The concept of militainment: war as media spectacle

Abstract

The start of the 21st century marked the beginning of interactive warfare and the birth of “militainment”, that refers to the presentation of war as an entertainment and the influx of military discourse into the entertainment sector. As the distinctions between real and media war become even more hazy, entertainment and spectacle play a bigger part in how conflicts are portrayed. It is claimed that the war now invites audiences to enter the spectacle as interactive participants through a variety of channels, from news coverage to online video games to reality television. The article examines Stahl’s theory on „militainment” and the logic of spectacle applied to media simulation of armed conflicts. War simulation in video games is discussed in context of the glamorization of war, which raises numerous concerns as emotionally engaging games have the potential to have a significant negative impact on young people’s attitudes towards conflicts.