Terrorism as spectacle: It’s all for the audience

Abstract

Abstract This paper analyses terrorism from the framework of ‘spectacle’ (Debord, 1995). In this context, ‘spectacle’ is a historical event that looks like a political drama, theatre, or even a play. The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were played out as a script, mise en scène, and choreography. Terrorism can be a disaster or horror movie. This is made possible thanks to around-the-clock news and media images. Of particular importance is the ability of terrorism to command the audience’s gaze. As a spectacle, a terrorist act becomes a type of theatre; it is a performance to be seen. Electronic communications (television in particular) allow the immediate worldwide exposure of the terrorist spectacle. The purpose is to plant images – usually gory and frightening – in the audience’s collective memory. These images are seen, recorded, and usually unforgettable. The spectacle, then, becomes a ‘Culture of Terror’ (media images of horror and destruction).