(For this post-class blog reflection, I want to retouch on my pre-class blog from September 7th)
In my pre-class blog, I was discussing Barthes concept of tmesis. I thought I knew what I was talking about in my previous blog but after class on Thursday I came to a knew realization. In class, our professor defined tmesis as “filling in the gaps” and how important it is in understanding language. Our brain unconsciously and consciously processes things as we see them appear in front of us. I want to show the “short story” example that our professor used in our class to help show that I understand the concept.
A short story
“A Short Story”
“A Short Story”
For Sale
“A Short Story”
For Sale:
“A Short Story”
For Sale:
Baby Shoes.
“A Short Story”
For Sale:
Baby Shoes.
Never Worn.
Each line is given on a separate slide, so our brain can process and try to guess the result of this “short story”. Throughout the entire process, our brain is coming up with different stories and solutions in order to reach the answer. When the viewer first sees “A short story”, we start to think about what kind of short story. As we go down the list, the viewer sees that it is a short story about a child who was never able to wear his or her shoes. After reading through the whole thing, our brains finally conceptualize that the child may have died or may have never been born.
What I’m trying to point out is that tmesis is the notion of filling the gaps. As humans, we like filling in gaps and spaces because it is somewhat of a pleasure. There is something about not being able to see the whole thing that feels erotic. As Barthes says, “Is not the most erotic portion of a body where the garment gapes” (Barthes 108). For example, Marilyn Monroe sets up the perfect picture of tmesis when she walks over the man hole in the film The Seven Year Itch. Her dress flies up, revealing her bare legs and lower half of her body, yet no one actually sees anything.
I also have another more modern example that fits this category of tmesis. In my rFLA neighborhood class called Masculinity in Crisis, my fellow students and I watched a film called Basic Instinct. This film became very popular because of the interrogation scene with actress Sharon Stone. Stone is being questioned by all men detectives about a murder case, when all of a sudden she uncrosses her legs. She then reveals to the detectives and to the audience that she is not wearing any underwear. Now, one can not actually see her actual woman parts, but it is this act of tmesis which causes all the men and viewers to "fill in the gap" and say they saw something. It is obvious that she has no underwear on, but the directors make sure that nothing is actually seen in the film, just like Marilyn Monroe's man hole scene.
As I stated before, tmesis is a space, a space in which needs to be filled.
Absof_ _ _ _ _ _ lutely! (You have such a dirty mind. It's absof r e a k i n lutely).
Here is a gif of the interrogation scene with Sharon Stone:
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