Post 1: "Still got those J's though!"

            Guy-Ernest Debord’s The Society of Spectacle is a criticism on society and its values revolving around consumerism. Modern society has misplaced importance on things one wants as opposed what is essentially needed, thus spawning the spectacle, which is a world which is infatuated with things it does not need.

By tackling aspects, he cites that man is losing consciousness due to lack of will. “As labor is progressively rationalized and mechanized man's lack of will is reinforced by the way in which his activity becomes less and less active and more and more contemplative.” (Debord) In other words, man is consumed with passive thought instead of active. It has become second nature to simply pull out one’s phone to see if they missed anything.

            In relation to modern society, people no longer work for necessity. Rather, they work for things they want: a nice house, a new car, the latest technology, new clothes, etc. Debord’s identifies the spectacle as that “which aims to make people identify goods with commodities and satisfaction with survival that increases according to its own laws. “ (Debord 44)

            As society has become technology dependent, the population has become so infatuated with technology that it has become much more than a simple distraction. People now value technology as a source of value rather than entertainment, both for communication and information.

            With the tech dependent economy, companies like Apple are constantly releasing updated versions of their technology to make more money. Things like the iPhone are released with “better” details and design specs, along with new technology. People line up for weeks in order to keep up with the times and stay relevant even though the upgrades of the new iPhone are not much different than its predecessor. “In the inverted reality of the spectacle, use value (which was implicitly contained in exchange value) must now be explicitly proclaimed precisely because its factual reality is eroded by the overdeveloped commodity economy…” (Debord 48)

            Chapter 3 in Converging Media focuses on mass communication formats. It highlights the fall of the press in relation to news and how digital media has made printing nearly obsolete. Blogs have become valuable sources for consumers to obtain news about music, films, and the latest fashion releases.

            Although there are many facets covered on blogs, I will choose to focus on fashion as the spectacle. Everyday something new is posted on blogs, be it a new collection of clothing or new sneakers. Each week, conglomerates like Nike releases new sneakers.

           

            Often times it is the same model that released the week prior, however in a new colorway. It is the duty of Nike to make consumers feel like they absolutely need this sneaker because it is more “special” than the one that released prior. This provokes a feeling of need in those who are entrenched in the culture, that they “need” this new sneaker. And although the satisfaction is temporary, the following week sees a new release. It is a never ending chase, often leaving people, mostly kids, attempting to live beyond their means.

One will blow their entire paycheck on a pair of new Jordans and will be unable to buy lunch for themselves all week, which in reality is more of a necessity than sneakers. However, their thought is “I still got those J’s though!” This thought is exemplary of Debord’s statement, “The consciousness of desire and the desire for consciousness are identically the project which, in its negative form, seeks the abolition of classes, the workers' direct possession of every aspect of their activity.” (53)

            Society is infatuated with what they want instead of what they need. The oversaturation of advertising in every aspect of life taints the core values of life itself, which is the spectacle Debord is trying to bring to light.