The circus is online now and we built it

In the early 2nd century CE, the Roman Poet Juvenal famously said “give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt.”

The concept is simple: generate public approval by diversion, distraction, or by satisfying the most immediate requirements of a populace by offering a palliative. The palliative being food (bread) or circuses (entertainment.)

And we have bread and circuses. We have all the bread and circuses we need.

While the original Roman concept was based on these basic needs to prevent civil unrest, and while we’re no longer bloodied and drunk at the Colosseum, do not get it twisted, modern marketing contributes to the spectacle in many ways.

So, let’s go through them.

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The bread

We’re way past state-distributed food being enough to shut us up. Instead, the “bread” here is our role in encouraging a focus on material goods and possessions as the path to contentment.

It’s hard to fully focus on systemic inequalities when you can’t stop thinking about that new pair of shoes you want, or the upgraded iPhone you “need” because your version is so last year (it’s literally only a year old.)

You may think I sound hypocritical, but I’m merely critiquing our craft. It would be insane to deny that advertising generates a constant cycle of desire for new products, serving as a "palliative" that satisfies immediate, fickle wants while distracting from broader societal or political issues.

Yeah, the world's on fire ☹ but omg! Did you see Gucci’s new collection under Denma?

Some analyses suggest marketing also stokes our anxiety about our own personal “bread” like jobs, taxes and the stock market to keep us focused on our own economic survival, and not collective civil duty.

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The digital circus

This is the one that has us by balls. Modern entertainment is no longer a passive spectacle; marketing has turned it into an immersive, constant, never-f*cking-ending experience.

The platforms we’re all glued to use marketing-driven algorithms to keep us all "engaged" (read: engrossed) with short bursts of dopamine like viral clips and doomscroll algorithms, mirroring the addictive nature of Roman spectacles all that time ago.

Then we have high-budget sports, reality TV, and celebrity cage matches. All heavily marketed to maximise viewership and serve as big fat distractions we’d much rather talk about than anything genuinely important.

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Creating marketed culture

We have commodified culture itself, turning civic engagement into brand participation. Think about how large corporations associate themselves with major events (like the Olympics or World Cup) to gain "marketing power" and public approval, often prioritising these spectacles over fundamental municipal services.

In the digital age, users are marketed to and encouraged to market themselves. We’re essentially modern gladiators, performing for likes and public approval. Which just further prioritises, our individualism and attention seeking over community or civil care.

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So, what?

I am not here to change your mind about our industry, nor am I here to guilt trip you.

This is merely food for thought.

And by food, I mean we’re the ones baking and staging the fights. The question is: are we okay with being the distraction?

Anyway, enjoy the show, and the bread x

-Sophie Randell, Writer

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