The spectacle as pornography, Philosophy in Pubs (Headington)

“In societies dominated by modern conditions of production life is presented as an immense accumulation of spectacles. Everything that was directly lived has receded into a representation.”

“The spectacle presents itself simultaneously as society itself, as part of a society, and as a means of unification. As a part of society, its the focal point of all vision and all consciousness. But due to the very fact that this sector is separate, it is in reality the domain of delusion and false consciousness: the unification it achieves is nothing but an official language of universal separation.”

Guy Debord

Do all or some aspects of pornography that make pornography taboo apply to all or some components of the spectacle?

The concept the Spectacle is development of the Marxist concept of alienation.

Pornography remains a taboo. Pornography is considered a taboo because it apparently:

• Is detrimental to interpersonal relations
• Leads to objectification
• Leads to physical and mental dysfunction
• Is exploitative of both worker and consumer
• Encourages inappropriate real world behaviours
• Highly unequal economic and power relations

Why do we privilege pornography? Why is pornographic material taboo but media dealing with other commodities is not? Is the alienation arising from pornography more obvious?

How would we view the world if we consider the spectacle as a kind of pornography?

What are the common threads between pornography and advertising?

By making pornography a taboo society is privileging, “making sacred”, sexual relations and our bodies. The commodity relations involving our sexuality are regulated. Are there things that should be considered sacred that perhaps deserve similar attitudes and be similarly regulated? E.g. aspects of the natural environment or public commons

Is the double standard because we are conditioned socially or by evolution to respond to pornography with disgust or to push sex into a hidden domain? Are there other things we should be disgusted about?

The situationalists developed the idea of retournement where the cliches of mass media are used to undermine the spectacle. Retournement is about "turning expressions of the capitalist system and its media culture against itself"

How could retournement be applied to pornography to expose the double standards? How do you do that without creating more pornography

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