Reaction Essay 1

I found this to be a difficult article to follow and a bit dramatic. ‘Simulacra and Simulations’ was originally written in French then translated into English (possible adding to its complexity). Using philosophical ideas about power, images, and society Baudrillard makes a few valid points. The author’s ideas are like those of Socrates (the ideas of power that is) and how nothing in society is any longer a reality; that society has gotten good at creating the hyperreal.

The hyperreal is not reality – it is what society has created through mass producing images (You no longer have to go to Egypt to see the pyramids, but look at pictures and watch shows on them). Baudrillard gives the most credit to Disney for creating the hyperreal; a magical land, where all dreams come true. Where in real life there is no such place.

The hyperreal is set up in a simulacrum is not based off the truth rather the other way around. Truth is based on the simulacrum because that is all society knows to be true. The way we do things is the way we were shown or told rather than finding out for ourselves (why re-invent the wheel?). The author gave an example of holding up a bank; the idea of doing so might be unique to a person, but the way they do it (style) might be influenced by what they have seen before.

Most of the article is talking about the simulacrum of power; who has it, where does it originate from and why society allows it. The author makes the point that genuine power no longer exits. Power has become an ideology; Monarchy vs. Democracy vs. Socialism (etc.). Power belongs to one, or to the majority, or to the workers. The scenario of power is why these systems were created, and why they are still around. The article also points out that capitalism is a simulation that feeds off producing the supply and demand for the forms of power (society needs a structure to follow, so one is set up for them; there is no such thing as a Utopia).

Baudrillard goes on to point of that power is like the soul, it can only be separated from the body in death. This point is proven with the example of Nixon and Kennedy. Nixon stepped down from power thus letting it go; whereas Kennedy died with power thus keeping it. Basically humans hold on to what they are losing; especially power. Death of a person’s power is usually the death of that person.

The whole point of this article was to prove Media is a simulacrum. Society thinks it reflects reality, when in fact, it is not reality. The media has such an influence that many human desires come from the simulacrum it sets up; no one desires reality anymore. An example is ‘Reality TV’. Everyone knows shows in this category are scripted, but some still perceive them as what is real; how life really is. Society has been disconnected this way from reality; from nature.

I do not really agree with this some of the ideas in this article; not everyone is disconnected from reality. Certain events (even in everyday lives) bring us back to reality. Death shows us that we are not invincible, birth shows us there is a beginning, war shows that we are not all in agreement, peace shows us we can work together, love shows us we have a weakness, and hate shows us we are not perfect. None of these are simulated or a simulacrum; maybe the way we are exposed to them is, but it is still a reality.