"If [Guy] Debord were alive today, he would almost certainly extend his analysis of the spectacle to the Internet and social media. Debord would no doubt have been horrified by social media companies such as Facebook and Twitter, which monetize our friendships, opinions, and emotions. Our internal thoughts and experiences are now commodifiable assets."
#TiernanMorgan, #LaurenPurje, 2016
https://hyperallergic.com/an-illustrated-guide-to-guy-debords-the-society-of-the-spectacle/
@strypey This is interesting:
> The concept of Détournement represented the synthesis of many of Debord’s ideas, particularly his anti-art and anti-commodity stances. He did however, acknowledge its weaknesses, namely that an act of détournement requires the viewer’s familiarity with the original, pre-détourned subject matter.
The emphasis on viewers familiarity is interesting with respect to motivations of current pseudo generative technologies.
@strypey
Crikey:
> Such a perfect democracy constructs its own inconceivable foe, terrorism. Its wish is to be judged by its enemies rather than by its results. The story of terrorism is written by the state and it is therefore highly instructive. The spectating populations must certainly never know everything about terrorism, but they must always know enough to convince them that, compared with terrorism, everything else seems rather acceptable, or in any case more rational and democratic.
"The concentrated spectacle, which [Guy] Debord attributes to totalitarian and 'Stalinist' regimes, is implemented through the cult of personality and the use of force. The diffuse spectacle, which relies on a rich abundance of commodities, is typified by wealthy democracies."
#TiernanMorgan, #LaurenPurje, 2016
https://hyperallergic.com/an-illustrated-guide-to-guy-debords-the-society-of-the-spectacle/
(1/2)
Guy Debord also theorized an 'integrated spectacle', which merges the 2. The US has been an example of this for decades, with cults of personality being erected around presidents whether Democrat and GOP, against a backdrop of increasing commodification of every aspect of daily life, and intensification of celebrity worship (swifties, Rogan fans, etc).
(2/2)
