“This is perfectly fine television, but it does feel like an enormous missed opportunity.”
The film critic and director Scout Tafoya, author of the first book-length critical study of Tobe Hooper, the director of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”, has slammed Make or Break, the Apple TV series the WSL hopes will be the key that unlocks the hearts of non-surfing fans worldwide.
Describing the green-light of a second season as “baffling.”
There’s an unfortunate trend in the way this documentary series treats its characters (which has bafflingly already been given a second season, despite having appeared as a screener on Monday of last week ahead of its premiere today). I like the idea of surfing. And as spectacle, it’s quite hypnotic and beautiful. But I don’t know anything about surfing or modern surfing culture, relatively speaking.
Make or Break opens with a surfing journalist talking about the Wright family surfing dynasty as if we all know this stuff already. Which of course means that nobody involved in this project thought for a second that anyone doesn’t already love surfing.
The series allows about 6 inches of breathing room for the uninitiated. But mostly, like the surfers here, you’re thrown under the waves. When the announcers tell us we’ve seen something extraordinary, and the judges give it a perfect 10, it would be very cool to know why.
On what works, and what don’t.
The best moments in Make or Break happen when they stop editing it like a sports competition and just show you the surfing uninterrupted. The editing on this show proves infuriating, because the creators don’t trust that the sight of surfing (you know … the reason the show exists?) is interesting enough without cutting through each few-seconds-long ride a dozen times just in case you turned completely around for a few seconds and then looked back.
On the WSL’s pivot to vanilla.
For years, the appeal (as far as I could understand, at any rate) was that surfing was one of those things like skateboarding or punk music, that people didn’t think should be taken seriously. That’s why to this day, some of the best artifacts around the idea of surfing (for my money, stuff like 1987 exploitation flick Surf Nazis Must Die or the video for Interpol’s “All the Rage Back Home“) embrace the sport’s connection to the disreputable.
Making a show about the corporate maneuvers required to make the World Surf League happen in the face of, say, a shark attack, is antithetical to the reason to watch surfing in the first place. This is perfectly fine television, but it does feel like an enormous missed opportunity.
Make or Break is not about surfing. It’s about modern competitive surfing culture, and that’s just not that interesting.
My favourite episode, currently, is episode six, Chasing the Queen.
I enjoyed, very much, the insight into Stephanie Gilmore as she navigates the autumn years of her career, and Sage Erickson lighting up on Tatiana Weston-Webb over a priority interference.
“Fucken cheap,” says Sage.
“Just playing the game,” says Tati.
That’s a really unflattering angle for Sage.
I know this is cherry picked but it will be pretty funny if the only people who like Make or Break are already watching the WSL.
Did you see Tati interview where she said “my timing is better than anyones..”
I’m more into modern competitive surfing live commenting than modern competitive surfing.
Well, this critic seems to hit every note. LOL.
And Beach Grit writers love the show?
Looking at you Mr Currie. Other guys, no is surprised, but you JP?
Oh well, acquiesce to bullshit and you become …..
Good on Sage, what a nice woman.
Any way to monetize a poor investment is going to be explored. Reality TV is cheap to produce. THe cosmos collide.
How many heats were decided by one end hit this week? Is that really what “pro surfing” has evolved into? Wasn’t the “connection to the shore break” universally panned at HB?
Some dream tour, eh?
Non surfers don’t like it, surfers don’t like it.
“Make or Break is not about surfing. It’s about modern competitive surfing culture, and that’s just not that interesting.”
Well said, you can’t find a website with more than 30 or 40 commenters on pro surfing I think.
Waves are interesting, not pro surfing.
All that aggro win win crap–when surfing is really about just having fun and getting away from society’s crap.
Leave competition for the jocks.
Just go surf–have fun–be stoked.
‘turncoat tati’…I pledge allegiance to anyone and everyone for the sake of my interests
Was anyone else hoping a little scuffle would break out between Tati and Sage? a rashie ripped, cheeky boob bobs out… no? Just me?
I’m currently watching We Own This City and the Halo series on Paramount (don’t, it’s terrible) so not sure where I’m supposed to fit this in.
We Own the City is pretty decent but fark me they really made a mess out of Halo.
Ep 6 good. Wife n daughter thought Stef should move to the longboard tour, something in that. We all ended up disliking
Tom CarrollTati after setting up that interference, if true pretty low.https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Sounds like Make or Break is most likely to break wind.
Not for nothing but did kelly through that heat? Didn’t slap any high 5s on way down stairs, left more people hanging than a canceled mini series. Seemed upset then just sat it out. No interview. Whats u?
I didn’t see the first supposed savior of professional surfing – it’s muted appearance in the Tokyo Olympics, nor its second – The Ultimate Surfer, and I’m missing out in its latest and last ditch effort, Make or Break.
Meh, exactly what I said yesterday in JP’s piece. WSL ain’t interesting and the surfers, especially, are fucking light years away from interesting.
If you love sitting at home flopped on the sofa commenting on what someone’s wearing or the style of their hair that day, then pretty much anything with slick editing and production will tickle your fancy.
The rebelliousness and fuck you of yesteryear’s surfing is long gone. And so have all the characters. Trying to trade on Mikey’s mullet for the best part of 2 years is testimony to that.
Therefore, no matter how slick Make or Break might be, the topic and the characters are fucken boring.
It would be way more interesting to just chuck a bunch of them on the indies trader. A few girls too for eye candy and bitchiness.
Just follow Martin Daly around for a few days and catch him when he’s talking without knowing the cameras are in.
Fuck me, the stories.
Negs is kicking people off this thread b/c he’s up ELo’s bunghole.
No doubt!
It’s the perfect place for him to nurture his undying love of the WSL.
I wonder if people have considered the main ingredient in a reality tv show ( make or break) .
It’s churn, every season needs a new cast. The only other direction they can take it is the Hollywood housewives style.
Regional and qualifying series is the feeder.
I think your confusing watching surfing ( the comp) too watching surfers ( make or break).
I enjoy the surfing, couldn’t give two shits about the surfers.
This is first negative comments about make or break as it’s hyped by the surf media and the criticism is sound.
Speaking of things people should not take seriously – “A book-length critical study of Tobe Hooper, the director of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre”.
Sounds like a waste of paper to print and a waste of time to read – “Make or Break” certainly has more aesthetic and cultural value than anything this clown has done.
I don’t like Texas chainsaw massacre but its an icon that is loved by horror freaks internationally. I dot know much about make or break. Been surfing for all my life, 30 years and don’t understand judging criteria either.