For those living in the UK, the 'Big Issue' ran a number of
related features last week: 'The Party's Over for
Travellers as Goa Falls Silent' on the decision to ban
outdoor music over 45 decibels; 'Trouble in Paradise', a
parody of 'The Beach' on windswept Camber Sands, East
Sussex; and 'Wish You Weren't Here', on the
backpacking-and-travel-writing phenomenon and their effects
on destinations ('Backpackers fancy themselves as some sort
of counter-cultural force, but they're really just the
reconnaissance teams for the straw-donkey mob; a
middle-class, friendship band-wearing advance guard for the
lobster-coloured families from Croydon who are now broiling
on the beaches of Phuket').
On Tue, 08 Feb 2000 15:31:02 +0000 (GMT) Kevin Meethan
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2000 13:06:30 +0000 (GMT Standard Time)
> > Reply-to: [log in to unmask]
> > Priority: NORMAL
> > Subject: Re: new Movie, "The Beach" may mis-represent backpackers
> > From: Julie Scott <[log in to unmask]>
> > To: Tim Wallace <[log in to unmask]>
> > Cc: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
>
> I think Julie's comment is accurate in many respects but isn't that
> always the ways with fiction - Homeric epics don't give a 'true'
> account of the Tojans I am sure, and Shakespeare took a lot of
> liberties with history - to say nothing of all the others that have
> followed since. Question is I suppose, should we treat artistic
> production (in the broadest sense) as anything other than partial?
> and what woudl a fully rounded fictional account of tourism look
> like? Is it possible?
>
> >
> > One might add that the film is another fine example of
> > American cultural hegemony, as the main protagonists are
> > transformed into *American* backpackers for the
> > requirements of Hollywood. So skewed in more ways than one
> > - it's an American world!
> >
> > > > > THE BEACH: SKEWED VIEW OF INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL?
> > > > >
> >
> > > > > "The Beach" is the controversial new Leonardo
> > > > > DiCaprio film depicting the
> > > > > lifestyle of young American backpackers in Southeast
> > > > > Asia....
> >
> > etc
> >
> > ----------------------
> > Dr Julie Scott
> > Centre for Leisure and Tourism Studies
> > University of North London
> > [log in to unmask]
> > Tel. 0207 607 2789 Ext.3110
> >
> >
----------------------
Dr Julie Scott
Centre for Leisure and Tourism Studies
University of North London
[log in to unmask]
Tel. 0207 607 2789 Ext.3110
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