ALTERNATIVE TO WHAT? THE RISE OF LOSLYF MAGAZINE Marnell Kirsten Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Visual Studies at Stellenbosch University Supervisor: Dr. Stella Viljoen April 2014 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in Alternative to what? The rise of Loslyf magazine is my own and that it has not previously, in its entirety or in part, been submitted at any university for a degree. All the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. Marnell Kirsten November 2013 Student number: 14353938 i Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za What is pornography to one man is the laughter of genius to another. - DH Lawrence (1936: 11) ii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za SUMMARY In this study I analyse the first year of publication of Loslyf, the first and, at the time of its launch in June 1995, only Afrikaans pornographic magazine. The analysis comprises a historical account of its inception as relayed mainly by Ryk Hattingh, the first editor of Loslyf and primary creative force behind the publication. Such an investigation offers valuable insights into an aspect of South African media history as yet undocumented. As a powerful contributor to an Afrikaans imaginary, emerging at a time of political renewal, Loslyf provides a glimpse into the desires, tensions and tastes of and for an imagined community potentially still shaped by a censorial past. The magazine is worth studying, in part, as an example of an attempt at reinvesting the prescriptive and seemingly generic genre of pornography with cultural specificity and political content, with a view to making it more interesting and relevant. The study argues that whilst Loslyf succeeded in fracturing the “simulacrum” (Baudrillard 1990: 35) of pornographic representation, it also demonstrated that this kind of „alternativity‟ is difficult to sustain. An analysis of the written and visual content of the first 12 issues of the magazine, under Hattingh‟s editorship, investigates the basis of Loslyf‟s status as „alternative‟ publication. I conclude that the first year of Loslyf contributed towards the broader project of democratic expression in an expanding South African visual economy, as a simultaneously well considered and underrated (at the time of its publication at least) cultural product. iii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING In hierdie studie analiseer ek die eerste jaar van publikasie van Loslyf as ‟n baanbrekende en, in die tyd van sy ontstaan in Junie 1995, die enigste Afrikaanse pornografiese tydskrif. Hierdie analise behels ʼn historiese oorsig van die ontstaan van Loslyf soos hoofsaaklik verhaal deur Ryk Hattingh, die eerste redakteur van Loslyf en primêre kreatiewe mag agter die publikasie. So ʼn ondersoek bied waardevolle insig tot ʼn ongedokumenteerde aspek van Suid-Afrikaanse mediageskiedenis. As ʼn kultuurproduk wat ʼn kragtige bydrae gelewer het tot die Afrikaanse samelewing in ʼn tyd van politieke hernuwing, bied Loslyf ʼn weerkaatsing van die begeertes, spanninge en smake vir en van hierdie gemeenskap – begeertes en smake wat grootendeels gevorm is deur ʼn geskiedenis van sensuur. Dit is waardevol om die tydskrif te bestudeer as voorbeeld van ‟n poging om die voorskriftelike en skynbaar generiese pornografiese genre met kulturele bepaaldheid en politiese inhoud te herbelê, ten einde hierdie genre meer interessant en relevant te maak. Hierdie studie beweer dat, terwyl Loslyf daarin slaag om die “simulakrum” (Baudrillard 1990: 35) van pornografiese voorstelling te breek, die publikasie ook demonstreer dat hierdie tipe „alternatiwiteit‟ moeilik volhoubaar is. ʼn Analise van die geskrewe en visuele inhoud van die eerste 12 uitgawes van die tydskrif, onder redakteurskap van Hattingh, ondersoek die basis van Loslyf se status as „alternatiewe‟ publikasie. Ek beslis dat Loslyf se eerste jaar bygedra het tot die breër inisiatief van demokratiese uitdrukking in ʼn ontwikkelende Suid- Afrikaanse visuele ekonomie, as gelyktydig goed deurdagte én ondergeskatte (veral ten tyde van sy ontstaan) publikasie. iv Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated, with much love, to my family and friends for their support and understanding. I appreciate your patience. ACKNOWLEDGMENT Many thanks and respect to Stella Viljoen, my supervisor, for her valuable guidance and much appreciated enthusiasm for this study. This paper could not have been accomplished without the help and direction of Ryk Hattingh. I am grateful for the emails and phone calls, the insight he provided, and the zeal with which he received and enhanced my own interest in this project. v Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za CONTENTS PAGE List of illustrations………………………………………………………………………………............... vii Chapter One: Introduction 1.1. Background and aims of the study………………………………………………………………………. 1 1.2. An outline of chapters and key texts useful for this study………........................…..………………….... 6 Chapter Two: Shifting contexts of Afrikaans sexual expression 2.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………...……. 11 2.2. Supervising „sex‟.………………………………………………………………………………………... 12 2.2.1. The designation „Afrikaner‟ in a context of official power…………………………………...…… 12 2.2.2. The control of „illicit‟ publications and sexual representations…………………………..………... 15 2.3. Selling „sex‟……….……………………………………………………………………………………... 21 2.3.1. The designation „Afrikaner‟ in a postmodern context…………………………………………....... 21 2.3.2. Democracy, globalisation and pornographic media in South Africa………………………………. 26 Chapter Three: Alternative to what? Ryk Hattingh and the inception of an Afrikaans pornography magazine 3.1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………...………. 32 3.2. A moment of possibility ………………………………………………………………………...………. 34 3.3. Old friends and new collaborators……………………………………………………………………….. 48 3.4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 52 Chapter Four: The voice of Loslyf , June 1995 – May 1996 4.1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………...……. 55 4.2. Manner of voice...………………………………………………………………………………………... 57 4.3. Voicing matter.…………………………………………………………………………………………... 68 4.4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 78 vi Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Chapter Five: The gaze of Loslyf, June 1995 – May 1996 5.1. Introduction……………………………………………………...………………………………………. 81 5.2. Manner of observation.…………………………………………………………………………………... 84 5.3. The observation of matter………………………………………………………………………………... 99 5.4. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 105 Chapter Six: Conclusion 109 Sources consulted…………………………………………………………………...…………………… 114 Appendix: Illustrations.................................................................................................................................... 129 vii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Cover page. Loslyf, June 1995: 1. Figure 2. „Loslyf inhoud‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 3. Figure 3. „Losbars‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 5. Figure 4. „Bart Wessels PS: Die obsessie‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 73, 75. Figure 5. „Koekie se hoekie‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 121. Figure 6. „Penorent‟. Loslyf, September 1995: 6. Figure 7. „Penorent‟. Loslyf, October 1995: 10. Figure 8. „Penorent‟. Loslyf, July 1995: 8. Figure 9. „Inheemse blom van die maand: Dina by die monument‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 124. Figure 10. „Inheemse blom van die maand: Dina by die monument‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 125. Figure 11. „Inheemse blom van die maand: Dina by die monument‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 126. Figure 12. „Inheemse blom van die maand: Dina by die monument‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 127. Figure 13. „Inheemse blom van die maand: Dina by die monument‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 128. Figure 14. „Inheemse blom van die maand: Pollie, Taalfilosoof‟. Loslyf, March 1996: 115. Figure 15. „Vetkoek‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 112, 113. Figure 16. „Daar kom die Alibama‟. Loslyf, November 1995: 93. Figure 17. „Siembamba: „n kleuterliedjie‟. Loslyf, December 1995: s.p. Figure 18. ‘Penorent‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 6. viii Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Figure 19. „Tussen hamer en aambeeld‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 50. Figure 20. ‘Katalien: Ballistiese nimf‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 60. Figure 21. „Polities korrek maak my tiete lam‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 26. Figure 22. „Polities korrek maak my tiete lam‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 27. Figure 23. „Polities korrek maak my tiete lam‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 29. Figure 24. „Polities korrek maak my tiete lam‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 46. Figure 25. „Kerk in krisis‟. Loslyf, August 1995: 51. Figure 26. „Bykom kapsules‟. Loslyf, October 1995: 110. Figure 27. „Bl 111: Vroue onderdruk hulself‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 111. Figure 28. „Steek 17‟. Loslyf, July 1995: 122. Figure 29. „Operasie 12 Duim‟. Loslyf, August 1995: 120. Figure 30. „U dienswillige dienaar‟. Loslyf, September 1995: 95. Figure 31. „Samantha: Streepsuiker‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 8. Figure 32. „Samantha: Streepsuiker‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 13. Figure 33. „Sophia: Ryk en lekker‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 19. Figure 34. „Sophia: Ryk en lekker‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 20. Figure 35. „Gina: Bekoorlike blom‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 36. Figure 36. „Gina: Bekoorlike blom‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 42. Figure 37. „Katalien: Ballistiese nimf‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 62, 63. ix Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Figure 38. „Wendy: Eerste liefde‟. Loslyf, June 1995: 78.