Superheroes and Neoliberal Surveillance Culture

Reflecting further on how the 9/11 attacks have influenced politics and the superhero genre, I have been studying the legitimisation of panopticism with modern protagonists. above is a clip from Christopher Nolan's 'Batman: The Dark Knight'. Here, Bruce Wayne (Batman) has used his wealth and access to military technology to develop a device that not only hacks telephones, but also uses the information to map out a virtual environment, giving him an all seeing edge. Dan Hassler-Forest wrote a chapter on theory of this authoritative gaze in his book 'Capitalist Superheroes: Caped Crusaders in the Neoliberal age.' He mentioned that although Morgan Freeman's character vocalises his concern on the ethics of Wayne's intrusive device, the outcome (where batman secures a building full of hostages) clearly suggests that the protagonists controversial actions were necessary. Bruce Wayne is also shown destroying the device after the job is complete. 'Hassler-Forest' also discussed the phenomenon of the 'Cyborg' with heroes such as 'Iron Man' and 'RoboCop' creating glamourous fantasies of future military technology. Iron Man's advanced weapons and armour allows him to quickly distinguish terrorists from civilians, defusing a hostage situation with zero casualties:

Again we are presented with idealistic situations where wealthy protagonists use their advanced visualisation  capabilities to prevent catastrophe. 'Jack Bauer' from the '24' television series is perhaps the strongest example of the media legitimising surveillance. Bauer uses his panoptic capabilities to monitor terrorism, the show also necessitating torture as a means of extracting information. Where these potentially controversial methods could be questioned and explored in the show, they are simply glorified. Bauer never accidentally spies on or interrogates an innocent civilian. Viewers are in fact encouraged to intrust this large responsibility in the hands of the protagonist.

Hassler-Forest went on to discuss Alan Moore's 'Watchmen' graphic novel. With the character 'Adrien Veidt', Moore explores the panoptic gaze of the entrusted superhero and places it under scrutiny. Veidt uses a wall of screens to monitor both television broadcasts and surveillance footage simultaneously. By analysing trends in advertising, Veidt in one sequence decides a war is imminent so tells a servant to invest appropriately. This depicts Veidt as a Neoliberal, partaking in disaster capitalism. Although he is entrusted with his great wealth and power, he ultimately destroys Manhattan and arguably betrays its citizens.

I plan to elaborate on this concept of panopticism within the superhero genre in my extended essay.

Panopticism Writing Task

Panopticism is the idea of self sustained constant surveillance. The belief that placing placing a person under a constant watchful eye will ultimately cleanse them of their desire to do wrong. 

We can look at this concept from two different perspectives, the first being from the stand-point that social control has a positive effect towards crime prevention. If we look at Jeremy Bentham's Panopticon model, which was intended to act as an institution, we see how the theory of Panopticism can be exercised on a confined group of individuals, often criminals and the mentally unstable. It has been argued quite positively that Betham's structure was 'perfected and differentiated' 'through various sketches' (Kashadt, 2002). In this same text the system was said to have a 'rational order and efficiency'.

Kashadt also shows interest towards how the architectural structure inspired the panoramic view, and communicated the idea of 'visual control over the surroundings'. With this, we get the sense that some have marvelled at the architectural achievement that the building represents. The clever usage of lighting, the ability to look into every cell from the control tower.

Others however, have argued the moral issues that the concept creates. The idea of constant surveillance, which drives the Panopticon, has been compared to the era of the plague, where 'inspection functions ceaselessly' (Focault, 1997). Focault mentions this constant idea of surveillance, creating a very blunt tone speaking very systematically and unsympathetically about 'the sick and the dead' during the plague era. This communicates a sense of relentless monitoring combined with the fear of being found out and punished. In this text, Focault also reminds us of the intention to use the system for school facilities: '...no copying,no noise, no chatter, no waste of time...' When we imagine children being exposed to the level of mental oppression the panopticon creates, the concept becomes much more compelling and emotive. The point has also been raised in the text that the Panopticon was used as a 'laboratory' for human experimentation. The panopticon could provide the means to test medicines and punishments to 'seek the most effective ones' (Focault,1997). This idea of using humans as test subjects could breach ethics considering human rights.

In my opinion, although it seems the Panopticon, if executed, would likely fulfil its purpose of monitoring its occupants, I feel the idea of constant surviellance under an ever watchful eye could be seen as a form of psychological torture. I feel that the aim is to terminate free will, and could ultimately be character destroying. As a more general concept, some elements behind the Panopticon are still applied in the industry today. The open plan office (which is sometimes present in the film and games industry) boasts the idea of a communal space where workers can interact with other workers as a team while sat at their desk. This sense of visibility however could also create the feeling of constant surveillance under one's superiors. It could be argued that although the panopticon is certainly the most extreme form of the the concept, surveillance is present everywhere in modern day society. We are constantly filmed, registered and logged as we exist.

Bibliography:

Focault, M. 'Panopticism (extract)' in Leach, N. (ed.) (1997) Rethinking Architecture: A reader in cultural theory, London and New York, Routledge, pages 356-367

Kashadt, K. 'Jeremy Bentham - The Penitentiary Panopticon or Inspection House' in Weibel, Levin and Frohne (eds.) (2002) Ctrl [space]: rehetorics of surveillance from Bentham to Big Brother, Cambridge Massachusetts, The MIT Press, pages 114-119

Panopticism

Panopticism is a theory of social control suggested by Michel Foucault. To fully understand the topic, it is important to study the history of the institution. Before the great confinement in the late 1600s, the mad unemployed were socially accepted. This was until houses of correction arrived which aimed to encourage labour and productiveness. These houses of correction however were criticised as all of the unemployed were forced to work together, which included criminals and the mentally ill. This lead to corruption with the mentally stable workers. This concern spawned the asylum in the 18th century. Instead of physical violence, doctors began using subtle mental techniques such as treating subjects as one would treat a child. This meant rewarding their good actions, and verbally rejecting their undesired ones. It is important to note this transition from physical to mental correctional methods. With these new institutions, areas of knowledge such as medicine, psychology and biology began to thrive due to the practice of doctors and psychiatrists. Also, subjects were now taking control of their own conformity.

To summarise, pre 18th century methodology was based around making examples of the unproductive, thus reminding everyone of the power of the state. Panopticism is the modern form of discipline within modern society, which bears greater focus on psychological elements and the idea of self correction. The theory was given name based on the multifunctional Panopticon building designed by Jeremy Bentham. The design was used mostly for prisons, but could also be applied to schools, hospitals and aslyums. The Panopticon is a circular design with cells stretching around its interior walls. Each cell is open at the front looking inside the building, with a small window facing outside to allow in some daylight. Each cell holds one individual, with solid walls either side to prevent interaction or communication with other subjects. Central within the building, and always within clear view of the subjects is the watch tower. This created a mental effect, as subjects feel they are constantly being watched. There is a constant presence ensuring subjects are being productive. Eventually, cell occupants decide it is easier to be constantly productive than risk punishment and ultimately, the need for staff within the tower becomes obsolete. In reflection, The panopticon is a form of psychological torture.

In a less literal sense, panopticism is the idea that we are always being watched. The phrase for this sense is the 'institutional gaze'. This constant surveillance can be enforced through security cameras, registers, swipe card systems (another form of register checking who has arrived at school or work ready to be porductive). We also have the open plan office, deceptively preaching a social sense of community, whereas potentially giving the office hierarchy reign to watch over their workers. We also other areas such as the cult of health. We are made to feel guilty if we neglect our fitness or don't get our five a day fruit intake. There is almost this idea that we are under surveillance regarding our health. Perhaps there is a reason that Gyms often are built with a large window almost inviting spectators. This could be to enforce a sense of guilt when members of the public see people exercising and keeping fit. Perhaps there is also a reverse effect where Gym goers feel they must work hard until they are visibly fit and healthy, seeking the approval of those passing the building. There is also the Facebook gaze in social media. This is the idea that we are aware of the ability to shape our identity through the networking sight. This leads to potentially creating a fictional image of one's self to impress others active on the site.

It is also important to contextualise these theories and understand where they can be relevant to films games and animation. Firstly, this concept of constant surveillance is the premise of George Orwell's novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four', where individual thinking is categorised under 'thoughtcrimes'. Captivating narrative is one of the key fundamentals regarding our area of study. It is also important to be aware of this constant surveillance, as it could affect our practice. We should be aware of our rights when filming on public property, whilst also being aware of the boundaries we may face. On a broader spectrum, the lecture on 'Panopticism' offered an insight into modern society and the surveillance methods used.