The Strongman Spectacle: Populism, Performance, and the Theater of Power — From Mussolini to Trump and Beyond
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Beschreibung
The Strongman Spectacle: Populism, Performance, and the Theater of Power — From Mussolini to Trump and Beyond excavates politics as theater, showing how authoritarian leaders master spectacle from radio and cinema to social media. Strongmen do not simply govern—they perform. Mussolini’s balcony oratory, Reagan’s Hollywood charisma, and Trump’s Twitter theatrics exemplify authority staged and consumed by citizens as spectators. Power becomes inseparable from visibility: the leader as brand, myth, and broadcast. Populism thrives on virality, deploying cinematic tropes, evangelical scripts, and consumerist rituals that collapse governance into entertainment. Trump’s politics of fame and fear hollow democratic institutions, while religion, celebrity, and platforms intensify charisma. Yet spectacle politics is contested terrain. Building on Debord and Kellner, the book situates strongman theatrics within platform capitalism, showing how memes, protests, and parody expose fragility and reclaim visibility for democratic participation.
The Strongman Spectacle: Populism, Performance, and the Theater of Power — From Mussolini to Trump and Beyond excavates politics as theater, showing how authoritarian leaders master spectacle from radio and cinema to social media. Strongmen do not simply govern—they perform. Mussolini’s balcony oratory, Reagan’s Hollywood charisma, and Trump’s Twitter theatrics exemplify authority staged and consumed by citizens as spectators. Power becomes inseparable from visibility: the leader as brand, myth, and broadcast. Populism thrives on virality, deploying cinematic tropes, evangelical scripts, and consumerist rituals that collapse governance into entertainment. Trump’s politics of fame and fear hollow democratic institutions, while religion, celebrity, and platforms intensify charisma. Yet spectacle politics is contested terrain. Building on Debord and Kellner, the book situates strongman theatrics within platform capitalism, showing how memes, protests, and parody expose fragility and reclaim visibility for democratic participation.
Explores the emotional architecture of populism, from MAGA mythmaking to cinematic presidency and media manipulation Connects domestic fallout to global consequences Offers pathways to resist authoritarianism and rebuild democratic trust
Autor*in
Adebowale Akande
Themen in »The Strongman Spectacle: Populism, Performance, and the Theater of Power — From Mussolini to Trump and Beyond«
Trumpism Authoritarism Populist spectacle MAGA movement Democratic erosion in the USA Political polarization Strogmen leadership