Page 234 - Aesthetic Formations Media, religion, and the Sense

Prophecy on Stage 219

however, it was difficult to approach Robert. At Level 5 in the Structure—
the last level before Raël—the Guide has a range of tasks to perform dur-
ing the meeting. Moreover, Robert stands out because of his fame. Everyone
talks about him. A Raelian from South Korea who had also taken part in
the London activities said about the London group when we met again in
the Seminar: “I had no idea that our ‘friends’ from London were so
famous!” An outsider in London like myself, he perceived the difference of
these ‘friends’ now they were in their celebrity habitat.
Robert heads a musical project on the Elohim, which Raël dreams of
showing in London and in which Robert would play the part of Raël. His
compositions for the Elohim entertain the public hugely and his singing is
responsible for some of the Seminar’s most exciting moments. Robert is a
star in the European Raelian Movement and acts as such there on a day-to-
day basis. The proximity shown in London disappears during the Seminar.
His complete visibility limits his accessibility. The more visible and
“famous” a person is, the less accessible he or she is.
The same occurred with Lysa. A Guide, choreographer, and dancer, I
also met Lysa in London, at the Gay Parade where she was the person
responsible for organizing the participation of the Raelians in the event.
19
Lysa is a vivid example of the Raelian type of woman: beautiful, charm-
ing, vane, always well-dressed and striving to be as attractive as possible,
she uses her sensuality to stimulate people’s interest in the Raelian
Movement. In the Gay Parade, she walked with charm and attitude, prac-
tically “parading” and catching the eye of spectators, handing them leaf-
lets about the movement. This is a Raelian strategy in action: the attraction
toward the person provides the link with the movement’s ideas. In this
case, the attraction toward Lysa was the form of accessing the leaflet. Lysa’s
body expresses the anticonformist and sexualized attitude of the Raelian
Message. Spicing her teasing, erotic sense of humor with sensual gestures
and movements, Lysa provoked those who looked at her to respond posi-
tively to her behavior.
Over the weekend I spent in London, Lysa was very attentive to all the
members of the Raelian group. In the Seminar, she was just as charming,
but getting close to her proved much more difficult. Her presence in the

meeting’s events was invariably striking: during the talks and activities, she
stood out through the way she entered the auditorium, wearing a new out-
fit every day and, especially, every evening in the sensual shows and theme-
based parties. In addition, along with Robert, Lysa led a number of
20
activities in English for the group as a whole. Aside from Raël, Daniel,
and Brigitte, few leaders climbed on stage, and Robert and Lysa were part
of this select group. Lysa is an Angel, Level 5, and consequently represents
21
femininity throughout the duration of the Seminar. She dresses well,