MEDIA COMMERCIALISM, SPECTACULAR PERFORMANCES AND MODERN INDIVIDUAL

Text topic: Cultures of Rhythms and Spectacle

Text author: Елма Шабановић

The contemporary civilization almost completely oversees the fact that the monopoly in creation of spiritual space now belongs to communication media, which establish what in the world is important (or rather, true). Spectacle and simulation, medialized war, entertainment and images of typized values deprives individual of the possibility to decide her/himself what is really important. That way a new man (man of the present) was formed, the man who consents to displacement of his mind, i.e. agrees that someone else think instead himself. This postmodern man rejects to critically position himself in the face of presented mass media contents, thus being transformed into the object of civilization. A spiritual rennaisance is needed if we are to build a more productive community and a more guenuine individual; but it also necessiates a change of economic order which should be submitted to human needs, while on the other hand, society itself should develop and promote the principles of truthfulness and honesty.