Staging Tourism: Bodies on Display from Waikiki to Sea World

by Jane C. Desmond

From Shamu the dancing whale at Sea World to Hawaiian lu'au shows, Staging Tourism analyzes issues of performance in a wide range of tourist venues. Jane C. Desmond argues that the public display of bodies—how they look, what they do, where they do it, who watches, and under what conditions—is profoundly important in structuring identity categories of race, gender, and cultural affiliation. These fantastic spectacles of corporeality form the basis of hugely profitable tourist industries, which in turn form crucial arenas of public culture where embodied notions of identity are sold, enacted, and debated.

Gathering together written accounts, postcards, photographs, advertisements, films, and oral histories as well as her own interpretations of these displays, Desmond gives us a vibrant account of U.S. tourism in Waikiki from 1900 to the present. She then juxtaposes cultural tourism with "animal tourism" in the United States, which takes place at zoos, aquariums, and animal theme parks. In each case, Desmond argues, the relationship between the viewer and the viewed is ultimately based on concepts of physical difference harking back to the nineteenth century.

361 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Corvus · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is based on taste as much as or more than content. This is a dense academic book from 24 years ago and it would be unfair to review it based on evolving ideas and newer information that has come out since.

I mostly thought it could be shorter. Every bit of information felt unnecessarily drawn out. But, that's also par for the course in academia. My biggest criticism is that the author didn't go hard enough, also an academic thing. As a result, the text feels emotionless and distant which makes the excessive analysis of horrors and other history in the book fall flat at times.

All that said, there is still a lot of very good information about colonialism of Hawaii and of industries that kidnap and exploit other animals for profit. At the time this was written, places like Sea World weren't as exposed as they are today. I wonder what this author thought of the documentary Blackfish or if she read Fear of the Animal Planet or Animal Resistance in the Global Capitalist Era. I'm curious to hear how she was changed by this research and how her thoughts and feelings have evolved over the decades.

[Raevyn K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 3.50

[Howie Kahekili · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waikiki is one of the main attractions when tourists visit the island of Oahu. Many people think it is the ideal representation of Hawai'i with its beautiful beaches, lu'aus,and many more vivid and serene artifacts. Staging Tourism explains how many tourist industries have manipulated many scenic places into money making outlets. Hawai'i for example known for its beaches has many problematic issues to this representation. Waikiki has a lot of nice beaches due to the fact the sand is artificial and the stone walls were build to control waves from crashing onto the artificial beaches. Sea World on the other hand, Desmond looks back to the film, Black Fish. Not many people know about the secrets about Sea World since it is a family based park. However, Sea World mistreats their animals and disturbs the conservation of whales. These two subject areas showcase how tourist industries want money and do not show their flaws to their buyers.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

A unique topic to me, looking at the impact to culture and our beliefs from both human and animal "staging" is an interesting way to go about it, but the book was a tough and slow read for me. I took away some interesting perspectives, but I wouldn't recommend it as a page turner by any stretch.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I should've read this book before I taught my Language and Tourism class! I should include a chapter or two from it in the list of readings for the next time I teach it.