Society of the Spectacle: WTF? Guy Debord, Situationism and the Spectacle Explained

Society of the Spectacle: WTF? Guy Debord, Situationism and the Spectacle Explained | Tom Nicholas

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Күн бұрын

Need The Society of the Spectacle explained? Well, in this episode of What the Theory?, we’re doing just that.
The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord (a key member of the Situationist International) argues that contemporary capitalist society has become obsessed with images and appearances over all else.
Debord argues that “the spectacle” has invaded our everyday lives not just in the form of image-based advertising but also in the way that we interact with one another.
In this Society of the Spectacle summary video, I provide a brief introduction to Debord’s concept of the spectacle, taking a brief look at the context in which the book was written (including both situationism and the May ’68 Paris uprisings) and unpacking the key arguments included within.
Further Reading
Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord
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Comments on the Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord
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The Gulf War Did Note Take Placeby Jean Baudrillard
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[The above are affiliate links. I receive a small kickback from anything you buy which, in turn, helps to support the channel.]
Bibliography
Debord, Guy (2004 [1967]) The Society of the Spectacle. Translated by Ken Knabb. London: Rebel Press. Available online: rebels-library.org/files/socie...
Debord, Guy (1988) Comments on the Society of the Spectacle. Translated by Malcom Imrie. [Online] libcom.org/files/Comments%20o... [5 February 2019].
Marx, Karl (1867) ‘Chapter One: Commodities’. in Capital: Volume One. [Online] www.marxists.org/archive/marx... [5 February 2019]
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britainnica (2019) ‘Situationist International’. Encyclopedia Britannica. [Online] www.britannica.com/topic/Situ... [2 February 2019].
Wark, McKenzie (2011) The Beach Beneath the Street: The Everyday Life and Glorious Times of the Situationist International. London: Verso.
If you've enjoyed this video and would like to see more including my What The Theory? series in which I provide some snappy introductions to key theories in the humanities as well as PhD vlogs in which I talk about some of the challenges of being a PhD student then do consider subscribing.
Thanks for watching!
Twitter: @Tom_Nicholas
Website: www.tomnicholas.com

Пікірлер: 617

@cameron6870 4 жыл бұрын

DROP YOUR PATERON

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Do you mean provide you a link to it or delete it, haha? I don't think I'd set it up at this point but, if you did mean you wanted the link, it's at patreon.com/tomnicholas Hope you enjoyed the video!

@cameron6870 4 жыл бұрын

@@Tom_Nicholas hahha sorry I went to part two and found it there! Your stuff is awesome!

@Gormathius Жыл бұрын

I love how this can genuinely be interpreted both ways.

@manai7007 4 жыл бұрын

I wish this kind of critical analysis was all over our schools to be honest. We grow up completely unprotected and unaware of the forces at play that structure and limit our whole existence.

@NoJusticeMTG 2 жыл бұрын

Schools are curated as such to create workers, not thinkers.

@MagicToadSlime 2 жыл бұрын

Check out the channel "Knowing Better" (if you haven't already) for all of the important pieces of history that were deliberately left out of your schooling

@jimmy21584 2 жыл бұрын

My parents primed me from an early age to hate it. As my dad put it, the “spivs” who used to go door to door selling scams in the 40s, who were derided and got spat on, are now the people running the world.

@lostcat9lives322 2 жыл бұрын

The republicans just made it illegal.

@zochbuppet448 2 жыл бұрын

Its too complex for most to understand for people who are just reading the texts. Too complex for even undergraduate university classes. I barely understood it as a student It s mostly useful for creators...in a cultural consumption "market", media makers, artists, designer etc. And and even then its pretty much hard to put it into practice do to the "market" place or product.. We were thought Guy Debord, and and lot of French theory, in the 90's in what was a unique, cutting edge undergraduate university program unheard of at the time. I had 4 years of theory classes dealing with media and culture...still nothing to show for that learning. The only thing you can do with it is become a professor. If you are in the U.S or Canada that's the equivalent of 8 university courses with nothing to show for it...except if you can somehow try to graft a few ideas in one of your productions. WE leaned it for the incoming digital revolution, and its even more relevant than ever before, but there is not much the average "worker" or person watching youtube videos can do with it .

@itsahashtaglife6304 3 жыл бұрын

It’s important to emphasize that it’s not social media on its own that represents Debord’s concept of spectacle, but social media plugged into the market economy. This is where McLuhan’s the medium is the message meets Debord: the content of social media is the market system. People like to blame social media for the effects we’re seeing, but we forget that the medium of the market economy sits on top of and dictates the expression of how social media is used. This is a great explanation of the spectacle, however. Appreciate it 👏

@MrMarinus18 Жыл бұрын

I think it's more accurate to say social media is the culmination of that system. Social interaction are human kind's most important and sacred activity and the monetization and corporate control of it puts a lot of people seriously on edge. Social media for many is the commercialization of social interaction and NFT's are kind of the monetization of even the things we already own. That trend is already happening with microtransactions and games as services and they will try to expand it further.

@kubhlaikhan2015 Ай бұрын

Communication is never a problem. Control of the means of communication is the problem.

@toml8380 5 жыл бұрын

I’ve looked at many videos describing Society of the Spectacle, but this one was by far the clearest. You’ve convinced me to buy the book

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Ah, I'm so glad you found the video helpful! Enjoy (if that's the right word...) the book!

@toml8380 5 жыл бұрын

Tom Nicholas what are your thoughts on The Revolution of Everyday Life by Raoul Vaneigem? From my knowledge I believe it is also from the situationist movement

@virkots 3 жыл бұрын

Haha, great. Buy buy buy.

@evelynbaron8357 3 жыл бұрын

I got sidetracked because of my personal history but absolutely agree,

@123jl 2 жыл бұрын

@@toml8380 k, n nñ hoy t yuju molido

@Marvelousmax94 4 жыл бұрын

KZfaq humour: put ad right after tom says "advertising...before during and after youtube videos"

@whyjustyesterday 2 жыл бұрын

Years after graduating, your videos are a renewal of my passion for social theory. Feels like a reunion with my intellectual family.

@lijenamacka 4 жыл бұрын

I always find Red Bull an interesting example in this regard. How they went from being a producer of 'energy drinks' to being an overall 'extreme sports brand'. Can't remember I ever saw an ad really focusing on the 'great taste' (and maybe for a reason?) or actual effects of the drink, rather than linking the drink and the brand to people challenging themselves and doing 'cool stuff' and extreme sports...

@soupalex 2 жыл бұрын

tbf, apart from the weird extreme sports events stuff, i think red bull's marketing is fairly straighforwardly about the properties of the product (i'm sure there is some image stuff in there too, but not to the point where it obscures the product itself). they don't talk much about the flavour, sure, but it's an energy drink: they don't want (or perhaps need) to say "it tastes good"; it's more important that "it gives you wings" (to put it in their own terms)

@raleighsmalls4653 Жыл бұрын

@@soupalex Tis merely water, red coloring and Taurine, ya know....

@andrewsmith3257 8 ай бұрын

@@raleighsmalls4653and delicious imo. I hate how even the small things in life have been co-opted by Corporate crap

@couchpotatter Жыл бұрын

As a kid in grade school, one can kind of get that feeling of spectacle when the rest of the kids are showing off the brand clothes they wear as status and/or identity.

@kubhlaikhan2015 Ай бұрын

Wearing. brand names goods is so much lower and less important than what situationism is talking about I despair. Nike are actually pretty good quality. The point is to be free of the FEAR that makes you believe anthing.

@jacobb8397 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for this great presentation, Tom. Its very refreshing to see genuine interest and sincerity when going over such complex issues, without ironizing too much and keeping a positive tone. You made 16 minutes feel like 5, so thanks again for keeping it real

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. Maintaining a balance between complexity and video length is a constant battle so I'm glad to hear you didn't find it too long! A lot of the script ended up being cut along the way, haha!

@emendodesigns 2 жыл бұрын

@@Tom_Nicholas That was sixteen minutes? WTF. Where did my coffee go?

@nedgilkeson4391 4 жыл бұрын

I liked the Situationalists, & think we could use that way of thinking in today's world. Really like your channel!

@gogogaga3974 4 жыл бұрын

Imagine Writing A Book In 1967 That's Still Relevant In 2019.

@milztempelrowski9281 4 жыл бұрын

@paul w wait until he/she finds out about plato

@Utroll 3 жыл бұрын

@@milztempelrowski9281 true, Debord replaced the metaphorical cavern by the real stage, and pointed the company managing the stage thru a Marxist view.

@gogogaga3974 3 жыл бұрын

@@Utroll facts

@gogogaga3974 3 жыл бұрын

@Harry Caray d'abord Debord

@evelynbaron8357 3 жыл бұрын

@@milztempelrowski9281 Tx someone had to say it!

@juliamarshall3175 3 жыл бұрын

The Debord reference in the American psychological horror film, I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020), written and directed by Charlie Kaufman brought me here! Deep gratitude.

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Hi all, sorry for being a day late on this video! Schedule may change a little over the coming months as I've got a PhD to finish! Hope you enjoy this vid and find it a useful insight into Debord's work. More episodes of What the Theory? can be found here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j9aposWc1NLdhnk.html

@lilgarbagedisposal9141 5 жыл бұрын

You should definitely do another episode !

@foninamchara 5 жыл бұрын

yes yes yes, follow up, pleaase!! :)

@jayl.6960 5 жыл бұрын

HI Tom, I haven't seen the rest of your videos so I'm not sure if you've discussed Marshall McLuhan and his works particularly on media.

@tinarichardson364 5 жыл бұрын

What's your PhD on, Tom?

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

You asked for it so I made it! If you'd like to check out my follow-up to this video in which I look at the spectacle and recuperation, pop over here: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/ld2cZqt0sLeah30.html Enjoy!

@redstrat1234 5 жыл бұрын

Saw the 'Spectacle' reference used on Frankie Boyle's New World Order tonight- needed more info. This was really well explained, thank you sir. (sounds like Debord was on to something)

@drayzorn 5 жыл бұрын

Watch a video called "American Psycho, Baudrillard and the Postmodern Condition" by cuckphilosphy by development of these ideas.

@helenpowell3323 5 жыл бұрын

So did I! Thanks Tom. I’d like a follow up too. :)

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks, glad you found it helpful!

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Don't worry Helen, I'm on it!

@Julle399 5 жыл бұрын

I'd like a continuation, good video

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, will definitely add it to my future videos list!

@mranonomousperson 4 жыл бұрын

Second if you still haven't made it! I feel like Trump is the logical conclusion of this phenomenon and has an intuition for how to use and create spectacles thay is better than anyone.

@jefflarsen9743 Жыл бұрын

To hear such a brilliant analysis out of the mouth of a fella that looks like he's all of 16 is a Situationist endeavor in itself. A fantastic audio/visual transposition. Great stuff.

@sophiegees 5 жыл бұрын

thank you, always happy to discover "easily digestible" resources to help students into complex issues!

@KenMoir Жыл бұрын

Just stumbled across this video, but delighted to find that it's still fresh, accurate and necessary three years later. Many thanks for offering such a clear & concise overview of what I think is one of the most important texts of the 20th century!

@livcorley4341 2 жыл бұрын

I'm doing my masters in English Literature and your videos have helped me understand a variety of theories a lot better. Thank you!

@kubhlaikhan2015 Ай бұрын

But do you?

@livcorley4341 Ай бұрын

@@kubhlaikhan2015 Yes, that’s why I graduated two years ago and got a first in the essay talking about this text and Debord as a philosopher. I referenced this video as I was researching.

@kubhlaikhan2015 Ай бұрын

@@livcorley4341 I congratulate you. But if you think situations are a literary theory you need to know that it is more. It is about life, and the more it is intellectualised the more you are doomed to live in a mere spectacle of it.

@johnhitchen1617 2 ай бұрын

Tom provides a reasoned analysis of the Situationists, and why it is worth our time to study this movement.

@lovepiecozitsawesome 5 жыл бұрын

"Spectacle is the sun that never sets over the empire of modern passivity." Great video (as always), makes me want to re-read Debord. And yes, please make more. Are there any other situationist texts you'd recommend?

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, really glad you liked the video! While he predates the Situationists themselves, I would recommend the work of Henri Lefebvre whose ideas heavily influenced them. It can be tough reading at times and, as someone who writes a lot about non-global cities, I find his argument that the entire world is now "urbanised" to sometimes be a little bit of a sweeping statement. Nevertheless, his discussion of the relationship between space and power is absolutely fascinating.

@henrybemis9956 5 жыл бұрын

Raoul Vaneigem's "Revolution of Everyday Life" is one my favorite of any books I've ever read. The effects of Debord are presented in a more academic manner by a lot of Jean Baudrillard's work especially from the mid 80s until the late 90s. For a good intro to the more fictional or artistic writings, try Michèle Bernstein's novel "All the King's Horses". But the films are great as well: Debord's "Society of the Spectacle" Debord's "In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni" (a Latin palindrome meaning "We Spin Around the Night Consumed by the Fire") a "Post-Situationist" work, but still very good. Rene Vienet's "Can Dialectics Break Bricks" where he satirizes political theory by overdubbing a wu shu/ kung fu film with dialog of worker's struggling under capitalism (very bad description, but great film nonetheless) Isidore Isou "Venom & Eternity" -This is Lettrist, a precursor to the Situationists. More contemporary progeny from this movement would be The Invisible Committee in France, and The Bernadette Corporation (a contemporary arts organization with revolving membership). For other information check out notbored.org, library.nothingness.org, or google Luther Blisset (used as an anonymous persona, and the political/artistic output that stems from that).

@lovepiecozitsawesome 5 жыл бұрын

@@henrybemis9956 Thanks for all of your suggestions. I will definitely check all of those out. Was not expecting the films, but as a self-described cinephile, those are very much appreciated. Now I'll just have to track them down, which I imagine could pose quite a challenge.

@katherinemorelle7115 5 жыл бұрын

I just want to note the truly excellent timing- immediately after you said we were bombarded with visual advertising, before during and after our KZfaq videos... I got an ad.

@Nerdsammich 3 жыл бұрын

This exists in places that are truly shocking to think of. For instance, the military is full of this valuation of appearance over substance. In the Army, much more emphasis is placed on your physique than your marksmanship, to the point where if you're overweight, they take you in and tell you that the reason they have weight standards is to "ensure a neat and trim military appearance". How well you shine your boots and press your uniform likewise has more effect on your prospects for promotion than how well you know your job.

@Xonline9 5 жыл бұрын

i'm reading the book at the minute but was looking for additional materials for context - this was really helpful, thank you!

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Really glad this helped Eric! Hopefully it gives a good basis for tackling the book itself! Enjoy!

@alambda2976 2 жыл бұрын

WOW I am seriously thankful for this video. I am currently writing an essay about Debord and his Society of the Spectacle and you made his ideas so much easier to understand!

@debralegorreta1375 4 жыл бұрын

Saw this a while ago... had to come back for seconds. Just as enjoyable and insightful as the first time around. Thank you.

@CooKJaY9 2 жыл бұрын

omg just before my exam this is flipping magic the way you articulate and concise explanations are out of this world

@alexanderrachel1692 3 жыл бұрын

you should read The Technological Society by Jacques Ellul. He breaks it down on such a deep level as to explain Debord in my opinion. Very critical author and legendary piece of work by him.

@post-leftluddite Жыл бұрын

If you like Ellul, you should give John Zerzan a try, particularly he books "Twilight of the Machines" and "Running on Emptiness", which are both for free online since he is an Anarchist

@brianarbenz7206 Жыл бұрын

I grew up in the 1960s and ‘70s and I was always frustrated by seeing intelligent, capable people throw their lives away on superficiality. My country, which was supposed to be based on participatory democracy and the Bill of Rights, was really driven by a mindset of obsessive and shallow commercialism. When I adopted a Marxist view, I realized that the “poor proletariat” were not really the prevailing example of the oppressed around me. It was primarily the aesthetically poor, rather than materially poor. Debord’s description of survival being redefined as the constant struggle to become caught up on image and style very much resonates with how I felt. I have been only slightly familiar with his beliefs. I’m going to read more of him. Thank you for this excellent look at his ideas.

@Spicarida 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Nicholas! I found your introduction really useful. It would be nice to have a second part, your videos are great! Cheers!

@veganinvasion7701 3 жыл бұрын

Felt my brain growing as I watched this. Thanks.

@healthstorysomaticcoaching9793 3 жыл бұрын

A clear, concise and abundantly engaging video. Great job Tom. Looking for Part 2 now.

@aislingnid5163 3 ай бұрын

Reading this book at the moment and needing to take breaks from the serious bursts of clarity it keeps giving me.

@siancatherine 2 жыл бұрын

this video was amazing, you have just helped me passed my uni assignment! thank you for such a clear explanation :)

@manzinicholas8713 3 жыл бұрын

I’m citing your video for a paper I’m working on. Never thought I’d have to type WTF in my paper lol

@kaleidoscopicboo 3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha I am also gonna cite it for my exam submission 😂😭❤️🙏🏻

@kubhlaikhan2015 Ай бұрын

@@kaleidoscopicboo Well good luck with that but if you'd understood it you'd probably have fucked off your exams.

@jojoblablabla Ай бұрын

Thank you very much for this video, I’m trying to read the book for a second time yet still struggling to stay focused. Your explanation is very clear and certainly helps a lot.

@isiahlattimore4927 4 жыл бұрын

This video was really great. We'll put together and extremely informative. Thank you. On a side note the timing for mod video add was HILARIOUS

@sexobscura 5 жыл бұрын

*I bought some 'Society of the Spectacle' toiletries for fifty dollars*

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Haha, it wouldn't surprise me if this was a thing...

@matthewcross2991 3 жыл бұрын

I adore debords work. How can it describe consumerist societies so amazingly accurate? Incredible video as always

@shawnbarron2455 4 жыл бұрын

As he said before, during and after our youtube videos, an ad kicked in, how perfect :) Thanks for the video it's great.

@Anne_cam1 4 жыл бұрын

You're saving my life with these videos, thank you so much!!!!!!!

@jonathanverret6872 5 жыл бұрын

Great video! I just came to see how to pronounce "Guy Debord," but ended up staying for the whole thing! You have a very clear and direct way of breaking down the content without losing the substance of it. I would watch a follow-up video.

@SgtVeritas 3 жыл бұрын

The algorithm has led me to you, it nailed it! Thank you for all of your effort, I've been enjoying your work!

@onataltn4596 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this video. I too would love to hear more about your interpretations and explanations of Society of the Spectacle.

@kevinhudson1217 4 жыл бұрын

this is one of the best descriptions of Debord and society of the spectacle. I have been wanting to read society of the spectacle for a minute.

@Tom_Nicholas 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks Kevin, appreciate you saying so!

@Anagzable 5 жыл бұрын

Cheers for this explanation, Tom! Really useful as I'm doing my dissertation on these ideas as applied to hip-hop music :)

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Ah excellent, I uploaded it at just the right time then! Your dissertation sounds absolutely fascinating, best of luck with it!

@kay987 Жыл бұрын

hi! could you please share your dissertation as it may help to understand this work further in a more modern context. currently struggling a little so it might help haha

@coltoncheviron7246 2 жыл бұрын

Tom, I need to read this for my masters degree in history. Theoretical work always stumps me. This was a great help to start on this work. Keep it up.

@matejpancurak1879 Жыл бұрын

You save me from reading a 156-page book for an exam! thanks very much :)

@lucyvizor9016 5 жыл бұрын

Very helpful for my essay! Thank you, could not get my head around this topic until this video

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Really glad to have helped Lucy!

@joez.2794 Жыл бұрын

The good news is if you can escape this "thought trap" in today's "late stage" society, you can literally live like a King.

@NotAushire 2 жыл бұрын

I've read Society of the Spectacle three times, and I think your video helped clarify my understanding of augmented survival a little. Everything else was also accurate as I understood it. Good video

@galuhanisa6529 5 жыл бұрын

Hello, I stumbled upon your video right after I watched Debord's Society of the Spectacle film and I want to thank you for your explanation because I found myself struggle understanding the content of the film. I would really appreciate if you make a continuation of this video. Great work and thank you very much!

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Really glad it helped you out. Yes, the book/film itself can be a little tough to crack into. I'd suggest reading Debord's follow up "Comments on the Society of the Spectacle" in which he goes over some similar ideas yet in a slightly more easily comprehendible manner.

@Slumpt1 3 жыл бұрын

Read through the chapter and needed some perspective because I'm so new to reading philosophy! thank you for this

@atis9061 4 жыл бұрын

You're a great lecturer and I'm really enjoying your channel.

@-g2462 5 жыл бұрын

The thing that gets me is that we are all a part of the spectacle. Very rarely in our day do we not feed into it. We talk of the spectacle as if it was a monster that was created by some external factor, but in actuality it is us who created it. We all have our own part to play. More crucially we will just keep rolling down the hill in a bus with no breaks until the wheels fall off or we run off the cliff edge.

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

I'm going to talk about this a little more in the follow-up video. Or, more accurately, I'm going to focus on attempts to subvert the Spectacle and whether they can ever be successful.

@s3lim77 3 жыл бұрын

this was a rly great video, explained so much better than I expected any KZfaq video to

@niamhmaye7524 Жыл бұрын

This is so helpful, thank you so much for your clarity!

@arieldaemon Жыл бұрын

Very good! I enjoyed this, no filler. wonderful teacher, thank you!!

@carcistan 4 жыл бұрын

Fantastic work, thank you for doing a follow up too. Headed to watch that now.

@arvraudio1430 5 жыл бұрын

Incredibly well done...bravo, Tom. All the best going forward and will keep an eye out for more. Cheers

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! If you've not checked them out yet then there are a fair few What The Theory? videos on my channel page now to keep you going until I release the next one!

@ks416002 3 жыл бұрын

I just finished reading. Well articulated summary and insight. I enjoyed listening. Good job.

@hyuhsin8965 5 жыл бұрын

Hello from Taiwan! I'm just new for your channel and regretted not finding it earlier! I'm quite interested in culture studies. Thanks a lot for such great videos! The introduction is super clear and helpful for a beginner. :)

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Hiya, thank you for your kind words, I'm so glad you've been enjoying my videos and hope you've found them insightful! Do let me know if there's anything you'd like to see a video on in the future!

@cjh990213 Жыл бұрын

This video helped me a lot for my school project. Thank you for the nice video!

@waltermanson999 3 жыл бұрын

This vdeo is FREAKING AMAZING ! It's been life changing and you've connected a good few dots together for me. Wow ! Cheers !

@tertmemelur1880 5 жыл бұрын

at around 9:20 another really famous examples is Nike's CEO who said "the one still selling a product is an idiot, as of today one sells a brand" or smth

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Absolutely, the difference between "marketing" a product and "branding" it is really interesting to look over. I mean, something like Supreme in particular is almost entirely rooted around that notion.

@Jake-um8yf 4 жыл бұрын

I can't find any proof that he said this

@eorobinson3 3 жыл бұрын

So Donald Trump nailed that...

@Emiliapocalypse 3 жыл бұрын

@@Tom_Nicholas I realize this comment is a year old, but reading the original comment, my brain screamed “that bs Supreme-branded building brick they were selling, Augh!” Glad supreme came to someone else’s mind too

@MrWalker1000 3 жыл бұрын

@@Tom_Nicholas this is why i always review something before i buy and i really dont care if the brand is popular or not what i care about is the quality of the product itself.

@phaedrus4931 5 жыл бұрын

Loved this walkthrough. Happy to subscribe.

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Cheers, great to have you on board! Hope you enjoy some of my other stuff, too!

@vidividivicious 5 жыл бұрын

Great content! Thanks Tom, I've already read Debord, and as a lot of French writers, his writing is kind of cryptic, but your analysis is pretty clear and straightforward

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

It can definitely be a tough book to crack in to and I do actually find the style of it to be a bit of a weakness particularly in comparison to "Comments on..." which Debord published later which is actually incredibly engaging and grounded in solid examples of what he's talking about. Glad the video helped you find a way in to it!

@vidividivicious 5 жыл бұрын

@@Tom_Nicholas I'll look up that book. Situationists ideas are pretty interesting in these times. Ty

@autokrohne 5 ай бұрын

Thank you for this very clear synopsis. I read the book and agree that it is quite dense and challenging to read. Placing it in historical context also helped with unpacking its message. I agree with your assessment.

@nikolassolov6871 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for explaining this for me. I was reading the book and needed some clarification on some things. Keep doing what you do.

@thepauldobbs Жыл бұрын

Excellent introduction to Spectacle. Wow. Thanks. I'm going to find a copy. Over the last several weeks Dec2022 -Feb2023 the NYTimes has published several articles and an audio interview about a Luddite Club, a group of young teens in NYC seeking to free themselves from their phones and social media. I wonder if these teens intuited/felt, at the end of their childhoods, that there is more to life than what the society of the spectacle was providing them.

@NickoFilipo 4 жыл бұрын

I was really happy to see the link up there when you said you could go more in depth if the viewers asked for it. But then subtitles switched to spanish in the second video and it brought me back to the hellscape reality we're living in

@HxH2011DRA 4 жыл бұрын

This video was quite enjoyable, not only did you use fun examples that have staying power but you even applied what you learned with that selectively place ad break XD. Hats off to ya!

@MrDavittow 5 жыл бұрын

Hi Tom, this is truly interesting and nicely put, reminds me of the artists termed Pop Art, who kind of explored similar ideas on their canvases. It also reminds me of a quote I found from a book called 'Crash' by J.G. Ballard - “We live in a world ruled by fictions of every kind-mass merchandising, advertising, politics conducted as a branch of advertising, the instant translation of science and technology into popular imagery, the increasing blurring and intermingling of identities within the realm of consumer goods, the preempting of any free or original imaginative response to experience by the television screen. We live inside an enormous novel. For the writer in particular it is less and less necessary for him to invent the fictional content of his novel. The fiction is already there. The writer's task is to invent the reality.”

@aysedarakc 2 жыл бұрын

Great sequence of images and excellent narration. Thank you!

@rzcrzc1449 4 жыл бұрын

All I want to say is - love your work, man.

@amysarahmarshall Жыл бұрын

Well done! Really appreciate this clarity.

@TheLily97232 2 жыл бұрын

I red in "The psychology of the beautiful and the ugly" that we moved from a society of the spectacle to a society of the one man show. Very true as you said towards the end

@neddelamatre9572 5 жыл бұрын

Nice work. I've just begun my investigation of Debord's ideas and you have been very helpful in this regard.

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Ned, really glad to have helped out!

@bunnylalapin 3 жыл бұрын

Dropped in here to get the low down on the Debor ref in I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Thank you for this!

@juliamarshall3175 3 жыл бұрын

Same

@andreakoeppe7107 4 жыл бұрын

I happened upon this video as I am re-reading England's dreaming by Jon Savage. You helped fill in major gaps and I am marveling how awesome it is now to read such a dense book now and look up ideas online to help me understand what is going on. I did not have that luxury in 1992. PS I subscribed and I am looking forward to watching more of your videos. Thank you!!

@lequotazioniinborsadellafa5867 5 жыл бұрын

i too would like a continuation, you are very clear

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Hi Gabriele! Sorry, just catching up on some comments. If you haven't spotted it already, then the follow-up is live on my channel now! hope you enjoy!

@yuxiaozong9802 4 жыл бұрын

awesome work! thank you so much for the clear explanation!

@nolanfrank272 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much; I benefited from and easily received what I consider to be an excellently crafted and well-thought through synopsis of a dense work.

@tyblazitar 3 жыл бұрын

every good youtube video about debord gets me one step closer to actually reading that damn book

@learningcubanspanish 2 жыл бұрын

That's great. Thank you. I like to listen and have things explained to me. Nicely done. I came to this as I am interested in the theories of walking and that was nice to hear about in context.

@isidoramolina4806 5 жыл бұрын

Oh my god, I recently bought the book but I didn't know that was an complicated lecture. Best wishes to me! Your videos are gonna help me a lot

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Really hope they help you out!

@johnbooth8940 5 жыл бұрын

Absolutely brilliantly explained thank you so much Tom

@Tom_Nicholas 5 жыл бұрын

Cheers for saying so John! Hope you found it useful in some way!

@Emiliapocalypse 3 жыл бұрын

This book seems right up my alley of interest, but from the comments sounds like it might be too complex for me to actually make a go of reading it. Thank you for your videos, you really have a knack for making subjects more accessible!

@IzziAsha22 3 жыл бұрын

Super helpful. Thanks Tom!

@misakinishimya6115 4 жыл бұрын

Gosh!! I like how you explain stuffs, I wish I could explain things as good as u do lol

@eminem1215 2 жыл бұрын

you presented the information in such an interesting way. Thank you !

@post-leftluddite Жыл бұрын

I'd be so APPRECIATIVE if you did a video on Raoul Vanegeim's "The Revolution of Everyday Life", not nearly as well known as the Society of the Spectacle, but far more influential in my development as a post-left anarchist

@JessicaMccreery 3 жыл бұрын

thank you thank you thank you---I had to read this for a class and I was terribly confused until I watched your video---thank you thank you thank you!!!!!

@MrConradd 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you, Tom! You nailed it!

@danletras Жыл бұрын

Outstanding video. It helped me to understand my life, as I was born in the American suburbs in 1967. By pulling back the scrim to display the pulleys, levers & and shifting backdrops constructing the reality into which I was born, your explanation of the book permits individual healing. Why would I use such lofty language? Because living within a landscape constructed by the perceived need to always be selling and buying hollows out the soul and troubles one's psychology. Recognizing and understanding the sources of these elements is crucially important.