Fascist Aesthetics

In recent months, the term "fascism" has appeared frequently in the media. Many pundits have argued that the political tactics and rhetoric of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump echo those of fascist leaders like Benito Mussolini and Hitler. On the other hand, a smaller number of pundits have made the same claim about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Furthermore, the 2016 Olympics in Rio marked the 80th anniversary of the 1936 Berlin Olympics, which expressed the fascism of Adolf Hitler's Nazi regime.

In this episode, we discuss the rise of modern fascism; outline the major characteristics of fascist aesthetics; and look at a few examples of fascist aesthetics in practice, from the 1930s to the present day.

LINKS
"Fascism," in the Encyclopedia Britannica
Katja Sebald, "Hitler's Secret Grandstand: The Nazi Plan to Build the World's Largest Stadium," Der Spiegel
Third Reich in Ruins: Nuremberg
"1936 Olympics," United States Holocaust Memorial and Museum
Alexander Billet, "Donald Trump and the Aesthetics of Fascism," In These Times
Carey Dunne, "Can Anti-Trump Artists Make Protest Art Great Again?," Hyperallegic