ESPN12, 10/1

Baudrillard’s idea of Successive phases of the image that we discussed in class on Thursday along with the photos really interested me. It reminded me of notion of Historical silences that I just learned of in CMC 200. Specifally the last three phases, Masks and denatures reality (evil), Masks the absence of reality (sorcery) and, No relation to reality—simulacric. If I understood correctly, these three phases essentially do not reflect reality. It understood what is happening in the photo in a general sense but it really does not capture what is going on or what happened. In relating in to CMC 200 silences of history it is similar in the way that, the game medal of honor depicts WWII in the way that we know what is going on and one can fight in it during the game, however it does not explain how the war started, racial tension and women’s rights, and so on. It does not accurately depict reality and the realness of war even though kids playing the games are commenting on how real it is. Additionally, the phases are similar to Disney in the way that they leave out huge historical moments in there park just like the phases show the media leaves out important images in the pictures that would better help us have a feel for reality. I also related the phases to Benjamin. Benjamin said “the presence of the original is the prerequisite to the concept of authenticity.” I think Baudrillard in his first phase shows that it is the closest we can get to reality without being there and as discussed prior, the final three phases cannot really depict reality. So as we continue are such for what is real, I think Baudrillard would agree with Benjamin in that even though his first phase can portray reality, the presence of the original, or in this case, being at the spot when the photo was taken, is the only way we can experience reality.