Trapnest, 2/22

“Does reality actually outstrip fiction?” – Baudrillard

I find it interesting that we have evolved into a media climate in which we have to question if reality is more interesting than fiction. Historically, I think that it is fair to say the distinction between reality and fiction has been both clear on which is more desired, or which can “outstrip” the other. The reasoning I feel for this is simply technology. If you look into the past information traveled much slower and media forms were much simpler and limited. Limited in medium and also in who had the capacity to create. True, there were a lot of “tall tales” in circulation I am sure, but overall I believe that reality could easily outstrip fiction.

Now everything has reached a sensationalized peak, in which we are put into a position of “hyperstimulated sensitivity” as Habermas would say. The simulacric world of media, I feel, donates most to this hyperstimulation. The rationale for this, is I feel that to achieve a changed reality you need to over stimulate the consumer to believe in a false reality. To use the same example we used in class of Johnny Rockets to acheve the simulacric and create a sense of nostalgia for something that never existed the restaurant needs to create a whole world. Everything the consumer interacts needs to re-enforce this feeling and emotion within them. Otherwise the illusion would fail and the consumer would not have a simulacric experience. Baudrillard gives another example of this when bringing up Disney:

“Disneyland exists in order to hide the fact that it is the “real” country… Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real…”

Disney is an even more literal translation in that they create a whole world for their consumers to engage with through their products and theme parks. To keep up this façade they go through great lengths, for example, have you ever seen the “behind the scenes” of Disney? They keep things tight lipped, with no cameras are allowed behind the façade.