Populismo e corpo mediale

The paper deals with a particular typology of populism, which develops in the “society of spectacle”, described by Guy Debord nearly 50 years ago in his still relevant book. Populism means the claim of a broader political space by people and is linked with a deep distrust in the political elite perceived as the origin of any social hardship. The “Society of spectacle”, where the social life is subsumed by technology and images, leads to a personalization of politics and the political leaders are replaced by their simulacra. When populism involves a strong political leader, who is a simulacrum, new issues emerge. The paper analyzes and illuminates these phenomena, showing the growing dangers they represent for democracy.