The End of Politics?

[Second Summer]

[...] We find ourselves in a media landscape where spectacle is a proven vehicle to success. It's the reason why the line between click-bait journalism and ads is getting blurrier every day. And since political news is almost entirely consumed through media outlets, the line between politics and entertainment is disappearing. We expect that same gratification from our politicians that we do from our BuzzFeed articles. [...]

I think Trump is one of the few politicians who not only really understands this, but has used the knowledge to develop media skills that can be used very successfully for political gain.

 

[Capstan]

I watched the video. Very slickly produced. It seemed a huge advertisement for the boob tube. Does the author consider the internet to be part of "media outlets," or is he just talking about television? I agree, the TV is trying to sell glitzy spectacle to a certain limited mentality, but I wonder how many people really buy into it? Are the "unwashed masses" as stupid as he makes them out to be, or is this just an escalated propaganda technique, being practiced by the privately owned big media? Can we accept what we see on telly to be representative of what people think or feel?

 

[Second Summer]

I watched the video. Very slickly produced.

Yes, it's actually just one in a series of "8-bit Philosophy" videos, all very well made.

It seemed a huge advertisement for the boob tube. Does the author consider the internet to be part of "media outlets," or is he just talking about television?

I'm pretty sure they mean everything including Internet media. There are references to YouTube and BuzzFeed, for instance.

I agree, the TV is trying to sell glitzy spectacle to a certain limited mentality, but I wonder how many people really buy into it? Are the "unwashed masses" as stupid as he makes them out to be, or is this just an escalated propaganda technique, being practiced by the privately owned big media? Can we accept what we see on telly to be representative of what people think or feel?

Well, I think a lot of people, maybe even myself to some extent, are affected by this phenomenon, i.e. expecting politics to be entertaining.

 

[Capstan]

Conversely, the entertainment media are becoming political forums, witness the Oscar Awards being as much about political expression of the "stars,"as about movies, and talk-show comics being among the most vocal of political pundits. The lines are definitely blurred.