I got 'The Spectacle of the Real' (From Hollywood to Reality TV and Beyond) out from the library to begin my research. It covers a range of subjects including reality TV, realism in film and the endangerment and authenticity of professional wrestling. The book features Guy Debords critical theory on the society of the spectacle, who argues that society has been replaced by its representation through the media, capitalism and the government - He calls this combination the 'spectacle'.
In the book there is a section called 'Spectacle, Ideology, Catastrophe' written by Douglas Kellner. There's a paragraph I thought was quite interesting where he explains how sophisticated spectacles in the media are used to create power and profit. The paragraph is as follows;
"Political and social life is also shaped more and more by media spectacle. Social and political conflicts are increasingly played out on the screens of media culture, which display spectacles such as sensational murder cases, terrorist bombings, celebrity ad political sex scandals, and the explosive violence of everyday life. Media culture not only takes up expanding moments of contemporary experience, but also provides ever more material for fantasy, dreaming, modeling thought and behavior, and constructing identities"
He also uses the phrase 'Dazzle consumers' which I think in terms of my own research is relevant and could be used to define how reality television makes a spectacle of the less fortunate to 'dazzle' its on lookers.
Kellner then goes on to talk about spectacles in pre-modern times such as ancient Rome and Greece. The olympics, thespian and poetry festivals, public rhetorical battles and bloody, violent wars all displayed the spectacle for society to look upon. Much like the Victorians with their 'Freak Shows' and their making a spectacle of people who may not of physically looked the same as others.
