Walter Benjamin’s 1935 essay, “The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproducibility,” explores the impact of mass media on art and society. He argues that mass media, such as film and photography, diminishes the “aura” of art by creating a spectacle that replaces authentic experience with a simulated intimacy. Benjamin also connects this phenomenon to fascism, suggesting that the aestheticization of politics can lead to the glorification of violence and the loss of meaningful human connection.