Last week in Slate there was an article about a book called Dream, by
Stephen Duncombe, which looks at the
failings of the contemporary progressive movement. According to the
article, Duncombe argues that modern-day progressives need a
"spectacle" rooted in "story and myth,
fears and desire, imagination and fantasy." Bush's "Mission
Accomplished" aircraft carrier show is used as an example of
conservatives' understanding of this need. Similarly, progressives of
the past seem to
have understood this idea. The author discusses Rosa Parks for
instance--how the act of disobeying a racist law had myth-like
consequences.
Al Gore and his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, are also mentioned
in the Slate article. In a way, Al Gore's personal story is similar to
the
hero myth--The underdog suffers a humiliating defeat and disappears
from the public eye for a
period of time, presumably to reflect and learn, and then returns to
share what he's learned in the hope of helping the world.
His documentary is a true example of the type of spectacle Duncombe
describes. The film juxtaposes Gore's personal story with the story of
the planet. The shared mythological undertones demonstrate the
connectedness of
the planet with human life and the uniqueness of humanity. Yet, for
better or for worse, the film plays on our darker emotions such as
fear. How powerful fear is! A point reiterated by the chilling
spectacle of Gore raising himself up on
a lift to show us how carbon dioxide levels are literally off the
chart. He shocks us with before and after pictures of receding
glaciers and then asks us to imagine what will happen if our sea levels
rise 20 feet.
Clearly, spectacle can be a
powerful way to promote whatever ideas one wishes to further, provided
that in some way the spectacle is tied to
mythology and our collective dreams. Duncombe might call a spectacle
like one that promotes sustainability and environmentalism an ethical
spectacle, one that furthers inclusivity and openness as opposed to
hiding the truth, one that perhaps removes fear from the equation.
I sometimes feel a mythological and dreamlike connection to the
natural enviroment which I attribute to growing up in the foothills of
the
Adirondack Mountains so I feel there must be a better way to affect
change in the way we live without resorting to scare tactics. Fear
seems to add fuel to the political fire for an issue that I would like
to see less politicized. Perhaps the ends justifies the means, but I'm
looking for signs of a different kind of spectacle.
