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Quote :Simulacra and Simulation
Disneyland exists in order to hide that it is the “real” country, all of “real” America that is Disneyland (a bit like prisons are there to hide that it is the social in its entirety, in its banal omnipresence, that is carceral). Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real, whereas all of Los Angeles and the America that surrounds it are no longer real, but belong to the hyperreal order and to the order of simulation. It is no longer a question of a false representation of reality (ideology) but of concealing the fact that the real is no longer real, and thus of saving the reality principle.
Wait, what? We live in Disneyland? Why does it sound so evil? And what’s this “hyperreality” thing—is that what you feel when you’re on a Splash Mountain?
When we get into things like the real no longer being the real, there’s no getting away from it: we’re in the realm of philosophy (which is its own form of amusement park, when you think about it).
Actually, though, when you look through the cotton candy and big words, the concept that Baudrillard outlines isn’t as complex as it might seem, and the example of Disneyland is a useful case in point. What Baudrillard is saying here is that Disneyland appears like a fantasy world in that, while we may enjoy visiting it (who doesn’t love shaking hands with Goofy?), we know it’s not a reflection of reality. When it comes to real life, however, it’s a different story, and we tend to see everyday life and the world around us as natural.
Amidst this fog of “naturalness,” Baudrillard makes it his business to say, “you know what? This isn’t really real.” For him, the whole purpose of Disneyland is to prevent us from realizing that it’s the surrounding world (i.e. modern day America) that’s no longer real.
Baudrillard’s reference to prison gives us another example of this concept, in that having actual prisons in society blinds us to the wider prison that is life. Pretty bleak stuff, huh? Oh, and if at this point you’re thinking, “this is kind of like The Matrix” then you’re right—in fact, Baudrillard’s book made a cameo appearance in the movie. If you don’t remember, it’s just because books aren’t as freaky as spoons to bend backward.
So. Baudrillard suggests that, within this era of capitalist consumerism (you know, with mass communication, MTV, iPods, everyone wanting more money and more things), we’ve reached a stage of “hyperreality” in which there’s no longer any authenticity—only simulation. As Baudrillard points out, this isn’t just a case of being presented with a false image of reality: no, no, that’s far too simplistic a concept for Mr. Baudrillard.
Instead, what he’s describing is something more complex and sophisticated: a world in which we’re blinded to the fact that the real is no longer real. This may sound like some kind of sci-fi horror but, for Baudrillard, it’s the world that we’re living in today.
The key concept here is simulation. Far from reality being replaced by simulated image, we’ve got to a point where simulation has gone into overdrive, We’re no longer talking about a copy of an original, but a copy of a copy. The result of this is that reality has become lost among this sea of copies, or (as Baudrillard would put it) “simulacra”—copies without originals. As far as semiotics goes, then, it’s safe to say that any original referent is long gone. Uplifting, huh? If you’re freaked, go for a walk in nature—that’ll sort you out (or will it?).