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1378_7 | Well known examples include several in the Amazon Basin, in Brazil, at the Severn Bore in the United Kingdom, and in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Standing river breaks
These are waves which are created in some fast flowing rivers or creeks, allowing a surfer to ride a wave for several minutes or more whilst standing or lying more or less stationary within the river. The force of the flow along an uneven river bed allows a standing wave to form, and the surfer to be able to ride the wave successfully. They are relatively rare as local wave dynamics tend to be very specific.
Examples include on the Zambesi River in Africa, on the St Lawrence River in Montreal, Canada, and on the Eisbach river in Munich, Germany.
They also sometimes form when an inland lagoon or lake breaches its entry to the sea, forming standing waves in the channel between the lagoon and sea. Examples include at Waimea in Hawaii.
Artificial wave pools |
1378_8 | These are waves generated in an artificially created pool with a powerful wave-generating device, to form waves which can be surfed without any need for an existing, natural water environment, such as an ocean or shoreline. Wave pools can therefore be built almost anywhere, and several designs and models (which have also been patented) are under construction throughout the world as of 2016.
In December 2015, former world surfing champion and current professional surfer Kelly Slater revealed a new type of wave pool at an unknown location, which was able to demonstrably show well-shaped barrelling style waves over several hundred metres at around head-high or more, which quality and size had not previously been achieved by any wave pool design or construction. The ability to create genuine, long, barreling surfable waves at locations far from natural shorelines might prove to be a game-changer within surfing culture and history. |
1378_9 | Wave pools are currently the subject of much research and development, and there are a number of planned and existing commercial operations.
Types of surfable waves
As opposed to permanent or semi permanent obstructions which cause waves to break, surfable waves are sometimes defined by the nature of their generation.
Swell waves
Ocean swells form from the longer term amalgamation of wind-generated waves on the surface. The stronger the wind and the longer the area over which it blows, generally the larger the swell.
Wind waves
If large enough, local wind-generated chop can be surfed, but usually only after it has amalgamated into genuine swell from a distance.
Ship waves
A large ship such as an oil tanker can sometimes create rideable waves at the shoreline. These are usually surfed only when the waves are otherwise very small, such as in a large inland lake. |
1378_10 | There has been unconfirmed reports of an offshore boat being used to make waves during surf contests when the surf was otherwise very small.
Tsunami waves
Although rare, surfable tsunami waves from earthquakes have been recorded. One documented place an earthquake-generated tsunami has been surfed is at Punta Hermosa in Peru, at the offshore Kon Tiki reef, where tsunami-generated waves from the 1974 Lima earthquake were ridden about from the shore, before further rising and crashing into the nearby shoreline. The surfers did not know these were tsunami waves until after the event.
Surfable seismic-style waves generated from landslides, volcanic eruptions or meteorite impacts into the ocean are all possible, but all of these are very rare, unpredictable, and have not been documented as being surfed.
Glacial calving waves |
1378_11 | Waves have been surfed and documented from the action of calving ice from glaciers, which falls into the adjacent water and forms a tsunami-type wave which surges away from the glacier.
Storm surges
These form when a large storm or hurricane forces water in front of it, due to the combined action of strong winds over long distances. The water can pile up towards the shore and create a moving surge of water.
These surges can be surfed, although they have not been specifically documented.
Backwash and sidewash waves
These occur where waves are formed from the returning backwash of a wave which has previously gone up a steep shoreline or beach, or sometimes reflected from an ocean rockface or wall. They can sometimes form a surfable wave in a direction oblique to, or opposite from the original wave direction. An example was shown in the film Endless Summer, in Tahiti, called 'Ins and Outs'. |
1378_12 | Backwash breaking parallel to or obliquely to the angle of the shore is sometimes also called sidewash, which can form from the reflection of a wave breaking against adjacent obstructions such as jetties, groynes, or rockwalls, or simply from the action of backwashing waves which strike a shoreline at an angle.
Sidewash and backwash is relatively common, and may amplify another incoming breaking wave's size due to constructive interference. When this process happens with an open ocean swell the resulting wave can also be significantly larger due to constructive interference from either deep water refraction or diffraction, or both. This type of effect is suggested to occur at two of the largest surf breaks in the world, at Nazaré in Portugal, and Jaws in Hawaii.
Backwash and sidewash also sometimes form in conjunction with rips on beaches.
Standing river waves |
1378_13 | These are formed from the action of fast flowing water over an uneven river or creek bed. The dynamics are very specific and not many naturally occurring surfable standing river waves are known, but examples include on the Zambesi river and near Munich, Germany.
Some rivers can also exhibit a surfable wave 'front' during flash flood events, particularly within narrow canyons. These have been ridden by people on surf craft caught in a flash flood event, such as on an inflatable tyre, although not usually intentionally. It is technically a wave front, with a breaking wave which can carry one downstream, so may be classified as a 'surf break', but others may classify this as simply a type of river riding. |
1378_14 | Tidal bore waves
These form where strong tidal currents enter a river or deltaic system, pushing shorewards and creating a surfable wave, and can extend for many kilometers. Surfable examples are known in China, Sumatra, the Amazon Basin, and the United Kingdom. They can be multiple or single crested wave fronts.
Artificial wave pool waves
These are made in an artificially created pool with a powerful wave generating device, to form generally small waves, which can be surfed without any need for an ocean or shoreline.
They are currently the subject of much research and development, and there are a number of commercial operations.
Human influence
'Surf break' locations and the quality of surf may be negatively or positively affected by human activities. |
1378_15 | In some cases, surf breaks themselves may be partly formed from the influence of human activities. These include from the construction of local jetties (e.g. at Ocean Beach, New York), or from the dredging and dumping of nearby river sand (at Coolangatta's 'Superbank', Queensland, which sand sourced from the nearby Tweed River which commenced in the late 1990s and has now formed an almost continuous 2 km long sand bottomed point break), or from sand build up around local shipwrecks (such as at Stockton Beach, New South Wales). These effects may be either temporary, or more or less permanent.
The effects of human influences are variable, and may be either negative or positive with respect to the effect on local surf quality, and in some cases may affect one nearby surf break positively and another negatively. |
1378_16 | Generally speaking, local surfers are opposed to potential unintentional consequences of local constructions or development which may not have adequately assessed or considered the effect on local surf quality, particularly where the local surf quality is considered substantial or culturally or socio-economically significant. Such effects may not have been taken into account during various development proposals.
There are examples of world-renowned surf breaks which have been significantly and negatively effected or destroyed by various engineering or other human influences, although it is important to note that some renowned surf breaks have also been markedly improved by various human influences.
Construction of jetties and groynes
Jetties and groynes create local sand build up which may improve the local surf quality. Examples occur at Ocean Beach, New York, and Duranbah Beach, New South Wales. Negative effects on surf quality from such constructions are possible. |
1378_17 | Construction of artificial harbors
These may create changes to local surf dynamics which can be either negative or positive with respect to surf quality. Most were made in previous decades and centuries and the effects on surf quality at the time were not known. Examples include at Newcastle Harbour, in New South Wales.
Shipwrecks
These unintentional 'constructions' may allow sand to build up around the wreck, sometimes forming surfable waves.
Sand dredging and dumping
Sand dredging and dumping from nearby rivers can affect the quality of nearby surf breaks, due to changes in the amount of sand available to form over the bottom. In many sand bottom point breaks, more sand often means better quality. |
1378_18 | The 'Superbank' in Queensland is a world class surf break, partly formed from the influence of nearby sand dredging and dumping. This sand is sourced form the nearby Tweed River, which dredging program began in the late 1990s. This program has generally improved the surf quality, forming a now more or less continuous 2 km long sand bottomed surf break, linking up what was previously 3 different point breaks (Snapper, Greenmount, and Kirra) into now one more or continuous surf break, and now also one of the longest point breaks in the world.
Whilst the surf quality at Snapper and Greenmount has generally improved, the bottom section of the break, the world-class Kirra point break, which was formerly considered one of the best in the world, has generally suffered. |
1378_19 | Proposals have been put forward to attempt to alleviate or change the program, to attempt to restore the quality of previous surf at Kirra, however it is not clear how the improvements made to nearby Snapper and Greenmount would also be then affected. There may be an optimum amount of sand dredging and build up which allows all three breaks to be generally improved, as was perhaps the case in the early 2000s.
Artificial reef breaks
'Artificial reef breaks' are an example of a construction which intentionally alters the local seabed dynamics to attempt to improve the local surf quality. The success of these has proved to be variable to date, with both positive and neutral cases known.
Reactions to local artificial reef construction proposals is mixed and variable, and is usually examined on a case-by-case basis.
Artificial wave pools |
1378_20 | Artificial wave pools use a powerful wave generating device which creates surfable waves without the need for a coastline or shoreline. They can therefore allow surf activity to occur many kilometers inland from the sea or ocean.
They are the subject of current research and development, and a number of commercial operations are in existence.
Artificial standing waves
These form where lagoons disconnected to the ocean are deliberately breached, which allows a narrow fast flowing channel to form which lowers the water level and re-connect the inland water system with the ocean. Sometimes surfable 'standing waves' are formed and surfed during these events, which can become a cultural attraction.
Reef bombing |
1378_21 | This is largely an illegal fishing activity which occurs in some countries whereby explosives are used over coral reefs to kill and stun the fish, allowing them to be then netted and caught more easily. The practice is largely illegal, as it negatively effects both marine life and also changes and destroys the local seabed and coral topography, creating largely negative effects on local surf conditions.
Development and stabilization of sand dunes |
1378_22 | The mobility of sand dunes sometimes allows a greater supply of sand to be deposited in adjacent local point breaks, creating more even surf conditions on these point break style waves. When these dunes are destroyed or stabilised, the supply of sand may be reduced, effecting local surf conditions. This has occurred at the Bruce's Beauties surf break in South Africa, where wave quality was no longer the same once the adjacent dunes were developed with residential style housing. Areas adjacent to river systems where the supply of sand is reduced can also be similarly affected. |
1378_23 | In the world renowned surf movie: The Endless Summer director Bruce Brown comments on the "perfect breaking wave" - Cape St. Francis in South Africa. In The Endless Summer II, the cape has a different break to it due to the housing development requiring a sand mound to protect the houses from wind/sand erosion. The sand removed from the beaches drastically altered the wave and how it breaks. Cape St. Francis is just one of the surf points altered from humans. Reformation of beaches, coastlines, and beach-front property alter the sand underneath the waves and degrades surfing conditions. By blocking the natural wind flow to the ocean lessens the offshore wind, low tide surf conditions all surfers envy. |
1378_24 | Effect of climate change
Surfing conditions change due to the global change in climate. The combustion of fossil fuels translates to rising sea levels through the melting of Earth's ice caps and thermal expansion. The rising sea levels increase the amount of condensation through the hydrologic cycle. With more precipitation in the atmosphere and increased global temperatures storms carry increased power. Swells and ocean currents in turn fuel surfable waves, though their quality is yet to be known.
As Earth evolves with increased carbon emissions into the atmosphere, surf breaks see alterations in size, speed, location, and quality of waves. Climate change affects surf breaks through altering the environment surrounding the surf break. There are also ways as a surfer to combat the future degradation of your local surf location. |
1378_25 | Rising sea levels
With an increase in sea level, the way certain waves break will alter. Waves break due to the distance between the surface water and the sea floor. The average wave across the Earth will get smaller due to there being more water from melting ice caps. Combustion of fossil fuels as well as surface heating have increased the global temperature by 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
If a reef break depends on the tides, then the increase of water to the reef alters the tides. If a reef break breaks well on a high tide, after rising sea levels the reef break will break well on the low tide. More critically, a surf spot that currently breaks only on a low tide will cease to break.
Beach breaks are highly susceptible to sea level rise due to their reliance on the sea floor below. With the increased sea level, more sediment deposition occurs which can have various effects on surface waves. |
1378_26 | Rising sea levels may have various effects on waves, though one thing is certain: rising sea levels will inevitably lower the size of waves.
Ocean Currents
Across the world, Earth's currents push cold and warm water. See Ocean current. With increased water from melting ice caps, currents have a larger body of water to push. Currents are slowing down globally, in some cases up by 15%. These currents can allow certain areas of the world to get cold when it's supposed to be warm, and vice versa. Reduced current power limits the power swells have on daily surf breaks.
Storms
Storms are increasing in quantity and potency. We are seeing higher category 4 and 5 storms; translating to intense swells. Storms drive powerful swells; so for an increase in storm power the waves will actually in turn become increased in size. |
1378_27 | Though storms are supposed to create larger swells and better surf, waves are actually decreasing in size globally. Rising sea levels decrease the potency of storms; hurricanes and winds have a smaller impact on surf breaks only when the tides are higher.
Swells
Globally, with an increase in storm frequency and power, swells will become stronger and happen more often. The quality of surf is not yet known to the future swells due to variables such as sea level, ocean currents, and location on the earth. Additionally, the force driving the swells may vary due to the condition of global ocean currents. |
1378_28 | Coral reef degradation
Since Earth's oceans are affected by global warming, thermal stress affects the coral reefs, slowly withering away until the coral bleaches. Coral bleaching eventually kills the coral. Sea level rise expands the ocean's area, acquiring more sediment as it grows. With more sediment under the sea, coral begins to become buried alive. As sedimentation occurs, reef breaks turn into beach breaks; which can have positive or negative impacts; depending on the circumstances of the break (wind, depth, location). Anthropogenic waste running off into the sewage lines that feed to the ocean, sprouting harmful algae blooms and murky water that limit the amount of sunlight coral reefs can absorb. Coral reefs provide some of the world's best waves; though they may not be around for long. |
1378_29 | Coral reefs have a narrow window of temperature in which they can live. With an average increase in global temperatures of one degree per decade, and 90% of the heat being absorbed by the ocean. Coral reefs are in danger of becoming extinct by 2030. Coral reef loss creates beach breaks; which alter the nature of the wave.
Ocean acidification
With an increase of carbon emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, the ocean acts as a sink for all of the extra CO2 in the atmosphere. CO2 naturally increases the acidity of the ocean, throwing the pH of the ocean to a more acidic state. Currently the acidity of the ocean has increased by 30%. The increase has led to coral reefs degrading, therefore impacting all of the reef breaks. Carbon dioxide absorbed into the ocean from the atmosphere reduces calcification rates in reef-building and reef-associated organisms by altering seawater chemistry through decreases in pH.
Actions |
1378_30 | In 2008, surfers and environmentalists opposed a toll road project in Orange County, California that would have changed sediment patterns and affected the world-class Trestles surf break north of San Onofre State Beach which attracted 400,000 surfers in 2007.
In 2007, the NSW Geographical Names Register began formally recognizing names of surf breaks in Australia, defining a surf break as a "permanent obstruction such as a reef, headland, bombora, rock or sandbar, which causes waves to break".
One of the largest surf breaks in the world is the Jaws surf break in Maui, Hawaii, with waves that reach a maximum height of . However waves which break off Nazaré in Portugal have been recorded to exceed , with estimates of waves ridden up to over , from trough to peak. The peculiar ocean bathymetry off Nazare is largely responsible for the very large wave faces.
Gallery
See also
Artificial reef
Breaking wave
Wave breaking
References |
1378_31 | Surfing
Water waves
Surfing terminology
Coastal geography |
1379_0 | Objetivo Fama (sometimes abbreviated as OF, Spanish for Target: Fame) is a Puerto Rican singing talent contest that aired for over six years on WLII, the Univision outlet in Puerto Rico; and on Telefutura in the mainland United States. It is produced by Ender Vega and Soraya Sánchez ES Television.
The program was loosely inspired by the late Puerto Rican singing talent contest and variety show, Voces en Función, and the Spanish reality show, Operación Triunfo. Twenty or so contestants are "bunkered" in a studio/house where they will live together for several months while participating in a weekly show where one of them is eliminated, en route to find a "young star". The winner of the show gets a record deal from Univision Music Group. The show aired for six years, starting in 2004, and finishing in 2009. |
1379_1 | Contestants were evaluated by a panel of judges, and viewers had the opportunity to vote on who they wanted to stay or leave the competition. Also, during the week they were assisted by singing and dancing teachers, stylists, costume designers, personal trainers, etc. in the studio/house to help them shape and improve their talent and image. The show was often said to be the Spanish version of American Idol, although technically speaking, the official Spanish version of that show is Latin American Idol.
In 2019, producer Soraya Sanchez announced that a new season of the show would be produced for 2020 and would mainly feature Urbano music, Reggaeton and Trap.
History
The show ran for six season, from 2004 to 2009. In 2019, producer Soraya Sanchez announced that a new season of the show would be produced for 2020 to mainly feature Urbano music, Reggaeton and Trap.
Judges and hosts
Judges |
1379_2 | Roberto Sueiro (2004–2009) is a Puerto Rican artist and entertainment attorney. As a teenager, he sang with several rock bands and wrote songs while studying in the University of Florida. He finished law studies at the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. He continued studies in intellectual property and music rights at New York University where he received a master's degree in Law, in 1992. He then released four albums under the pseudonym of Byron. He reached the Billboard lists and won several awards. He also delved into producing and was one of the conceptual creators of Son By Four. He is currently practicing law in the field of entertainment and intellectual property, where he has represented several renowned artists. He was the only judge featured during all seasons of Objetivo Fama. |
1379_3 | Hilda Ramos (2004-2007, 2009) is a Puerto Rican soprano that has become one of the most sought opera singers in the world since her debut in 1989 with the Puerto Rican Symphonic Orchestra. In 1993, she won the first prize at the Metropolitan Opera Auditions in Puerto Rico and was one of the finalists of the regional auditions in New Orleans. She has performed around the world in places like Israel, Rome, Geneva, and the United States among others. She has performed at numerous world-known operas to much acclaim. In 2002, she debuted in New York City, invited by Regina Resnik. In 2004 and 2005 she collaborated as a teacher in Objetivo Fama, and in 2006 debuted as one of the judges. She remained as part of the judge panel until 2008, where she declined to dedicate time to her singing career. Ramos returned in 2009, to be judge of the last edition of OF. |
1379_4 | Fernando Allende (2006–2008) is a Mexican singer, actor, producer and director. He has acted in several soap operas in Spain, Mexico, and Latin America. Allende has traveled the world and lived in London for several years. In 2001 he moved to Puerto Rico where Allende has retaken his career as an actor and director. Allende also studied law at the Universidad La Salle in Mexico. He performs regularly as a mariachi and continues producing local films. In 2006 he was selected not only as one of the three judges but also as the President of the Jury.
Lissy Estrella (2005) is a Puerto Rican singer. She served as a judge only for the second season.
Jimena (2008) is a Mexican singer. She is serving as a judge on the fifth season.
Abraham Velásquez (2009) is a Puerto Rican Christian inspirational singer. He served as a judge in substitution of Fernando Allende who resigned to work as a TV producer and film director. |
1379_5 | Guest judges are sometimes brought in. Some of the most common are singer/host Charytín, and some radio hosts from Univision Radio. |
1379_6 | Hosts
The first season of Objetivo Fama was hosted by Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique, while the second one was co-hosted by Mexican actor/singer Víctor Noriega and Puerto Rican model/host Yizette Cifredo.
For the third season, Mexican singer Yuri was chosen as host, and she quickly became a favorite of the audience. She remained with the show until the end of the fourth season, when she was fired. She was replaced by entertainer Charytín Goyco during the season finale. Goyco had already served as guest host and judge during several episodes of the show.
The sixth and final season was hosted by Puerto Rican singer and host Gisselle. |
1379_7 | Auditions
Before the show season starts, auditions are held at several places in Puerto Rico and the United States to pick the finalists that will be featured in the show. These are evaluated by the show's producers which included music directors Gabriel Ferri and Angelo Torres. When the 20 contestants are selected, they are moved to Puerto Rico where the studio/house is located. For its last season, the producers reduced the number of contestants from 20 to 16. Also, like the first season, all contestants were from Puerto Rico.
Studio/House
The studio/house were the contestants live during the course of the show was located in the San Juan Metropolitan Area. It was administered, directed and managed by Puerto Rican singer, Lunna.
Weekly Shows |
1379_8 | During the first two years, the weekly show was held at the Teatro del Parque in Santurce, its third year in Caguas Performing Arts Center in the city of Caguas, Puerto Rico. However, the fourth season moved to the Guaynabo Performing Arts Center in the city of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The show usually starts with a big performance involving all the contestants in one song-and-dance number. Then, each contestant performs the song they had received and rehearsed during the week. Performances can vary from duos, trios, to single performances. Between participations, each contestant is interviewed and clips of the weeks' happenings are shown.
After each presentation, each contestant is evaluated by the three judges. At the end of the show, the judges announce which contestants are "threatened" to leave the studio/house. Viewers then have one week to call and "save" their favorite contestant. The show closes with a performance by a guest artist. |
1379_9 | Acceso Total
Literally translated as Total Access, this section follows every weekly show with interviews with contestants and judges. This special show began during the third season (2006) following the weekly show. It is hosted by José Figueroa and Liza Lugo.
Sin Editar
Loosely translated as Unedited, this is another weekly show where they follow the contestants lives at the studio/house and their rehearsals during the week. It also includes interviews and questions from the audience. In 2007, it was hosted by Daniela Droz. In the fifth season (2008), the show also included evaluations of each contestant past presentation from a former judge, Hilda Ramos, and was hosted by Yizette Cifredo.
Season synopses
2004: First season
See Objetivo Fama (season 1) for more information
This season was hosted by Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique, and Puerto Rican singer, actress and host Daniela Droz. It featured only Puerto Rican contestants aged 18 and older. |
1379_10 | The winner of the show was Janina Irizarry (also known as simply Janina), but several of the contestants have released their own albums having different levels of success. As of 2007, Janina has released two successful albums.
Early on the show, one of the contestants, Encarnita "Kany" García, suffered a car accident, which forced her to abandon the competition. She was in intensive care for some time and recovered. She has turned since into a much-sought composer-songwriter. She wrote a song for Janina's first album. García in 2007 released her first album Cualquier Día, which includes the number 1 hit "Hoy Ya Me Voy". With the success of the album, she received praise from music critics, and many awards including two Billboard Latin Music Awards and two Latin Grammy Awards for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Album. The album has been a success in Puerto Rico, the United States, and Latin America. |
1379_11 | Charlie Rodríguez was the first contestant of the show to release his own album and has also become a successful composer. He is currently working in his second album.
After the show, Luis Montes, Elliot Suro and Daniel Rodríguez joined Puerto Rican boy band MDO. They released an album titled Otra Vez which peaked some music charts in Latin America. Their follow-up, Sabe A Tí, was released in 2008.
Both finalists (Sheila and Ektor) have recorded albums. Ektor is currently working with producers Luny Tunes for his next album.
Zania Salas has turned into a producer of shows at Nickelodeon.
2005: Second Season
See Objetivo Fama (season 2) for more information
This season was hosted by Mexican actor/singer, Víctor Noriega and Puerto Rican celebrity, Yizette Cifredo, and expanded the format to include international contestants. |
1379_12 | The winner of the show was Dominican singer, Anaís Martínez, but - like the first season - several of the contestants have already launched their own musical careers. Anaís is widely considered to be the most successful winner of the show.
Carlos Rubén Salazar was disqualified from the competition when he abandoned the house to see a girlfriend (one of the show dancers). He is the brother of the first finalist, Azucena. They have been working together on several musical projects, even playing at the White House in an activity in 2006. Azucena released her first album in 2008. |
1379_13 | Two of the other finalists, Jayro Rosado and Esteban, have released albums in the island and Jayro Rosado is currently a backup singer for Romeo Santos and is currently on tour with him. Another of the finalists, Rodolfo Castera, has worked hosting several events on the island and is currently finishing acting classes. Rosangela Abreu recorded a duet with famous Salsa singer, Gilberto Santa Rosa. Both Esteban and Rosangela auditioned for the 2007 season of Latin American Idol but Rosangela was the only one chosen to finish in third place. |
1379_14 | Wenceslao Navarro has continued to work with his band and has released an album after the competition finished. Tairon Aguilera has dedicated himself to songwriting. He has written several songs for some of his fellow competitors of the show from past and future seasons, in January 2011 Tairon released his first album cd called "Tatuaje" in which he is the producer along with DJ gus.
Emilio Acevedo is one of the singers of a merengue group called Zone D' Tambora, produced by Elvis Crespo.
In early 2007 the husband of Carmen Rivera was killed when he apparently intervened in a bar fight.
2006: Third Season
See Objetivo Fama (season 3) for more information
This season was hosted by Mexican singer Yuri and directed by Marcelo Gama.
The winner of the show was Cuban Marlon Fernández, but several of the contestants have started their own musical careers not only singing but also in theatre. |
1379_15 | During the show, Soledad Sosa was disqualified when she left the studio/house with her husband. She alleged that she couldn't stand being away from her husband. Shortly after, she got pregnant but had a miscarriage.
Ediberto Carmenatty was also disqualified when a medical condition forced him to do so. He has since recovered and is currently living in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Also, Gustavo and Jenilca started a relationship during the show. Gustavo is currently working on an album while also preparing for some acting projects. Jenilca is promoting her album, "Jenilca" and her first single "Enamorada de Ti".
Arquímides & Mary Ann Acevedo have released successful albums in the island. Acevedo also married merengue singer, Guillermo Torres, who is about 20 years older. |
1379_16 | Helen Ochoa and Melanie Figueroa started working on a project called "Dos Destinos". However, Figueroa's complications with her condition of lupus forced her to abandon the project. Ochoa has continued with the project and plans to release an album in early 2007. Figueroa is currently recovering.
2007: Fourth Season
See Objetivo Fama (season 4) for more information.
This season was again hosted by Mexican singer, Yuri and directed by Marcelo Gama. The winner of the show was Puerto Rican Juan Vélez.
Unlike previous seasons, this one opened in Los Angeles, California on February 3, with a pre-show where they presented the 30 semi-finalists chosen on the auditions through the United States and Puerto Rico. The 20 winners were announced and given a chance to perform. |
1379_17 | The season officially opened on February 10. The weekly shows were aired from the Centro de Bellas Artes of Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, alongside the new building of the Univision station in Puerto Rico. So far, the judges agree that the competitors of this season are more consistent than in past ones.
Sin Editar, the weekly show where they follow the contestants lives at the studio/house and their rehearsals during the week, this year was broadcast every Friday, and hosted by Daniela Droz.
One of the highlights so far is the relationship started between Juan Vélez and Erica Gonzaba. On March 17, they had a chance to perform the song "Devuélveme la Vida" from Antonio Orozco together, which garnered them much praise and applause from both the judges and the audience. Vélez, winner of the show, had the chance to perform the song together with Orozco himself in the finale. |
1379_18 | This season's finale emerged as the highest rated program in the history of Univision Puerto Rico, and USA Telefutura television broadcast stations.
After the show, finalists Juan, Iván, and Víctor have all released successful albums. Juan sold out several shows at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan, and had a concert at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum.
2008: Fifth Season
See Objetivo Fama (season 5) for more information
This fifth season was hosted by Yuri and directed by Marcelo Gama. The winner of the show was Mexican Cristina Eustace. It featured returning judges Roberto Sueiro and Fernando Allende. Mexican singer Jimena will replace Hilda Ramos. Still, Ramos has been featured weekly in the show Sin Editar offering her critics to the contestants. |
1379_19 | The 20 final contestants were officially announced on February 2, 2008, during a show at the Puerto Rico Convention Center and the show officially began on February 9, 2008. A few days before, contestant Lorenzo Mendez was disqualified from the show because he was already signed to a record label. Ronny Mercedes was selected to replace him.
The first show featured special presentations from Los Super Reyes and last year winner, Juan Vélez.
On May 14, 2008, four days before the final show of the season, host Yuri announced that she had been fired from the show. Charytín will replace her for the final show. At the same time, the credibility of the show was questioned after a video mentioning the four finalists with two weeks of anticipation surfaced on YouTube. The video was prepared by PepsiCo as a promotion for a contest. The producers of the show have denied giving them any information about votes and results. |
1379_20 | 2009: Sixth Season (The Farewell)
See Objetivo Fama (season 6) for more information.
In late 2008, it was announced that the sixth season would be the last. It was dubbed Objetivo Fama: La Despedida (Target Fame: The Farewell). The show featured Roberto Sueiro and Hilda Ramos as returning judges, while Christian singer Abraham would be the third judge, replacing Fernando Allende. This last season featured only 18 Puerto Rican contestants, like the first season, as opposed to the other seasons which had contestants from other countries.
This last season was hosted by singer Giselle. The winner was Fabián Torres, who ended up victorious with a 42.43 percent of the votes on the final show held on Sunday, May 17, 2009.
2020: Seventh Season (The Comeback)
In May 2019, Soraya Sanchez decided to announce a reboot.
Television ratings |
1379_21 | Since its first years, Objetivo Fama has had the acceptance of Puerto Rican audiences. In 2005, the season finale of the second season was the #1 show of the night, garnering ratings of above 35 during its run, with its nearest competition being at 11. Further ratings revealed that the finale was also the most watched show of April 2005.
The season finale for the third season of Objetivo Fama, held in May 2006, also ended up #1 with the audience. In April 2007, the show dominated the ratings in Puerto Rico with 34.6, with related shows like Acceso Total and Sin Editar also doing well. |
1379_22 | In January 2008, two special editions of Objetivo Fama that served as a preamble of the fifth season ended up in the first two places of the television ratings of January 2008. The show remained at the top of the ratings as the season went on, ranking at #2 during February 2008 and #1 in March and April of the same year. The show Acceso Total also ended up at the top finishing at #7. The rankings for the month of May 2008 also revealed that 7 of the Top 10 shows were related to Objetivo Fama.
The show's final season also received good ratings, finishing #1 during April (with 24.3) and May 2009.
The ratings for each season finale have been:
Musical impact |
1379_23 | Various contestants of Objetivo Fama have gone on to have successful musical careers, winning musical awards and having success on various record charts. Contestants like Anaís Martínez and Cristina Eustace have been nominated to Latin Grammy Awards, while Anaís, Marlon Fernández, and Juan Vélez have been nominated for Billboard Music Awards. Season 1 contestant Kany García has been perhaps the most successful artist from the show, despite being the first contestant eliminated. She has gone on to record three successful albums and has been nominated to 2 Grammy Awards and 6 Latin Grammy Awards, winning two of them.
See also
Similar shows
Operación Triunfo
American Idol
Pop Idol
Star Search
La Academia
Voces en Función
Past winners
2004: Janina (Puerto Rico)
2005: Anaís (Dominican Republic)
2006: Marlon (Cuba)
2007: Juan (Puerto Rico)
2008: Cristina (Mexico)
2009: Fabian (Puerto Rico)
References
External links
Univision Official Page
UniMás original programming |
1380_0 | Frank Vandenbroucke (6 November 1974 – 12 October 2009) was a Belgian professional road racing cyclist. He was the great hope of Belgian cycling in the 1990s, but a remarkable talent which appeared in his adolescence in track and field and then in cycle racing dissipated in a succession of drug problems, rows with teams, suicide attempts and finally being disowned by the cycling world. His former wife described him as a cocaine addict. However, VDB claimed in an interview with ProCycling's Daniel Friebe three weeks before his death to have made a near-complete recovery from the emotional issues that plagued him throughout his career. Vandenbroucke told Friebe, "I simply realise that the last year and a half have been fantastic for me." Nevertheless, he died of a pulmonary embolism in October 2009. |
1380_1 | Background
Frank Vandenbroucke was born in Mouscron and grew up in Ploegsteert, a village in the French-speaking region of Belgium (with facilities for Dutch speakers). In 1978, when he was four and cycling in the village square, he was knocked over by the driver of a rally car. His mother said her son didn't cry until doctors cut his cycling shorts. The collision led to four operations on his right knee and repeated problems later in life.
Vandenbroucke first tried athletics, joining the Entente Athlétique Hainaut. In 1986 he became a regional schoolboy champion. He took out a cycling licence with the club in 1989 and won a race at Brakel. An unnamed acquaintance told the Belgian journalist Philippe van Holle: |
1380_2 | "It must have been when I was about 19 or 20 and went out training with a friend on the Belgian borders. As we spun along, out of nowhere this skinny blond kid was on our back wheel. He looked about 14. He was still there 15 minutes later, so we picked up speed. He just sat there, so we picked up the pace again. It was still no problem for him. I looked over my shoulder and he gave me a half-mocking, half-friendly grin. In the end, we went as hard as we could to try to get rid of him and teach the little brat a lesson, because by now he was getting a bit too cocky for our tastes. But whatever we did, he still hung on. After about an hour, we came into a village called Ploegsteert, at which point he came alongside with real arrogance and said 'OK, I'm back home now, so 'bye. By the way, I'm Frank Vandenbroucke.' Neither of us had ever met a kid like him." |
1380_3 | In 1991, when he was 17, Vandenbroucke won the national beginners [débutant] road championship at Halanzy. He came third in the world junior road championship in Athens in 1992.
Career
Vandenbroucke turned professional in 1993 with the Belgian team, Lotto. The directeur sportif was his uncle, Jean-Luc. He won 51 races in the next six years, including Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 1999. From 2000 he made the sports pages more for doping problems, failed comebacks, depression, marital problems and a suicide attempt. |
1380_4 | Vandenbroucke left Lotto in the middle of 1995 to join Mapei. There he became a team-mate of Johan Museeuw. The manager was Patrick Lefevère. In 1997, the team picked him as part of their squad for the Tour de France. In what would be his first of just two Tour de France entries, Vandenbroucke came close to winning a stage twice. On stage 3, he led the peloton up a steep sprint finish, but was overtaken by Erik Zabel right before the line. He was second again on stage 16, this time unable to match the sprint of Christophe Mengin. In 1998 he won Gent–Wevelgem, two stages and the overall competition of Paris–Nice, and two stages of the Tour de Wallonie. It would be his final season at Mapei. |
1380_5 | In 1999 he instead transferred to the French team, Cofidis. That year was Vandenbroucke's best. He won Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Omloop Het Volk, and stages in Paris–Nice and the Vuelta a España. His win in Liège–Bastogne–Liège was so dominant that some called him a "genius of cycling", because he said on television where he would attack. It was, however, his last year of major victories. The British magazine Procycling said: |
1380_6 | "Three years on a contract worth 30 million Belgian francs (£460,000) was a deal beyond VDB's wildest dreams. He never suspected that having all that money in his pocket would set off a terrible downward spiral. He won Het Volk and Liège–Bastogne–Liège before sinking into a doping controversy that was never satisfactorily explained (see below) – even though VDB was cleared by the courts. The team suspended him while the allegations were investigated and relations with their star rider never recovered. When he came back, he showed well in the '99 Vuelta before, remarkably, managing to finish in the front group of the world championship despite fracturing both hands en route. Contractually obliged to stay with Cofidis, VDB had a poor 2000 season. By this point, people in cycling were talking more about VDB's nights out than his riding." |
1380_7 | At Cofidis he shared leadership with David Millar. His "non-communication" with Millar was publicised and criticised. It was with Cofidis, Vandenbroucke said in his autobiography, that he met the French rider, Philippe Gaumont. It was Gaumont's confessions of drug-taking in the team that led to the so-called Cofidis scandal that included a raid by drugs police on Millar's house and the British rider's suspension for two years and his disqualification from the world time-trial championship he had won. Gaumont, Vandenbroucke said in his life story, suggested he take a drug trip by mixing Stilnoct, a sleeping aid, with alcohol. Gaumont described Vandenbroucke as a wild man of cycling. It was Gaumont, Vandenbroucke said, who introduced him to Bernard Sainz, with whom his name would be connected in alleged drugs scandals (see below). |
1380_8 | In 2001 he moved to the Italian team, Lampre, then to the Belgian team, Domo-Farm Frites, the following year, rejoining Lefevère and Museeuw. Vandenbroucke stayed with Lefevère when he started the Quick Step-Davitamon team in 2003 and he came second to Peter van Petegem in the Tour of Flanders. Vandenbroucke said he was happy with his performance, that he had attacked van Petegem on the last climbs because he knew van Petegem would beat him in the sprint, but Lefevère criticised him for lack of effort and Vandenbroucke left the team. |
1380_9 | In 2004 he joined the Italian team, Fassa Bortolo, under Giancarlo Ferretti. He asked not to be paid unless he won. He had a largely empty season and was fired. He joined Mr Bookmaker for 2005. He missed so many races that the team director, Hilaire Van der Schueren, demanded Vandenbroucke demonstrate that he was still a racing cyclist. In two seasons at the team, he managed just one minor result, ninth on the time trial of the 2006 Three Days of de Panne. Eventually, he was sacked for not staying in touch. In 2008, he signed with Mitsubishi, where he was suspended when accused by Belgian police of buying cocaine in Wielsbeke.
On 4 April 2009 he won a stage in the French race La Boucle de l’Artois, on a 15 km time trial, his first win in a UCI-race since 1999. |
1380_10 | Vandenbroucke said in 2004: "I've never done anything to make myself popular. In fact, the opposite. Sometimes I think it's all a dream. I've thrown up a marriage, I've been on bad terms with my parents for a long time, all of which has troubled and exhausted me." He said he had disappointed sponsors, managers and directeurs sportifs, even though they continued to show confidence in him. "I had become schizophrenic," he said. Without psychiatric help, he would "have followed the same path as Pantani", the Italian rider found dead on a hotel floor. After 450,000 French francs a month at Cofidis, he earned 220,000 at Lampre in 2001 and then half that at Fasso Bortolo.
Family problems
Vandenbroucke had a daughter (Cameron) with his partner Clotilde Menu in February 1999, but the couple never were married and soon separated. The following year, Vandenbroucke wed Sarah Pinacci, a former model and hostess with the Italian team, Saeco. They lived at Lebbeke, near Brussels. |
1380_11 | Vandenbroucke and Pinacci had a turbulent relationship, and it was said in the media that they could not live together and they could not live apart – forming what those close to them called "a diabolical couple". In December 2001, they had a daughter (Margaux).
In July 2006, VDB fired a gun into the air while arguing with his wife, who later left him. Vandenbroucke's father, Jean-Jacques, said his son had tried to frighten his wife that he had committed suicide. His father said:
"Frank was talking to Sarah on the telephone. They were arguing. He went out into the garden and let his shotgun off into the air. She was frightened that something had happened to him and called the emergency services. He did it to try to make her scared." |
1380_12 | ...it was the fifth or sixth time that she had returned to Italy. When they are together they fight, when they are apart they cry. He can't bear it when she leaves. He blames himself and takes all the guilt. And then there is his daughter. He can't bear not being able to see her. I probably shouldn't say so but, since Verona when he met Sarah, he has not been a committed rider." |
1380_13 | Vandenbroucke and Pinacci eventually divorced, and the Belgian struggled to establish a more tranquil, less-public life. He resided for a time with a couple in Eeklo who had taken him in after earlier rows with his wife, before moving-on to stay with other friends. His parents, who run a bar and his supporters' club in Ploegsteert – membership dropped from 300 to 145 between 2005 and 2006 although 600 bought "Franky is for ever" T-shirts – said in 2006 that they had heard little from their son since he left Belgium for Italy. His wife had visited twice, to present her husband's new clothing collection, but not to see Vandenbroucke. In 2005, he and his estranged wife and their daughter had a weekend at Eurodisney in Paris. Supporters in the Frankyboys fan club at the café 't Parkske in Oudenaarde said Vandenbroucke had never been to see them, "although he said a couple of times that he would come but then never did." The chairman of the Frankyboys, Adelin de Meulemeester, said: "You |
1380_14 | can see him one day and he'll give you a friendly hello, then the next he won't even notice you [ziet hij je niet staan]." |
1380_15 | In 2006 he asked his agent to ask his parents to sell his house in Nieuwkerke, near Ypres.
Vandenbroucke and his uncle, Jean-Luc, did not speak for two years after Vandenbroucke broke his contract in leaving Lotto, the team which Jean-Luc Vandenbroucke managed. |
1380_16 | Drug problems |
1380_17 | Vandenbroucke made headlines in 1999 for the first of many drug problems, arrested by Paris police but then released. In 2001 he was stopped on the E17 motorway in Belgium in a speeding car shared with Bernard Sainz, the so-called Dr Mabuse of cycling. Sainz was jailed in 2008 for falsely practising medicine. Sainz could not produce the insurance documents the law insisted he carry and police searched the car and found drugs later identified as clenbuterol, morphine and EPO, which is used in sport as a blood-booster. Sainz insisted they were homeopathic products. After Sainz said he had spent the night at Vandenbroucke's house, police acquired a search warrant from a court in Termonde and searched Vandenbroucke's house with drugs specialists. There they found small quantities of more drugs which Vandenbroucke claimed were for his dog. Vandenbroucke was handcuffed and taken to a police station. Two and a half thousand fans signed a petition complaining about his treatment. Among them |
1380_18 | was his rival, Peter van Petegem. Vandenbroucke was banned by the Flemish cycling federation from riding in Belgium for six months. |
1380_19 | The police said he was "very evasive" during questioning. The inquiries continued and in December 2004 Vandenbroucke admitted taking growth hormones, EPO, amphetamine, morphine and steroids, although he did not name his suppliers. He was found guilty in 2005 and sentenced to 200 hours of community service. He appealed and a court in Ghent fined him 250,000 euros instead. The Belgian press agency, Belga, said the court considered a fine suited to "the type of crime and Vandenbroucke's personality."
Vandenbroucke said he was naive but not dishonest in using Sainz – who was not charged – but that he was impressed at his results. He said at a news conference in Ploegsteert that he had always thought Sainz gave him homeopathic products but that he had doubts. He said Sainz had given him drops and injections. He said:
He paid Sainz 7,000 French francs for the homeopathic drops and 50,000 in fees in the first half of 1999. Sainz said: |
1380_20 | I have concerned myself with him since autumn 1998. Not, as has been claimed, to get him doping products. Everybody knows perfectly, starting with the policemen who have listened to me for a long time, that riders don't need me for that sort of thing. To the contrary. If they turn to me, it's because they've heard of what I have been able to do [mes compétences diverses] for the great stars I have cited.
Vandenbroucke was twice stopped by police in 2002 for driving his Porsche after drinking.
In February 2007, publicity for Vandenbroucke's autobiography, Je ne suis pas Dieu [I'm Not God] said he admitted taking performance-enhancing drugs.
The publisher later denied Vandenbroucke had said it, claiming a misunderstanding. Vandenbroucke did, however, write that he lived a life of drug-taking and sometimes didn't sleep for days. He said: |
1380_21 | In March, the Union Cycliste Internationale declared Vandenbroucke persona non grata. His ex-wife described him as a cocaine addict. Vandenbroucke was suspended by Mitsubishi-Jartazi and then left.
Impersonation
In August 2006, Vandenbroucke was caught in an Italian amateur race at Inverno, run by an organisation not associated with the Italian federation or Olympic committee, using a licence made out to "Francesco del Ponte" and bearing a photo of the world champion, Tom Boonen. He described himself as Swiss and living in Rome, giving the address of a beauty salon.
Vandenbroucke said riding had been "a weakness". He said: "I dropped out of the race. I have never crossed the line in amateur races and I have never wanted to falsify their races." He rode because he "needed races", he said, at a time when he felt strong. He denied sticking Boonen's picture on his licence, saying he would have chosen someone else's picture. |
1380_22 | Suicide attempt
Vandenbroucke had a reputation for "accidents, illnesses, doping allegations, lawsuits, suspicion, surliness and suspensions". He said:
On 6 June 2007 he was admitted to hospital at Magenta, near Milan, Italy, where he lived. He was reported in grave condition. His team-manager, Palmiro Masciarelli, said: "Frank is all alone". He no longer has his wife and he lives by himself. There is no longer a team at his side." |
1380_23 | Vandenbroucke had turned down the Giro d'Italia, claiming problems with his knee, on which he had an operation the previous winter. His psychiatrist, Jef Brouwers, said "... the problems with his knee have affected him badly. He could no longer ride as he wanted after the operation. Nor could the doctors say what the problem was. These last few days, he has been terrible. The people that I called in Italy could no longer help him. He had thought it through and, so far as he was concerned, everything was lost. The situation of his knee has worn him down completely and his private life wasn't good either, with ups and downs." |
1380_24 | Death
Vandenbroucke died on 12 October 2009, while on holiday at Saly, a coastal resort 70 km south of Dakar, the capital of Senegal. He planned to stay there 12 days with a former teammate, Fabio Polazzi. An autopsy in Senegal showed he had died of a pulmonary embolism. The circumstances remain unclear due to conflicting reports, some saying a combination of drugs was found by his bedside.
An employee at La Maison Bleue, his hotel, was quoted by Agence France Presse: "When he came in [at 2 AM], he was drunk. He was with a Senegalese woman and he planned to stay one night. At 4 AM his companion came to ask for a mop because he had been sick. By 1 PM he had not left his room. Around 8 PM my boss called me and told me he was dead." |
1380_25 | Three people who allegedly stole his personal possessions on the night of his death were arrested, including a woman who had spent the evening with him. On 18 November 2009 his family said it did not want further tests to determine if he was under the influence of drugs.
Major results |
1380_26 | 1994
6th Overall Tour Méditerranéen
1st Stage 6
9th Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
1995
1st Paris-Brussels
1st Cholet-Pays de Loire
1st Stage 1 Tour de Luxembourg
7th Overall Critérium International
8th Clasica San Sebastian
1996
1st Overall Tour of Austria
1st Prologue, Stages 3, 6 & 8
1st Overall Tour Méditerranéen
1st Stage 5
1st GP Ouest–France
1st Scheldeprijs
1st Binche-Tournai-Binche
1st Trofeo Laigueglia
Tour de la Region Wallone
1st Prologue, Stages 2 & 5
4th Overall Paris–Nice
7th Züri–Metzgete
1997
1st Overall Tour de Luxembourg
1st Stage 4 (ITT)
1st Rund um Köln
1st Trofeo Matteotti
2nd Overall Tour of Austria
1st Stages 2, 4 & 8
2nd Overall Four Days of Dunkirk
1998
1st Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 5
1st Overall Tour de la Region Wallone
1st Stages 3 (ITT) & 6
1st Overall Tour of Galicia
1st Stage 4
1st Gent–Wevelgem
1st Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
2nd La Flèche Wallonne
2nd Züri–Metzgete
2nd Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne |
1380_27 | 4th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
6th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1999
1st Liège–Bastogne–Liège
1st Omloop Het Volk
1st Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise
Vuelta a España
1st Points classification
1st Stages 16 & 19
1st Stage 4 Vuelta a Andalucía
2nd Tour of Flanders
2nd Overall Three Days of De Panne
1st Stage 3b (ITT)
3rd E3 Prijs Vlaanderen
4th Overall Paris–Nice
1st Stage 7
5th Dwars door Vlaanderen
7th Road race, UCI Road World Championships
7th Paris–Roubaix
9th GP Ouest–France
2000
2nd Road race, National Road Championships
6th Overall Étoile de Bessèges
1st Stage 3b (TTT)
7th Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
2002
4th Overall Tour de Pologne
2003
2nd Tour of Flanders
4th Omloop Het Volk
8th Overall Tour of Belgium
9th Dwars door Vlaanderen
2004
6th Overall Paris–Nice
6th Overall Tour of Qatar
7th La Flèche Wallonne
8th Overall Setmana Catalana
2005
3rd Time trial, National Road Championships
2009
3rd Overall Boucle de l'Artois
1st Stage 2 (ITT) |
1380_28 | See also
List of doping cases in cycling
Notes
References
External links
Frank Vandenbroucke – Daily Telegraph obituary
Alan Hope, "Death of a hard rider" and Leo Cendrowicz, "Brilliant but troubled: Vandenbroucke's stormy career" – articles in Flanders Today
VDB4-ever – Frank Vandenbroucke Memorial Site
1974 births
2009 deaths
People from Mouscron
Belgian male cyclists
Doping cases in cycling
Belgian Vuelta a España stage winners
Cyclists at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Olympic cyclists of Belgium
Walloon people
Walloon sportspeople
Belgian sportspeople in doping cases
Deaths from pulmonary embolism
Sportspeople from Hainaut (province) |
1381_0 | Charles Francis Hockett (January 17, 1916 – November 3, 2000) was an American linguist who developed many influential ideas in American structuralist linguistics. He represents the post-Bloomfieldian phase of structuralism often referred to as "distributionalism" or "taxonomic structuralism". His academic career spanned over half a century at Cornell and Rice universities. Hockett was also a firm believer of linguistics as a branch of anthropology, making contributions that were significant to the field of anthropology as well.
Professional and academic career |
1381_1 | Education
At the age of 16, Hockett enrolled at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio where he received a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in ancient history. While enrolled at Ohio State, Hockett became interested in the work of Leonard Bloomfield, a leading figure in the field of structural linguistics. Hockett continued his education at Yale University where he studied anthropology and linguistics and received his PhD in anthropology in 1939. While studying at Yale, Hockett studied with several other influential linguists such as Edward Sapir, George P. Murdock, and Benjamin Whorf. Hockett's dissertation was based on his fieldwork in Potawatomi; his paper on Potawatomi syntax was published in Language in 1939. In 1948 his dissertation was published as a series in the International Journal of American Linguistics. Following fieldwork in Kickapoo and Michoacán, Mexico, Hockett did two years of postdoctoral study with Leonard Bloomfield in Chicago and Michigan. |
1381_2 | Career
Hockett began his teaching career in 1946 as an assistant professor of linguistics in the Division of Modern Languages at Cornell University where he was responsible for directing the Chinese language program. In 1957, Hockett became a member of Cornell's anthropology department and continued to teach anthropology and linguistics until he retired to emeritus status in 1982. In 1986, he took up an adjunct post at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where he remained active until his death in 2000.
Achievements
Charles Hockett held membership among many academic institutions such as the National Academy of Sciences the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Society of Fellows at Harvard University. He served as president of both the Linguistic Society of America and the Linguistic Association of Canada and the United States. |
1381_3 | In addition to making many contributions to the field of structural linguistics, Hockett also considered such things as Whorfian Theory, jokes, the nature of writing systems, slips of the tongue, and animal communication and their relativeness to speech.
Outside the realm of linguistics and anthropology, Hockett practiced musical performance and composition. Hockett composed a full-length opera called The Love of Doña Rosita which was based on a play by Federico García Lorca and premiered at Ithaca College by the Ithaca Opera.
Hockett and his wife Shirley were vital leaders in the development of the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra in Ithaca, New York. In appreciation of the Hocketts' hard work and dedication to the Ithaca community, Ithaca College established the Charles F. Hockett Music Scholarship, the Shirley and Chas Hockett Chamber Music Concert Series, and the Hockett Family Recital Hall. |
1381_4 | View on linguistics
In his paper "A Note on Structure", he proposes that linguistics can be seen as "a game and as a science." A linguist as a player in the game of languages has the freedom to experiment on all utterances of a language, but must ensure that "all the utterances of the corpus must be taken into account." Late in his career, he was known for his stinging criticism of Chomskyan linguistics.
Key contributions |
1381_5 | Criticisms of Noam Chomsky and the Generative Programme
Hockett was initially receptive to Generative grammar, hailing Chomsky's Syntactic Structures as "one of only four major breakthroughs in the history of modern linguistics" (1965). After carefully examining the generative school's proposed innovations in Linguistics, Hockett decided that this approach was of little value. His book The State of the Art outlined his criticisms of the generative approach. In his paraphrase a key principle of the Chomskyan paradigm is that there are an infinite number of grammatical sentences in any particular language.
The grammar of a language is a finite system that characterizes an infinite set of (well-formed) sentences. More specifically, the grammar of a language is a well-defined system by definition not more powerful than a universal Turing machine (and, in fact, surely a great deal weaker). |
1381_6 | The crux of Hockett's rebuttal is that the set of grammatical sentences in a language is not infinite, but rather ill-defined. Hockett proposes that "no physical system is well-defined".
Later in "Where the tongue slips, there slip I" he writes as follows.
It is currently fashionable to assume that, underlying the actual more or less bumbling speech behavior of any human being, there is a subtle and complicated but determinate linguistic "competence": a sentence-generating device whose design can only be roughly guessed at by any techniques so far available to us. This point of view makes linguistics very hard and very erudite, so that anyone who actually does discover facts about underlying "competence" is entitled to considerable kudos. |
1381_7 | Within this popular frame of reference, a theory of "performance" -- of the "generation of speech" -- must take more or less the following form. If a sentence is to be uttered aloud, or even thought silently to oneself, it must first be built by the internal "competence" of the speaker, the functioning of which is by definition such that the sentence will be legal ("grammatical") in every respect. But that is not enough; the sentence as thus constructed must then be performed, either overtly so that others may hear it, or covertly so that it is perceived only by the speaker himself. It is in this second step that blunders may appear. That which is generated by the speaker's internal "competence"is what the speaker "intends to say," and is the only real concern of linguistics: blunders in actually performed speech are instructions from elsewhere. Just if there are no such intrusions is what is performed an instance of "smooth speech". |
1381_8 | I believe this view is unmitigated nonsense, unsupported by any empirical evidence of any sort. In its place, I propose the following.
All speech, smooth as well as blunderful, can be and must be accounted for essentially in terms of the three mechanisms we have listed: analogy, blending, and editing. An individual's language, at a given moment, is a set of habits--that is, of analogies, where different analogies are in conflict, one may appear as a constraint on the working of another. Speech actualizes habits--and changes the habits as it does so. Speech reflects awareness of norms; but norms are themselves entirely a matter of analogy (that is, of habit), not some different kind of thing.
Despite his criticisms, Hockett always expressed gratitude to the generative school for seeing real problems in the preexisting approaches. |
1381_9 | There are many situations in which bracketing does not serve to disambiguate. As already noted, words that belong together cannot always be spoken together, and when they are not, bracketing is difficult or impossible. In the 1950s this drove some grammarians to drink and other to transformations, but both are only anodynes, not answers
Design features of language
One of Hockett's most important contributions was his development of the design-feature approach to comparative linguistics. He attempted to distinguish the similarities and differences among animal communication systems and human language.
Hockett initially developed seven features, which were published in the 1959 paper “Animal ‘Languages’ and Human Language.” However, after many revisions, he settled on 13 design-features in the Scientific American "The Origin of Speech." |
1381_10 | Hockett argued that while every communication system has some of the 13 design features, only human, spoken language has all 13 features. In turn, that differentiates human spoken language from animal communication and other human communication systems such as written language.
Hockett's 13 design features of language |
1381_11 | Vocal-Auditory Channel: Much of human language is performed using the vocal tract and auditory channel. Hockett viewed this as an advantage for human primates because it allowed for the ability to participate in other activities while simultaneously communicating through spoken language.
Broadcast transmission and directional reception: All human language can be heard if it is within range of another person's auditory channel. Additionally, a listener has the ability to determine the source of a sound by binaural direction finding.
Rapid Fading (transitoriness): Wave forms of human language dissipate over time and do not persist. A hearer can only receive specific auditory information at the time it is spoken.
Interchangeability: A person has the ability to speak and hear the same signal. Anything that a person is able to hear can be reproduced in spoken language. |
1381_12 | Total Feedback: Speakers can hear themselves speak and monitor their speech production and internalize what they are producing by language.
Specialization: Human language sounds are specialized for communication. When dogs pant it is to cool themselves off. When humans speak, it is to transmit information.
Semanticity: Specific signals can be matched with a specific meaning.
Arbitrariness: There is no limitation to what can be communicated about and no specific or necessary connection between the sounds used and the message being sent.
Discreteness: Phonemes can be placed in distinct categories which differentiate them from one another, like the distinct sound of /p/ versus /b/.
Displacement: People can refer to things in space and time and communicate about things that are not present.
Productivity: People can create new and unique meanings of utterances from previously existing utterances and sounds. |
1381_13 | Traditional Transmission: Human language is not completely innate, and acquisition depends in part on the learning of a language.
Duality of patterning: Meaningless phonic segments (phonemes) are combined to make meaningful words, which, in turn, are combined again to make sentences. |
1381_14 | While Hockett believed that all communication systems, animal and human alike, share many of these features, only human language contains all 13 design features. Additionally, traditional transmission, and duality of patterning are key to human language. |
1381_15 | Hockett's design features and their implications for human language
Vocal-Auditory Channel: Hockett suggests that the importance of a vocal-auditory channel lies in the fact that primates can communicate while also performing other tasks, such as eating, or using tools.
Broadcast Transmission and Directional Reception: An auditory|audible human language signal is sent out in all directions but is perceived in a limited direction. For example, humans are more proficient in determining the location of a sound source when the sound is projecting directly in front of them, as opposed to a sound source projected directly behind them. |
1381_16 | Rapid Fading of a signal in human communication differs from such things as animal tracks and written language because an utterance does not continue to exist after it has been broadcast. With that in mind, it is important to note that Hockett viewed spoken language as the primary concern for investigation. Written language was seen as being secondary because of its recent evolution in culture.
Interchangeability represents a human's ability to act out or reproduce any linguistic message that they are able to comprehend. That differs from many animal communication systems, particularly in regards to mating. For example, humans have the ability to say and do anything that they feel may benefit them in attracting a mate. Sticklebacks, on the other hand, have different male and female courtship motions; a male cannot replicate a female's motions and vice versa. |
1381_17 | Total Feedback is important in differentiating a human's ability to internalize their own productions of speech and behavior. That design-feature incorporates the idea that humans have insight into their actions.
Specialization is apparent in the anatomy of human speech organs and our ability to exhibit some control over these organs. For example, a key assumption in the evolution of language is that the descent of the larynx has allowed humans to produce speech sounds. Additionally, in terms of control, humans are generally able to control the movements of their tongue and mouth. Dogs however, do not have control over these organs. When dogs pant they are communicating a signal, but the panting is an uncontrollable response reflex of being hot . |
1381_18 | Semanticity: A specific signal can be matched with a specific meaning within a particular language system. For example, all people who understand English have the ability to make a connection between a specific word and what that word represents or refers to. (Hockett notes that gibbons also show semanticity in their signals, but their calls are far more broad than human language.)
Arbitrariness within human language suggests that there is no direct connection between the type of signal (word) and what is being referenced. For example, an animal as large as a cow can be referred to by a very short word .
Discreteness: Each basic unit of speech can be categorized and is distinct from other categories. In human language, there are only a small set of sound ranges that are used and the differences between these bits of sound are absolute. In contrast, the waggle dance of honey bees is continuous. |
1381_19 | Displacement refers to the human language system's ability to communicate about things that are not present spatially, temporally, or realistically. For example, humans have the ability to communicate about unicorns and outer space.
Productivity: Human language is open and productive in the sense that humans have the ability to say things that have never before been spoken or heard. In contrast, apes such as the gibbon have a closed communication system because all of their vocal sounds are part of a finite repertoire of familiar calls.
Traditional Transmission:: suggests that while certain aspects of language may be innate, humans acquire words and their native language from other speakers. That is different from many animal communication systems because most animals are born with the innate knowledge, and skills necessary for survival. (Honey bees have an inborn ability to perform and understand the waggle dance). |
1381_20 | Duality of patterning: Humans have the ability to recombine a finite set of phonemes to create an infinite number of words, which, in turn, can be combined to make an unlimited number of different sentences. |
1381_21 | Design feature representation in other communication systems
Honeybees
Foraging honey bees communicate with other members of their hive when they have discovered a relevant source of pollen, nectar, or water. In an effort to convey information about the location and the distance of such resources, honeybees participate in a particular figure-eight dance known as the waggle dance.
In Hockett's "The Origin of Speech", he determined that the honeybee communication system of the waggle dance holds the following design features: |
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