Consumer Culture In Chris Hedges's 'Empire Of Illusion'

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Fake or artificial, regardless of the term one chooses to use, the meaning is the same. Artifice is the act of insincere behavior normally used to deceive someone and is considered by Chris Hedges, the author of “Empire of Illusion,” to be the “most essential skill in political theater and consumer culture.” In some ways, a society needs superficial leaders and values in order to uphold what the majority considers to be correct. However, pretending to believe in certain ideals or presenting untrue information is unbeneficial to anyone. The most essential skill in politics and media is not artifice, because the truth will eventually be exposed. Unsurprisingly, most every politician lies and displays particular characteristics in order to sway …show more content…

Hedges explains that “The consistency and emotional appeal of the story are paramount,” which shows that the facts are irrelevant as long as the story is appealing. During his candidacy, Donald J. Trump appealed to his audience by speaking about repressed topics such as Barack H. Obama’s place of birth. News broadcasting channel Fox band-wagoned onto to Trump’s story and consequently produced some articles with miscalculated evidence. The news stories shocked the mass public, however, the facts were later verified and found to be incorrect. America as a whole was captivated by the controversy and that led to many trusting Fox news, which did not last long because once readers found out the truth, they began questioning the information they were receiving. In conclusion, no matter the initial benefits of artifice, time will expose the truth. In politics, artificial behavior is almost necessary in order to gain the trust and support of the public. Despite one’s constructed persona appealing to the masses, a genuine attitude is less likely to receive backlash. Accordingly, consumer culture also acquires much from deceiving people and promoting their perspective, product, business, etc. When the product, news, etc. is found to be artificial, its’ value decreases. Therefore, artifice is not the most crucial ability in politics and consumer

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