A society built by the hyper real
The Oxford English Dictionary defines reality as a 'the state of things as they actually exist, as opposed to an idealistic or notional idea of them' (http://oxforddictionaries.com/view) but on it's simplest level of reality, how do you really know what is real? Many writers have challenged the idea of the 'real', asking the questions that provoke the notion, that everything is a copy from something previous to it, and nothing is an original. This is relating to many subjects, politics, architecture, design on many levels. In this essay I am going to look in to the theorists views of hyper reality and try and understand the actual meaning of the 'real' and hype r reality, along with looking into the modern day effects of the hyper real world that has been created.
According to the writer, Jean Baudrillard 'nothing is real' a physical presence does not make them real, for they are simulacrum of something else. Baudrillard argues that reality is actually a continuous stream of simulacrum of which a society has built from their own ideological views and needs. Baudrillard uses Disney land as a prime example of the hyper real; 'It tries to make us believe that what we are seeing reproduces reality absolutely, whereas Disneyland makes it clear that within its magic enclosure it is a fantasy that is absolutely reproduced' (Eco. 1995, pg43) We associate Disneyland as a fantasy, a place of fun and games, yet it is based on 'reality', a castle in Prague, and each section of Disneyland is designed from another piece of 'reality' to create a new hyper real world, of which society enjoy and relate closely to as it is a hyper real world based on the 'real'. Eco also describes Disneyland, as a 'commercial reality' suggesting it is aimed at the consumer society and adapted to what they want from an imaginary world, yet is not real. So are people being led into hyper reality, or forced? This tends to suggest that Eco feels like the society are docile bodies and follow into the hyper real worlds being created. For example many people who may have seen a castle may describe it as a 'fairytale' castle or 'magical' shows the relation between the real and hyper real that we engage with.
Guy Debord takes this further to say: 'news or propaganda, advertising or the actual consumption
of entertainment – the spectacle epitomizes the prevailing model of social life' (Debord. 2004, pg12) to express his opinion that the media are to blame for our consumer societies relationship with the real and hyper real, creating a 'untrue' view on what society want. Also through advertising, the media create a whole new world based on the 'real' world, using the hyper real world within advertising can provoke a feeling of wanting that unobtainable world, to feel something or be something that in reality you cannot be. Similarly Umberto Eco says; 'The world of neo-TV as so turned in upon itself that there was little space left for the real world' (Ward. 1997, pg63) Jean Baudrillard takes it further to say; 'it bears no relation to any reality whatever; it is its own pure simulacrum' (Ward. 1997, pg63) essentially saying that television and the media are now operating without looking at reality whatsoever.
Films are also another base of hyper reality with the stereotypical love scene, with the ideal romantic love story creating 'romantic myths' (Ward. 1997, pg59) of an ideological view of what the consumer society of today want from 'love'. On the other hand, the programmes or films of which we like to watch copy the 'real' to lure you in as it where, so that the public can relate to the film; 'all 'geniuses' are ultimately vulnerable to rating wars and other forms of commercial pressure' basically the public like what they know, and often the best way to make a film/TV program is to make it 'real'.
'We live in a society which is structured according to all sorts of beliefs, ideals and blueprints' (Ward. 1997, pg 64) If this quote should be true, is it not then the societies fault for creating a purely hyper real world? Or is this down to what people personally want to live like, what they want from life in an ideological world. Is the way in which you create a hyper real world down to the way in which you want to be? The style of person you want to be and your lifestyle? 'When you go food shopping you choose between designer foods, health foods, natural foods, traditional foods, homemade foods. some foods are 'as good as your granny used to make'.. Is food now ever just food, or is it always attached to a style, a lifestyle, a body image or a social type? Perhaps you base
your food buying decisions on the kind of person you see yourself as.' (Ward. 1997, pg72) Are the docile bodies within today’s society being forced into this hyper real world, following the advertisements and designing their own lifestyles by the way in which you want to see yourself, which again may be influenced by such things as magazines and televisions.
Although many writers tend to suggest that the real has been overtaken by the hyper real and left behind, is the hyper real not now influencing and changing the real. Or is it that the consumer society we live in today creating an ideological world of which only the 'fantasy world' can live up to. A good example of this is the German Market of which comes to Leeds every year and is enjoyed by hundreds of people over Christmas, celebrating was we perceive to be a traditional German ‘knees up’. But this is not true. The German market has been adapted to the public’s expectations of Germany of which are clearly untrue/stereotypical. But where do we get these expectations? By not having visited Germany how can you make a judgement on what the market should be like, and if it is not like our expectations we are disappointed. 'An apparent obsession with images has ruined our world' (Ward. 1997, pg 64). Through being influenced by images, films and advertisements we build a preconceived view on things. We have built expectations on false images.
It is also the same when first meeting new people. You can gain preconceived ideas of the personality of that person before meeting them. This can be down to the fact of false and stereotypical advertisements of the kind of person you would be if you wear a tracksuit, or if you wear all black. Some people would blame the media, however the docile bodies of those whom are influenced, are creating strength behind the media’s portrayal. 'It is a social relationship between people that is mediated by images' (Debord. 2004, pg12) the exterior of a person can determine which kind of people you can get along with, but this is not real. How can a type of clothing that has been duplicated and been worn by various different characters determine your lifestyle, and the social group you should be in? However it does. In the modern day consumer society the public is giving strength in my opinion to the hyper real world, creating a false environment to live in.
Baudrillard goes onto say that; 'representation is now on automatic pilot' (Ward. 1997, pg 67). As if
the creation of the hyper real is being created continuously without being controlled specifically. As consumer societies who are docile bodies for the media to plant seeds of hyper reality, we now without realising are thinking and persuaded into the hyper real world. For example if you saw a women in expensive designer clothes you would automatically think she was rich, or could afford pricey products then you would create a whole new hyper real imaginary illusion of what you thought her lifestyle was like. Possibly a flash car? Quite a big detached house could even be a housewife with a wealthy husband. All judgemental thoughts made be watching such things as films where these people are stereotyped and a persona is created for her, by her just purely wearing designer clothes.
Design is also a factor in the creation of the hyper real. Design influences the public into feeling, acting and persuading them into their purpose. Many of the idealistic designs within advertising heighten the wants and dreams of the public. For example the idea of you having plastic surgery, making you 'look and feel amazing' advertised as the perfect solution if you are not happy with your appearance, yet it is creating a fake sense of perfection. A lot of this also stems back to the media, advertising the sense of looking perfect, and the peer pressure of looking good creating also a false sense of beauty, 'we are inundated with style magazines that ask nothing more of us than to be seduced by eye candy; the glossiness of the image is its own justification, regardless of any deeper meanings'; this quote stated by Baudrillard shows the superficial side to the idealistic wants of the consumer public, in a sense that image is the source creating the superficial wants and pressures of being 'fake'.
On the opposing side of the argument about what is real and fake, both are well and truly within our lives. For instance if you are watching television and an advert for chocolate came on, you would find yourself wanting that chocolate, even though before this you had no desire for the chocolate. Then begin thinking about how the chocolate would taste, copying the feeling from a previous experience of eating it. Similar to if you are watching a film and there is a sad part within the film you find yourself sympathising with the actors, as they have created a whole new hyper realistic environment based on 'reality'. As by relating it to reality it connects the feelings of the
public and the experiences they have been through, making it feel 'real'.
Also within the elements of hyper reality there is also that desire for people to break tradition and act 'out of the box' and do something different to break the cycle of the continuous stream of copies, to be more 'real' or believable. Baudrillard calls this the 'more-real-than-real' (Ward. 1997, pg 74) and relates to things such as; interactive TV, phone-ins, 'reality TV', and autobiographies even tattoos. All of these things were created to make the hyper real look more 'real'. So does this not mean that the 'real' is now affecting the hyper real in the sense that the hyper real is becoming unbelievable? 'When the real is no longer what it used to be, nostalgia assumes its full meaning' (Ward. 1997, pg 75) Although Baudrillard is referring to the fact of what is to be done when the 'real' is completely lost what is to happen? What is to say that what we call the real was always based on hyper reality and ideology of the previous consumer society?
To conclude I found this subject really interesting, and I could have found many more example of the way in which Baudrillard believes that stating that something is 'real' is debatable. Also that the media have a large part to with the heightened demand to create this hyper real world of which Baudrillard now describes as; 'now impossible to isolate the process of the real, or to prove the real" (Ward. 1997, pg 75) How do we actually know what can be classed as real, and what ever was an original?
Bibliography
Books:
Debord, G (2004) The Society of the Spectacle. New York: Zone Books Eco, U (1995) Travels in Hyperreality L’Yvonnet, F (2004) Jean Baudrillard Fragments. New York: Routledge Perry, M (2002) Marxism and History Ward, G (1997) Postmodernism
Websites:
Sheila Faria Glaser. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. 1994
http://webpages.ursinus.edu/rrichter/baudrillardone.html
http://hyperreality.alechosterman.com/hyperreality.htm l
Doulgas Kellner (2007) Jean Baudrillard
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/baudrillard/
http://www.transparencynow.com/eco.htm
http://oxforddictionaries.com/view/entry/m_en_gb0690180#m_en_gb0690180