What Would Hitler Think?

Please read the discription for this essay BEFORE you read the actual essay.


Introduction

Reality television has, in the last few years, gained an unprecedented fan base.  Many have tried to explain this phenomenon but the answer has yet to be pinned down.   In this paper, I will explore the popularity of reality television with regards to the Marxist socialist, Utopian socialist, Fascist and National socialist (Nazi) ideologies.  In order to do so, an understanding of what reality televison is must be made.  Wikipedia defines reality television as a  

“genre of television programming which presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and features ordinary people instead of professional actors [...] critics say that the term  "reality television” is somewhat of a misnomer. Such shows frequently portray a modified and highly influenced form of reality, with participants put in exotic locations or abnormal situations, sometimes coached to act in certain ways by off-screen handlers, and with events on screen manipulated through editing and other post-production techniques” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_…).

The first part of this paper will focus on the two socialist ideologies with the second part covering the Fascist and Nazi ideologies.


Part I

There are many different factions within the socialist ideology.  In this paper I will look at  Marxist and Utopian socialists.  Although these two are quite different, they both unite in their dislike of capitalism and individualism.  Socialists typically advocate for equal distribution of wealth throughout a society, equality of condition, and no private property, that is to say that the society should own the means of production, not private individuals.

Marxist Socialists </u>

Karl Marx is often credited with being the most influential of socialists (Ball, pg. 118).  Some years before his death in 1883, some of Marx’ followers formed a group called “Marxists” (Ball, pg. 126).  This later became one of the most recognized of socialist factions.  Though Marx himself claimed not to be a Marxist (Ball, pg. 127), his thoughts formed the basis for this well-known ideology.  Marx formed many of his ideas due to the period that he lived in.  Capitalism was on the rise, resulting in a society divided by two classes, the bourgeoisie and the proletariat.  This structure, Marx argued, would eventually lead to the lower class proletariat revolting against the master-like bourgeoisie as had been seen in the master-slave and feudal lord-serf societies.  Marx’ prediction of capitalism’s downfall was not correct but during his time, he had yet to fully experience capitalism and the coming of a global market.  


Marxist socialists would likely enjoy reality television because of the comradery it promotes apart from the actual show.  Almost all reality shows are competitive and focus on the individual (which Marxist socialists do not support), however, the show draws viewers who bond over who is going to get the boot etc.   The show itself, Marxist socialists would not agree with, since it stands for everything their ideology is not, but they would be able to see the social benefits of the huge fan base these shows create.  Some shows have grown to the point where people are excluded from certain social interaction because they do not watch a specific show.  It is as if there have been two groups formed, those who watch and those who do not.  As it is, the second group is getting smaller and smaller each day as the pressure from peers to watch certain programs increases.  While this certainly creates divisions between citizens, at the same time, it creates another link between individuals.  A Marxist would argue that the more links there are being created to bring people together, the less these people will act as and see themselves as individuals.


Utopian Socialists </u>

Utopian thinkers are often disregarded as dreamers as their ‘plan’ for society involves citizens ‘giving up’ their possessions (outside of necessities) and only wanting what they need.
Sir Thomas More’s book Utopia best depicts what this perfect society would look like.  More envisioned a society devoid of “parasitic lords and ladies” with “intrusive government, severe punishments and communal ownership” (Ball, pg. 114).  While utopians wish that such a society were possible, they are not delusional in that they realize a society such as this would be hard to come by, hence the use of the word ‘utopia’ meaning ‘nowhere’ in Greek (Ball, pg.114).  Utopians understand that humans are, by nature, competitive and seek to be ‘the best they can be’.  They also understand that during this search for fulfillment, most  humans will employ any means necessary to reach this goal.  Humans do not want to have only that which they need, they want to have all that they can get.  This is why utopians understand the popularity of reality television.
Utopians see the competitive, every-man-for-himself attitude sported by the majority of people and can, therefore, understand why reality television is so popular now.  Viewers at home get a kick out of watching someone fail because it makes them feel better about themselves.  I’ve lost count of how many times somebody has professed that they could have done a better job than a person on a reality television show.  Since most of these shows pick ‘average Joes’ as their contestants, viewers can imagine that they are the ones up on stage or on the island which gives the viewer a false sense of grandeur subsequently increasing their experience while watching the show.


Part II

Though some political scientists lump fascism and Nazism together, there are a few important differences separating them.  Fascism and Nazism share their dislike of individualism, universalism and socialism’s emphasis on class divisions.  Both ideologies also believe in a single, powerful leader.  Democracy is thoroughly disliked by both fascists and Nazis alike due to its emphasis that all people are equal.  Like George Orwell said in Animal Farm, “all animals are created equal but some are more equal than others”(www.george-orwell.org, ch. 10).  The aforementioned similarities are quite extensive, however, these two ideologies are, indeed, different.

Fascists </u>

Fascism is a “reactionary” ideology (Ball, pg. 169).  Fascists were unhappy with the liberal and socialist ideologies so they decided to create their own.  Fascists, as previously mentioned, believe that there should be one ruler.  This figure was Benito Mussolini and he brought about an authoritarian regime that focused on corporatism.  Corporatism enables the different structures within the society to function without any ‘help’ from the ‘little people’.  Under corporatism, only the structure leaders need to converse, with each other and the supreme leader.  Fascists also emphasize nationalism and patriotism.  Such divisions as race are unimportant in the Fascist ideology as the focus is on everyone banning together under the supreme leader.  Mussolini had many slogans, one being, “credere, obbedire, combattere – believe, obey, fight” (Ball, pg. 169)
Fascists would love reality television because it promotes that one person takes everything.  This all or nothing setup is perfect for fascists as it demonstrates the idea of a structured hierarchy.  Fascists believe that the leaders are the ones who get things done and that the leaders are the only ones that are important.  With reality television, there is only one winner and they get the whole prize.


Nazis </u>

Like Fascists, Nazis believe in a single ruler, where they differ, however, is their definition of the duties to be preformed by the ruler.  While Fascists have an authoritarian ruler, Nazism sports a totalitarianism regime.  One ideology, one leader, one people.  Adolph Hitler, the founder of Nazism, believed that a ruler had the right and obligation to monitor every and all aspects of life within their territory.  This all-encompassing drive for domination was one of the largest factors leading to Hitler’s downfall.  The other largest factor was that Hitler praised and embraced the irrational.  Hitler probably would have been quite successful in World War II had he not decided to try the impossible and conduct a two-front war.  His ideology, however, fed on achieving the insane and impossible.  He believed that if you were going to do something, that you should do something big because the bigger the risk, the better the return.  Hitler thought that he was a vessel for the word of the people and would use movie propaganda and rallies to lure people to his cause.  Unlike Fascists, race was hugely important to Hitler as is evident by the Holocaust.  


Hitler would very much appreciate reality television, especially shows like Big Brother.  There is one winner, one being above the rest, one person coming away with the victory even though they have seemingly unsurmountable odds against them.  I think that were Hitler to watch reality television, he would be impressed the most by the underdog since it is the underdog that has the most obstacles to overcome and it is the underdog who, if they win, has accomplished the most.

Conclusion

Marxist socialists, Non-Marxist socialists, Fascists, and Nazis all have vastly different principles that distinguish them from each other but they all dislike the idea of individualism.  Individualism, however, is the founding principle of reality television.  How is it that this many ideologies can dislike individualism yet reality television is so popular?  For all of these ideologies, the answer is, because some other part of reality television appeals to their ideology.  This part, whether it be bringing the public together or emphasizing a winner-takes-all system, is strong enough that reality television can survive and even thrive even though the contest aspect of reality television is based on individualism.








Works Cited
               Ball, T., Dagger, R., Christian, W., Campbell, C. (2006) Political Ideologies and the Democratic Ideal.     Toronto, ON: Pearson Longman.
Reality television 2006, Wikipedia, viewed March 22nd, 2007, <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_…>.
Orwell, G. 2003 Animal Farm, viewed March 22nd, 2007, <www.george-orwell.org>.