lunedì 19 maggio 2014

TV nazi parades

The nightmare of nazism is explained why the personality of Hitler: he was pure evil, he was crazy. He was certainly so, but we should ask how was it possible that an entire highly civilized country (and much Europe indeed) could have been fascinated by an evil mad. reference is usually given to Prussian authoritarism - after the war Prussia was even destroyed, divided between Germany, Poland and Russia and has disappeared from history and from the geographical map. This explanation is largely true, nut it doens't accoutn the presence bunches of nazis in more liberal countries such as USA.
In my opinion we should address to television. Television of cours did not exist at the time, but when I look the terrible nazi parades I am struck by their similarity to a TV show. Hitler at the center of the scene, in central perspective (on television you ALWAYS have central perspective, you never have side view like in movies), with an immense applauding crowd. And what was the essence of the show that was represented? Hitler saying "you all are shit, you all are nothing, I only exist" (a typical schizophrenic delirium). And the crowd answering "you are ful right, I am nothing, beat me harder, I like it".
The School of Frankfurt described well the process, but they didn't point out fully to its sadomasochistic nature. Moreover, Adorno and Fromm didn't realize that television is always based on this desire for domination and self-destruction by the victim. Showmen play again and again the same representation of Hitler, with the same choreography, with the same subtle insanity, with the same sadism.


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