Banality and Fascism

Spectacular Banality and Modern Day Fascism

This essay will take the core concepts brought forth by Debord and the situationist international in their book, the society of the spectacle Particularly, I will draw upon the concept of how the spectacle; a social relation mediated by images, has rendered class society boring and banal. Below is thesis that Debord wrote on such a concept.

''59.

Under the shimmering diversions of the spectacle, banalization dominates modern society the world over and at every point where the developed consumption of commodities has seemingly multiplied the roles and objects to choose from. The remains of religion and of the family (the principal relic of the heritage of class power) and the moral repression they assure, merge whenever the enjoyment of this world is affirmed–this world being nothing other than repressive pseudo-enjoyment. The smug acceptance of what exists can also merge with purely spectacular rebellion; this reflects the simple fact that dissatisfaction itself became a commodity as soon as economic abundance could extend production to the processing of such raw materials.''

One of the most important thing Debord points to is the banalization of the traditional relics of class society, such as family and tradition. The perpetrator and creator of such banalization is of course, the spectacle, and to a greater extent class society. In its own contradictions and in its decaying stages, class society has created a both a savior and an enemy, modern day fascism.

The modern day fascists and reactionaries are not on an offensive path. They are instead defensive. They claim they defend their race, and their tradition, both things which have ceased to exist in the eyes of the spectacle. They are the dialectical reaction of capitalism to its inherent destruction of tradition