The Society of the Spectacle

Guy Debord’s book “The Society of the Spectacle” revolves around the idea of the media taking control over materialism in order to lead society towards an essential need for modern commodities. Debord describes the spectacle as “…a permanent opium war waged to make it impossible to distinguish goods from commodities, or true satisfaction from a survival that increases according to its own logic.” (13) The media makes it easy to display products as essentials, tricking the public into believing they need something more in order to live a fulfilled life. This occurs every day in the world as modern advances in technology and fashion capture the eye of the average human being.

            The spectacle’s impact is mentioned as “…the historical moment at which the commodity completes its colonization of social life. It is not just that the relationship to commodities is now plain to see, the commodities are now all that there is to see; the world we see is the world of the commodity.” (Debord, 13) Debord describes a commodity as an item that is uneasy to avoid. In order to fit in, society is forced to share the same amount of interest in objects that are viewed as valuable by many. A company’s use of various labels and brands are provided to sell products, which are not even an actual necessity, besides coming off to others as unique.

            The commodity as a spectacle is also revealed as “…another facet of money, which is the abstract general equivalent of all commodities.” (Debord, 14) Money commands society and that will never change. As long as sales are high and increase year by year, the media will constantly manipulate us into buying these products buy releasing lavish commercials and constant ads. A trending business move used by different brands this day in age involves the use of celebrities and those constantly in the public eye. They are paid to sponsor and advertise a product in order to spread a nationwide campaign which makes money off of their followers and fans.

            One good example is the Proactiv company, which is a brand of skin-care products. Their business constantly uses random celebrities who claim they are suffering with acne, although their photos used for proof are outdated and possibly retouched. They appear to finally have clear skin and urge young adults to buy this product in order to cure themselves. This plan easily works as Proactiv has become the best-selling skin-care business in the country.

            Another constant use of sponsorship revolves around the shoe industry. Brands such as Nike, Puma and Adidas portray countless athletes, actors and musicians in their footwear to promote their sneakers as special and desirable. The average price for a pair of well-named sneakers quickly increases due to the high demand. The public desires them and will pay any amount to stand out or in this case, fit in with society all due to the power of the spectacle.

By Peter Merly

Works Cited:

Debord, Guy. "The Society of the Spectacle." Chapter 2: The Commodity as Spectacle.