The article explores how Guy Debord's concept of the 'Spectacle' can be applied to modern media, particularly through programs like Saturday Night Live. It suggests that these platforms twist reality and promote an incessant monologue of power, reflecting societal manipulations masked as entertainment. The author analyzes the appearance of countercultural figure William S. Burroughs on SNL as a potential co-option by mainstream culture, illustrating how even iconic nonconformists can be integrated into the spectacle, further blurring the lines between critique and acceptance in popular culture.
...the slickness of TV, even live comedy TV, masks carefully orchestrated maneuvers on the part of its creators and advertisers. The spectacle is the opposite of dialogue.
Burroughs-a master mind of the counterculture-co-opted by the powers that be? The author of Naked Lunch also appeared in a Nike ad and several films.
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