This blog will log various examples of spectacular culture and rhetoric. I'm basing this on Guy Debord's Society of the Spectacle. (And building off Charlie's blog-- Debord was a big influence on Baudrillard.) Debord argued (back in '67) that in contemporary society, culture had become commodified, and spectacular images had become more important than rational, substantive meaning. In such a society, art becomes a commodity. The lines between cultural and commercial production are erased. Of course, this continues today, more intensely than ever. Why is this important? Well, for one thing, this is the world our students are learning to navigate. How can we help them approach this world critically? They are persuaded by spectacular rhetoric to make make various decisions-- who to vote for, what to believe, and what to buy. (And more perhaps importantly, that they need to buy, buy, buy!!!) Some examples of spectacular culture: Mos Def in a GMC commercial, Busta' Rhymes' song, "Pass the Courvoisier," (pretty much a commercial for the cognac, though this isn't unusual in hip-hop) "films" based on toys, the Giorgio Armani exhibit at the Guggenheim, indie songs used in steakhouse commercials. And, for an example of spectacular politics, click here. Any other examples?
