A half-century ago, theorist Guy Debord (1967) identified the “spectacle,” his term for commodified imagery, as pervasive in contemporary life. Drawing on this concept’s influential legacy, this panel turns to the athletic body as a central piece of social spectacle. A focus on the body enables analysis of how the material (flesh, blood, bone, etc.) is transformed into mediated commodity, how the “real” is made “hyperreal.” While this spectacularization is amplified in the age of digital/social media, contributors are also encouraged to examine historical representations of the athletic body. Following the panel’s critical focus on articulations of power and identity, contributors may address how mediation has been intertwined with colonization, particularly of those athletes whose bodies reflect marginalized identities.
Presenters: Brandon Wallace & David Andrews Anna Posbergh & David Andrews Steve Marston
Thursday November 7, 2019 5:20pm - 6:20pm EST
Spotswood Arms
