She may have lost and scored a grand total of zero points, but as Anthony Albanese said in a press conference on Sunday morning: “Raygun had a crack, good on her ...
That is in the Australian tradition of people having a go.” Indeed. Let’s put aside, for a moment, whether she was trolling the world with her performance, will become a national treasure or whether “the kangaroo” and “the sprinkler” are now the official dance moves of Australia, to be performed at barbecues, celebrations and in place of air-kisses when we greet each other.
There is something glorious about having a crack at something difficult despite the risk of being ridiculed. The pluck and hope that drive Eddie the Eagle , Eric the Eel and, now, our very own Dr Rachael “Raygun” Gunn is nothing short of inspiring. Raygun caught the attention of fans with her kangaroo-like pose.
Credit: Getty Images Sure, she’s earnest, but she’s also dedicated and fully backs herself. It is so rare to find someone who gives their all – regardless of what anyone else thinks– that it hurts to see keyboard warriors trying to burst her bubble. Besides, having a crack and being bad – or at least, bad compared to the competition – is liberating.
When we are bad, there is no pressure to perform. Our hobby becomes an escape from all the other pressures in our lives; there is endless opportunity for growth; and if you accept that creativity is the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules and patterns, well, being terrible at an activity and continuing to do it just for joy is certainly transcendent. “I wanted to do something artistic and creative,” said Gunn, the 36-year-old Sydneysider with a PhD in cultural studies, after being eliminated from the inaugural breaking event at the Olympics last Thursday.
In the same way Oldenburg’s “toilet” challenged our notions of what art can be, Raygun has challenged our perceptions of what excellence , artistry and creativity can be – not to mention, who can make it into the Olympics. (Maybe we all have a shot?).
