The Society of the
Spectacle is a society controlled and operated by the mass media, with the upper
class holding the reins. The physical relationships that hold the working class
together are being replaced by the individualistic needs inculcated into us by mass
media. Debord tells us the spectacles
message is “”What appears is good; what is good appears.” The passive acceptance
it demands is already effectively imposed by its monopoly of appearances, its
manner of appearing without any imply” (Debord 12). Debord is warning us that the spectacle is an
intrusive concept already excepted by modern society. He is warning us that by
continuing to live in a society where materialistic needs conquer all, the
working/lower class will stay down while the upper class will
The spectacle is the concept
derived by the “show” mass media is putting on, a “show” with a main goal of
making us materialistic individuals with a desire to have more and look better.
Whether it is TV commercials, movies, online advertisements, etc. everything in
today’s society is built around this concept of needing to be better then the
man/woman next to you. Debord has acknowledged that society has accepted the
spectacle, but he also warns us how detrimental this could also be. In this
piece Debord describes the spectacle as a parasitic entity leaching on to
society, until it has completely overwhelmed its host. Debord writes, “The
spectacle that falsifies reality is nevertheless a real product of that
reality, while lived reality is materially invaded by the contemplation of the
spectacle and ends up absorbing it and aligning itself with it” (Thesis
8). This is clearly a warning from
Debord, a warning that once we welcome the spectacle and the idea of materialism
into our minds, it will inevitable consume and separate us. Debord was a
Marxist and it is very clear in this piece that he heartily believed that the
purpose of the spectacle was to separate the working class so they could be
easily exploited.
According
to Debord, the commodity is a critical component of the spectacle. “The
spectacle is a permanent opium war designed to force people to equate goods
with commodities and to equate satisfaction with a survival that expands
according to its own laws” (Debord 44). A commodity when referring to the
spectacle can be anything. It can be
labor according to Debord, and in today’s society, appearance has become a
commodity.
Let’s take a look at one of Dove’s most recent
ad campaigns. Woman today are constantly
being shown images and ads that make them feel not pretty enough. These images
and ads are designed to make women want to go out and buy product that will
make them prettier. This creates a sense of inadequacy in some women but it
also creates competition among women in social groups. Dove’s recent ad
campaign sheds a light on this topic. The ad shows how the spectacle has become
a common conceptualization in today’s society through the mass media’s falsified,
edited images. The first video shows how much effort and time goes in to
creating this accepted image of beauty. The second video shows the effect this
“spectacle” is having on woman in today’s society.
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