survival tactic- a survival method

In learning about the ideology behind the “spectacle,” I find myself agreeing with the author, Guy Debord. Near the end of last year, I tuned into “Fargo” which aired on Hulu. There is an episode where the idea of the credit card was proposed. Behind the ethos, the character shared that people did not want to be rich- and concluded that some did not have the capacity to BE rich so in turn, the credit card offered the illusion to appear rich by investing in products and goods with credit. Having credit afforded can often be the downfall of many people as they search and purchase what they feel is the next “best” thing for the sake of “keeping up with the Jones”. 



In 2021, I feel there are many people who understand this idea that Debord has presented but are so tethered to upholding appearances. I would argue that even without technology, people do this at their family dinner tables, when you meet someone new, and in interviews for new gigs. People ensure that they appear to be something that they are not 24/7. I can see this to also be a survival tactic- a survival method that allows for people to keep this wall up to ensure their safety from social and cultural critiques. More often than not, I find that moral critiques are just as “bad” as the capitalism that exists within America. It is easy to polarize this topic and blame capitalism and forget about everyone that chooses to participate daily. People are consistently curating the experience on how you receive them, their brand, and other elements they feel they represent. This participation needs accountability- else, finding a compromisable middle ground is off the table. 



From myself, I pride myself on transparency. Whether publicly or privately, there is this desire to ensure that I am being myself in all mediums on the spectrum. I can be everything. I do not feel like I should shift myself for the sake of otherments. I do not flee from critique, I embrace it. Expressed as “simplified monosyllabic images”  over the complexities and nuances that actually exist, the spectacle can manipulate its viewers to even think monolithically. In turn, people take it upon themselves to check-in and take accountability for their practices to ensure that they are embracing all of the ways in which they are poly or even culturally queer. I adopted this idea of queer being a verb and applied it to my life- open to change, embracing odd, and ever-evolving for self innovation. I think what Debord is exploring is the capacity of which obsessive images and the influx of data can affect people so much that they actually do not  change anything, but invest in things that present themselves to others as a lifestyle change. 

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