Where Deceit Deceives Itself: The Society of the Spectacle- Response by Melanie Hung

Guy Debord, a man introduced as a lonesome and depressed being, is the true focus of the article, “The Society of the Spectacle.”
At the moment, I do not feel the urge to write about what the article summarizes. (I am sure everyone in class took notes and can look at this confusing article with at least tad bit of comprehension. I am more interested in the author himself and why he would write such a multi-layered piece of analysis.
From the first few paragraphs, one can state that Debord sees things in an interesting perspective. He finds that people are living in a world that is representational of not the people in it but the ideal lifestyle people wish to pursue. It is believed by the author that this process will eventually lead to an “autonomous movement of non-life.” My understanding is that the media, the entertainment or the everyday “spectacle” towards life as a whole is altered by people to make people less accepting for what they have already. Since the “deliberate distortions” has grown to be powerful enough to bridge people, I find that Debord looks at himself as a helpless victim of the situation. Although contradictory to what peoples’ lives actually are, Debord believes that it will eventually shape social life. Take for example, advertising is able to shape the “sphere of production.” Or easily worded, the how market would not be there if there were no marketing techniques.
The point that all of what social life and social organization seems to be is all mere appearance I think is both negative and positive since although the lifestyle shown by the media is fabricated and unrealistic, it makes people strive for more than what they have and may try harder to work for the lifestyle the media portrays.
Overall, I feel that Debord made a solid point in the media definitely provided a spectacle for people within to look out and vice versa. However, this exaggerated excerpt provided me with a more depressed perspective towards the impact of the “spectacle” in our lives, it makes me ponder intermittently.