The very first thing that I wanted to focus my
research on was how the theater/ entertainment practices of the ancient Romans
connects to us today. This is because there will be no reason for our audience
to listen to what we have to say if we do not find a way to relate it back to
their lives or how they might be affected by our research. I was fortunate
enough to find an academic journal via Milner Library’s online database. The
article is entitled, “When in Las Vegas, Do As the Ancient Romans Did: Bread
and Circuses Then and Now” and it was written by Gregory A. Borchard and
Anthony J. Ferri in the Journal of
Popular Culture. As the title would suggest, the article shows some very
strong and slightly disturbing links between the sometimes brutal, and often
deceitful, tactics of ancient Rome and the popular American tourist destination
that is Las Vegas, Nevada.
According to Borchard and Ferri, spectacle was used
as an illusion to exaggerate the strength of the Roman Empire. “The
entertainment facilities of Rome functioned (and in Las Vegas continue to
function) as forms of public welfare. While this welfare in Rome provided
illusions of stability in the sense that leaders could placate the public with
theatrics and spectacle in an empire threatened by enemies, Las Vegas creates a
sense of wealth and power for tourists from all lifestyles” (Brochard and
Ferri). Basically, these spectacular events produced by the Empire were used to
lull people into a sense of false security by making them believe that nothing
could tear apart a nation of such grandeur. In the same vein, Las Vegas, with
its shining lights and promise of wealth and fortune gives a message not only
to any foreign visitors, but also to Americans facing a troubling financial
situation or feeling frustration with the bipartisanism that is plaguing our
country, that America is still a beacon of hope and promise. Perhaps I am reaching
a bit far by mentioning bipartisanism, but I do know that it is a legitimate
concern facing American politics and, as the article goes on to state, Rome had
very political reasons behind endorsing such spectacle.
The article explains that wealthy individuals of
Roman society vying for political power and influence would subsidize Roman
entertainment. Similarly, “Las Vegas casino developers have invested their
capital in promoting entertainment spectacles to augment their interests in
gaming and increase their economic power” (Brochard and Ferri). What is truly
scary is just how similar these spectacular entertainments, separated by
thousands of years, have turned out to be. Often times epic sea battles were
reenacted in the Colosseum with such realism that people would actually die in
the re-enactments. One of the most famous attractions at Las Vegas is Treasure
Island’s pirate ship battle on Buccaneer Bay, which is a “contemporary
rendition of a full-scale sea battle.” The article also goes on to comment on
how casino-hotels such as New York New York and Paris were made to closely
resemble the sights they were named after so that the visitor can feel like
they are traveling the world.
One last nugget of information that I found
interesting from this article: “The word "spectacular" from the Latin
noun spectāaculum, a word used to denote spaces rented to spectators at
theatrical shows and gladiatorial events, has served as the root of many modern
interpretations of entertainment”. I thought it was interesting that the Romans
basically invented spectacle.
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