Spectacular Publics

Abstract

Spectacles have an ambivalent role in democratic life. They can reinforce or break inequalities in voice and visibility. They can inspire or stifle reflections on the political causes of widespread misery. This chapter examines the production, mediation, and reception of the spectacle of Typhoon Haiyan. It argues that dramatic portrayals of the typhoon constructed ‘spectacular publics’ that bestowed attention to the suffering of distant others. While there are valid reasons to criticize spectacular representations of tragedy as ‘disaster pornography’ meant to respond to the demands of audiences with fleeting attention spans, this chapter demonstrates the potential of spectacles in democratizing discourses. Spectacular publics can grow moral communities and transform audiences into publics, which in turn set in motion a series of public deliberations.