In the context of protest rhetoric, 'spectacle' refers to something draws the public eye in order to create a visual impact; this can be utilized both by established powers and protesting groups as a rhetorical tool when navigating the public eye.
Example
One example is the use of the 'die-in' by gay rights movements when protesting AIDS; the images of 'dead' bodies on the steps of powerful lawmakers and places of government served as striking implications of guilt on part of those people and institutions due to their inaction on the AIDS crisis.
Passages to help define/contextualize this term:
From Deluca and Peeples:
"On today's public screen corporates and states stage spectacles (advertising and photo ops) certifying their status before the people/public and activists participate through the performance of image events, employing the consequent publicity as a social medium for forming public opinion and holding corporations and states accountable. Critique through spectacle, not critique versus spectacle." (page 190)
"The telespectacle [spectacle through television], for better or worse, is the center of public politics, of the public sphere" (Gronbeck, ctd in Deluca and Peeples 191)
No comments:
Post a Comment