What they said. Society of the Spectacle is like the Marxist version of They Live or The Matrix, a study of how Edward Bernays and Sigmund Freud changed capitalism in the 20th century to be an image-based relationship of distraction from alienation. The dynamics of mass media and later social media created new forms of parasocial relationships and commodified experiences which add a whole new layer to the traditional ideas of a working class.
That being said, it's hard to read because it's written as like 250 aphorisms about the central idea. Brilliant book, but obnoxious to read. Partially Examined Life did a decent companion podcast for it which helps a lot.
What they said. Society of the Spectacle is like the Marxist version of They Live or The Matrix, a study of how Edward Bernays and Sigmund Freud changed capitalism in the 20th century to be an image-based relationship of distraction from alienation. The dynamics of mass media and later social media created new forms of parasocial relationships and commodified experiences which add a whole new layer to the traditional ideas of a working class.
That being said, it's hard to read because it's written as like 250 aphorisms about the central idea. Brilliant book, but obnoxious to read. Partially Examined Life did a decent companion podcast for it which helps a lot.