This week’s topic on performances highlights the
character an individual performance front stage an audience he or she would
prefer a specific reaction from. It’s the “front”, as Goffman terms it, that
the individual asserts in order to deviate from the natural behaviour or
persona beneath.
As most of you have heard SBS aired its second season
of, “Go Back To Where You Came From”. The show places 6 Australians with strong
views on the topic of Asylum Seekers on the journey a refugee takes when
seeking asylum. Former radio “Shock Jock” Michael Smith is one of the six
participants. Michael’s views on the topic are firm in that Asylum Seekers
should be turned away if they are seeking refuge via boat.
If you skip the video to 38:40 Michael is seen
comforting a small 8 year girl who has never been in a motor vehicle before.
He’s holding her exclaiming how frightened she is etc etc. Later on when he
finds where the little girl and her family have been transferred in the camp we
hear him in shock and awe stating, “this place is so desolate”, “these poor
people”. At 49:35 Michael is broken down after spending the day with a 13 year
old orphaned boy in the refugee camp who has no one to care for him, no foster
care nothing. After this encounter Michael composes himself for the camera and
states, “My opinion hasn’t altered in the hard facts of it”. He returns to his
performance of his “shock jock” self. Later fellow participant Imogen Bailey
states, “it’s touching to see that he’s actually starting to show us I think
the real him and the him that is a father but it’s the bull shit side, the
performer that I hope for the rest of the journey he’ll leave behind.”
Michael Smith’s front of the “Shock Jock” is what’s
consistently performed for audiences. However when confronted with the harsh
reality of children with no food shelter or care is fatherly side emerges which
brings out his backstage.