Challenging Sovereignty with the Democracy of Consumption

Audio: Sovereignty and the Democracy of Consumption (8:05)

Charlie Chaplin and Charles Lindbergh epitomize the loss of authority by old imperial elites.  Before this time, internationally recognized names belonged mostly to royalty, the King and Queen of England, or to major religious leaders like the Pope.  Lindbergh and Chaplin were not internationally recognized because of any political power they had.  Chaplin, in particular, was known because people watched or consumed the movies he produced.  Going from royalty to entertainers as international celebrities perfectly symbolized how the Market Empire disrupted old orders, traditions, power and authority.