the.com/spectacle
proof that humans will gather by the thousand to watch almost anything happen loudly.
means A striking or remarkable sight or public display, especially one staged to be watched by many.
from From Latin spectaculum, "a show, a sight," built on spectare, "to watch," the frequentative of specere, "to look at" — the same root that gives us inspect, spectator, and spectacles (the eyeglasses, literally "things for looking through"). It reached English through Old French in the medieval period, already carrying the sense of a grand public viewing.
- latin root
- from spectare, meaning to watch or behold
- roman scale
- Colosseum held up to 80,000 spectators
- plural twist
- spectacles also means eyeglasses, your watching tools
- society of
- Debord's 1967 book attacked image-driven modern life
circque du soleil — canadian circus company performing acrobatic shows in 19 cities simultaneously as of 2024
burning man — annual art festival in nevada desert drawing 70,000+ people with massive interactive sculptures and performances
las vegas strip — 4.2-mile stretch of boulevard featuring bellagio fountains, luxor pyramid, and nightly pyrotechnic shows
rio carnival — annual brazilian festival in rio de janeiro with samba schools parading 200,000+ costumed performers