Peculiarities of Dark Play - Research Paper Example

Dark play Introduction Play is normally considered a light and easy gesture by most people; however, it tends to exist in different forms. These include; dark play and deep play. A distinction between these two types of play reveals that deep play normally involves creative engagement of the self. It is through engaging the self that a person gains mental focus to an extent that pain or any form of physical discomfort can be ignored. Dark play on the other hand, is normally a form of play that tends to put more emphasis on a risk, a form of deception, or it may involve sheer thrill (Huizinga, 186). During dark play, some of the players are not normally aware of their involvement in the game, for example, a con game. It is the form of paly that normally involves fantasies, luck, daring, deception and invention. Dark play can normally be private, and it is only the player that may be aware of their engagement. It can normally erupt suddenly and can involve a bit of micro play that seizes a player resulting to a quick collapse. This can normally be in the form of a wisecrack, a delirium or it may involve a deadly risk. Dark play tends to subvert orders, breaking of rules and it may involve the dissolution of frames. During dark play, the play is normally in danger of destruction. The dangers that may result to the destruction of the playing process include; cases of spying, and con games. Dark play cannot normally be compared to the carnival because the inversions in clown plays are normally sanctioned by the authorities and they are, therefore, considered legal. Dark play is normally subversive, and it agendas tend to be hidden. In dark play, the players are normally rewarded through disruption or deceit (Huizinga, 187). Dark play being a form of paly that involves deception or subversion, it is evident that some the players are not normally aware of their involvement in the game. This form of paly normally lacks meta-communication, as the players tend to think it is just play without thinking of its consequences. It tends to occur mostly in instances where contradictory realities tend to co-exist. In this instance, the player assumes that each instance is likely to cancel out the other. An example illustrating dark paly is evident in the creation of a flash mob. The flash mob is normally a group of people interacting through the use of electronic media with an intention to gather at a predetermined site, in order to perform a brief, but silly action. These people are normally seen to disperse as soon as they finish performing the intended act. The organization of the flash mob normally involves an announcement to the people who are to form the mob, an organization of the meet up, the mob event, dispersal and press coverage. The flash mob may normally involve writing a given sidewalk with chalk, or when the mob agrees to act as paparazzi at the entrance of the supermarket. This form of play can be dangerous, as it may result to the injury of other members of the public who may engage in the play unknowingly. Another instance illustrating dark play is evident among teenagers who decide to go shoplifting just to have fun. Such incidents can be considered dark play because the teenagers can be players aware of their intentions. However, they may involve other players unknowingly; for example, it may result to the involvement of the owner of the shop and the other shoppers. This form of game is considered dark play because the consequences are normally harsh on the person involved (Bateson, 177). The other instance of dark play evident among teenagers is normally performed when such people are under depression, or when people feel angry about life. This can involve playing a form of Russian roulette in city traffic for example in a city like New York. A person may decide to cross such busy streets without pausing in order to, determine if it is safe of not. This form of play can be considered dark play as it involves some form of thrilling activity in which the player and other people who are unknowing players are at risk of any wicked outcomes. This form of play is considered dark play as it involves toying with life which may result to death. It is also dark play because the player is normally aware of the game; however, the other players are not normally aware (Bateson, 178). The other example illustrating dark play is common among girls. This mostly occurs in places such as a bar when a person is together with other friends. Taking the case of a girl, a person may attempt to hit on the girl, who pretends not to be interested. The other player may not being aware that he is involved in some game and will persist talking to the girl. The girl who is aware of the game then proceeds to speak in a made up language. The other guys the lady is hanging out with; are likely to understand the made up language, and will communicate back. This results to an understanding between the player, and the other friends. Once the friends are engaged in the game, they freely communicate with each other using their made up language, leaving the other guy out of the game. The guy is likely to get frustrated and will eventually leave. This is considered dark play since one of the players involved is not aware of the game being played. It is also dark play since the other person who was not part of the game tends to be thrilled by the foreign language being used by the lady and her friends. It is evident that one of the players is not aware of their engagement in the game (Bateson, 181). The other instance illustrating dark play is evident among teenagers living in a youth hostel. Such teenagers may tend to engage in some mischievous activity such as exploring the hostel and later discovering such things as the presence of a trapdoor in the ceiling. Being that the teenagers have an intention of engaging in some mischievous act, they are likely to ignore any signs warning them against climbing the roof of the hostel. These may result to the sneaking of the teenagers out of the dormitory as they have fun. They may encounter scary things such as darkness, and the winds, which cause them to yell in search for help. However, when they manage to go back to the hostel they realize they have been engaging in a bad game and the consequence is that they are thrown out of the hostel (Sutton, 214). It is the teenagers who mostly engage in dark play. Another instance illustrating dark paly is evident when a child goes on vacation to places that are mostly dreaded such as the waterfalls. The child in an attempt to play pranks with those accompanying him; may decide to climb guardrail of the waterfall in an attempt to obtain a better view of the waterfall. This game exhibits dark play in that the player finds it funny when a close relative begs them not to engage in such risks. The player engages another person in the game unknowingly, who may cry and plead for the player not to engage in such a risky activity, as result of being terrified. This form of play is normally considered dark play in that; some form of thrilling action is normally involved, however, the consequences of such an act can normally be dangerous to the player and the non-players (Sutton, 217). These forms of play tend to subvert meta-communicative messages in that the players tend to take things lightly assuming that it is just play and nothing serious can result. In the examples illustrated it is evident that some of the players are not aware of their involvement in the game. In dark play, however, it is evident that the involvement of the unknowing player normally makes the game more interesting. Dark play may normally cause the unknowing player to be terrified over the involvement of the other player in an activity. However, for the player aware of the game this is normally some form of thrilling activity to make them feel proud (Huizinga, 190). Children normally take advantage of dark paly mostly during April fool’s day, when they engage adults to perform a mischievous act without the adults being aware that they are players. These forms of games which are considered dark play and are normally carried out by the player for pleasure, to provoke an unknowing player or to terrify the unknowing player. The main reason as to why an individual may engage in dark play is to; gain a separate hierarchy or social order. The player can normally have the intentions of exploring a given limit of power or they may do so, in order to resist against a person who may seem to dominate a given area (Bateson, 183). References Bateson, Gregory. “A Theory of Play and Fantasy.” Steps to An Ecology of mind. New York Ballantine books, 177-93, 1972. Huizinga, Johan. “Play and Ritual: Complementary Forms of Meta-communication.” London: Pergamon Press, 187-95, 1977. Sutton Smith, Brian. The Ambiguity of Play. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. 1-17, 214-31, 1997. Read More