"The Society of the Spectacle"

“The Society of the Spectacle” is a concept that originated in the 1960’s by writer Guy Debord. The spectacle is what we perceive, we as a society are members of a spectacle.  When it comes to the “commodity as a spectacle,” modern media has mastered the ability to control masses of people. As a society, the media we consume each day blurs the line between wants and needs. Our desires are subconscious and directly influenced by what we are fed through the world of communication. Companies and brands have picked up on this idea and this knowledge has become the foundation of modern public relations. From the politicians we chose, to the sneakers we like, what we are fed is strategic and calculated. Not only are our desires molded, but this spectacle is never ending. Debord describes the spectacle as “a permanent opium war designed to force people to equate foods with commodities and to equate satisfaction with a survival that expands according to its own laws.”[1] Here, he likens foods to commodities, and satisfaction to survival; essentially drawing parallels between necessities and mere desires.  

  

The spectacle is interesting because it controls the majority our society. Once people are convinced they are in need of something this is a foundation for economic prosperity, in fact our capitalist society relies on the spectacle, and more specifically, the “commodity as a spectacle.” Debord uses language like “fetishize” and “domination” to describe how we as a society regard the commodity. “The world at once present and absent that the spectacle holds up to view is the world of the commodity dominating all living experience. The world of the commodity is thus shown for what it is, because its development is identical to people’s estrangement from each other and from everything they produce.”[2] Here, Debord speaks of the commodity and how it controls every part of our lives and our society. The spectacle is so ingrained in our culture it is essentially inescapable.

When I think of the spectacle I think of Apple. Apple among other brands has revolutionized our idea of technology. A newer version of the iPhone, specifically, comes out every year and even though there may be nothing wrong with our phones many of us crave the newest models. Just last week apple released the iPhone seven, with all of its new updates and sleek new design many apple users turned their desires into need and purchased the newest apple product. This is just one example of how we feed into the “commodity as a spectacle”. The invention of the internet and social media platforms to follow, brought about a different means of advertisement and created a whole new strategy for public relations specialists. Companies collect our data to advertise products specific to our wants (searches). While the spectacle is not real or physically tangible, it completely controls our society. It’s as if the ideas of the spectacle are so integrated within our culture we are convinced it is real and at this point are unable to separate ourselves from the false reality.

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[1] Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. New York: Zone Books, 1994.

Chapter 2

[2] Debord, Guy. The Society of the Spectacle. New York: Zone Books, 1994.

Chapter 2