically in hushed tones about fatal illness; implicit in this awkwardness is a judgment about physical weakness. So it was much easier to remember the Van der Westhuizen who tackled Jonah Lomu, who delivered that pass to Joel Stransky, who was one of the best players in the game. And it was joyful: no one who has followed Springbok rugby since readmission could...
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