1. Audience Theory Paper
Understanding how an audience receives information can be vital in the creation of a production.
One of the ways of testing how the audience receives information is through the audience theory.
With the audience theory, audiences can be separated into passive or active, a passive model
suggests the production has an effect on the audience while an active model suggests that the
audience interacts with the production to develop their own interpretation. The is one main
difference between the passive and active models. In the active model, audiences form opinions and
are therefore in control, while audiences in a passive audience only accept opinions and have little
control. Looking further into the audience theory there is the reception theory. ... Show more content
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When there is too much blood used or the blood exits the body in an unrealistic way, the
believability of the scene is compromised and it creates a sense of "fakeness". This idea can also be
used in reverse to create "fakeness". This use of "fakeness" can be seen in the 2010 Rupert Goold
production of Macbeth. The images below show the aftermath of Macbeth's death.
These pictures show a decapitated Macbeth, with a clean cut severed head. The image, however,
does not accurately represent the decapitation of a head. In this scene, Macduff is wielding a small
dagger. According to Matthew Lawrence, a small sword would be very an ineffective way to
decapitate someone. This dagger (seen below left), although appearing quite sharp, is very small and
is not designed to cut through muscle or bone. The image on the right is a samurai sword which has
been known to cut through muscle and bone in one
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2. Disneyland
Jean Baudrillard was a French sociologist and a theorist of postmodernity. His key ideas in
discussing postmodernism are "simulation" and "the hyperreal." According to Jean Baudrillard,
simulacrum is something that replaces reality with its representation. Reality itself has begun merely
to imitate the model, which now precedes and determines the real world. The hyperreal is "more real
than real" it is something fake and artificial that comes to be more definitive of the real than reality
itself. In his essay "The Precession of Simulacra" he defines simulation as "Simulation is no longer
that of a territory, a referential being, or a substance. It is the generation by models of a real without
origin or reality: a hyperreal...It is no longer a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They are eager to escape the issues and stresses of their everyday lives, even if it is just for a
moment and even if it is a false escape. Fest300 captures the essence of Electric Forest when they
say, "Electric Forest pays homage to Alice in Wonderland and other hallucinatory tales, and owes its
otherworldly vibe to its mystical location and intergalactic lineup." Disneyland the forest are for the
adventurous and to make discoveries, even if these discoveries are false. This is why music festivals
and amusement parks are so popular in our culture, they enable us to pretend and we accept that
invitation wholeheartedly. It is as Baudrillard claims, that the hypperreal now dominates our lives,
we have lost our connection to any real
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3. The Modernity Of Jean Baudrillard : Transformationism And...
The modernity for Jean Baudrillard, who can be attributed more to the critics of the postmodern
situation than to its apologists, is the era of total simulation, and he everywhere discovers the
simulation character of all modern social and cultural phenomena. As a result, according to
Baudrillard, people do not deal with reality, but with hyper reality, perceived much more realistically
than reality itself. The current state of things is called Baudrillard's "state after orgies" /
Transparency of Evil, 1990 /. Every explosive moment in the world is an orgy. "This is the moment
of liberation in any sphere. The liberation of the political and sexual, the liberation of the productive
and destructive forces, the liberation of women and ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Simulation is no longer a forgery of the original and it is not pure seriality, which is governed by the
law of equivalences, now all forms are derived by modulating the differences. Hyperspace
simulation is characterized by a cyclic repetition of events, which, in turn, are formed from the
orbital circulation patterns. In such a cycle, according to Baudrillard, determinism or determination
is impossible, because of its spread in all directions, it gives rise to pluralism. However, the most
significant characteristic of a hyper real space is its controllability by a genetic or binary code.
According to Baudrillard, at the stage of simulation, a long process is being completed, "when God,
man, progress, history itself died, one after another, giving way to the code, when transcendence
died, giving way to immanence, corresponding to a much higher stage of staggering manipulation of
social relations". We can say that moral values, starting from this period, are not only regulated by
code, but also generated by them, henceforth even moral values are not moral values, but moral
simulacra. Speaking about the difference between simulation and representation, Baudrillard
deduces that the latter proceeds, first of all, from the principle of equivalence of the sign and reality
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4. Gender And Simulations
When people becomes who they are, there are many different factors that come into play. Freud's
work starts to notice the identities both genders take when he says, '"boys, he suggests, become
"children" while girls remain "little women"' (Chodorow 1794:54). Chodorow wrote Family
Structure and Feminine Personality and Baudrillard wrote Simulacra and Simulations, which both
talks about how individuals from their identity. The first theorist who looks at society's influences on
individuals is Chodorow. Her theory falls under psychoanalytic theory, which most normal
sociologist do not follow. She looks at how individuals become who they are through gender. Her
work, shows how the two genders grow up and become their own selves. Gender is a major ... Show
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Unlike men, women stay close to their mothers during development. In Chodorow's theory, she
explains, "Feminine identification is based not on fantasied or externally defined characteristics and
negative identification, but on the gradual learning of a way of being familiar in every life, and
exemplified by the person with whom she has been most involved with" (Chodorow 1974: 51). The
basis of her theory shows that a girl cannot completely reject her mother since they identify to the
same gender. While her relationship grows with her father, her relationships with her mother
strengthens. There is no need to break away from anything for them since girls are expected to be
feminine. Since daughters spend time with their mothers so much, they act like their mothers later in
life. Creating this different identity can be problematic to a daughter's personality since society does
not allow the formation of a unique
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5. What Is The Thesis Statement Of The Novel Fight Club
The goal of the present Mater thesis was to explore postmodern social criticism expressed in Chuck
Palahniuk's novel "Fight Club" through employment of simulacrum, simulation, and hyperreality in
the narrative. Therefore, two research questions that were set at the beginning of the research, were:
How are postmodern concepts of simulacrum, simulation, and hyperreality reflected in Chuck
Palahniuk's novel "Fight Club"?
How is Palahniuk employing these notions in his postmodern novel to criticise modern society and
to reflect a discontent with it?
In the course of the research, the goal of the present thesis was achieved through careful
interpretative textual analysis of Chuck Palahniuk's novel "Fight Club", and all of the research
questions ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
support groups members) or forced to make the wrong choice of living (e.g. blind devotion to
unsatisfying job). Therefore, Tyler Durden appears in the novel as a modern warrior, a teacher, and a
guide to those who are ready to change something not only about themselves, but also about society
as a whole. During the interpretative textual analysis it was concluded that in the novel different
forms of simulation – from simulation of disease to pseudo–terrorists attacks – are used as the most
effective means by which characters are fighting against established social norms and value, against
everything that makes them feel miserable and unworthy, and for what they consider to be
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6. Summary Of The Matrix By John Berger
Questioning Reality John Berger, in his non–fiction work, "Ways of Seeing" (1972), asserts that art
is a representation of history and it has been manipulated by the ruling class for control of the
lower–class. Berger supports his assertion by showing examples of historical paintings that were
commissioned by the higher–class to show favor towards them instead of the true representation of
history, thus "A person or a class which is cut off from its own past is far less free to choose and to
act as a people or class than one that has been able to situate itself in history" (Berger 33). His
purpose is to make his reader aware of the manipulation that has been done to the lower–class
viewer on what has been taken away from them in order to control the populist to deter rebellion. In
the Wachoski siblings film, The Matrix (1999) centers around the concept that one's reality may be
distorted from what is real. The Matrix is about the human race living in a artificial reality ignorant
of their true existence and their oppression by the machines. John Berger asserts in "Ways of
Seeing" that art is a representation of history and it has been manipulated by the ruling class for
control of the lower–class, in the film the Matrix, the agents of the matrix are controlling society by
manipulation of the innocent, they exercises control by mystification similar to Berger's assessment
of the art historian.
Berger empathizes that mystification of the art historian is to dis–illusion the
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7. William Gibson's Pattern Recognition
Globalization is the process of combining people politically, economically and culturally into a
larger community. Over time, globalization has brought people together as "technological
innovation dissolved barriers of time and distance, and enhanced flows of information promoted
greater awareness and understanding"(2002). However, globalization also has a negative side to it as
it produces economic and social dislocations. Global mass media, movies and television do not
represent the world and its people in a realistic way, however consumers still learn from media
important perspectives on what life is like. Media often makes it hard for people to access and
imagine the 'real'. The success of neoliberal globalization depends on what is called, "the image"
which is deployed by media corporations. These images can create illusions in which the masses can
be governed. In William Gibson's novel, Pattern Recognition, we are given a clear understanding
about some of the cultural problems posed by neoliberal globalization also known as what Gibson
puts it as, "logo–maze". In The Precession of Simulacra by Jean Baudrillard, he argues that our
postmodern ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
We see them everywhere: on billboards, in magazines, at bus stops, in the mail, on television, and
even in stadiums. 'Images' are everywhere and they are so compelling that we cannot not watch
them. They are very seductive that in fact they have revolutionized human social communication
forever. Oral and written communication are in decline because a new form of communication has
emerged which is communication by image. For example, a flag works as an image because it
suggests a long history of stories that are buried inside us that will evoke emotions and memories
deep within us. However, today's images have taken on new meanings in the modern American
culture and illustrate the power of today's
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8. State Defined Reality in George Orwell's Nineteen...
State Defined Reality in George Orwell's 1984
Reality can have a more fluid and complicated definition than we might realize. Instead of being a
concrete ability to see 'black–and–white' differences between ideas and basing beliefs on outside
evidence , a person's conception of reality might accommodate contradicting beliefs, reject and
ignore truth when convenient, or embrace concepts seemingly preposterous in a 'sane' world. A
postmodern work of fiction allows for the shifting and changing of reality, thus giving the audience
an alternate reality to compare to the perceived reality outside the work. To this end, postmodernism
employs the simulacrum to blot out reality and insert a fabricated concept in its place. In a ... Show
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None of the state's lies and deceptions could change any part of reality, although the state could, and
did, obscure the truth of reality for its purposes. O'Brien tells Winston that he is mistaken in this idea
of reality. In a reeducation session, O'Brien challenges Winston's belief, telling him "reality is not
external" (Orwell 205). He claims that it is only existent within the mind. In other words, "it's all in
your head." O'Brien essentially says that the outside world does not contain anything real until the
mind perceives it, and the mind should not perceive it until given permission by the Party. What the
mind believes to be true, to be real, affects the world outside of that mind. As an introduction to this
idea, O'Brien tries to convince Winston he sees five fingers, when his senses, conscious to a reality
independent of Big Brother, report only four. The audience finds that a person could actually see
five fingers instead of four if the person's reality allows for the possibility and existence of such
things. Winston himself, his sense of an external reality dulled by pain and drugs, sees the five
fingers instead of four (Orwell 213). For a moment, he shares the reality of the Party. He felt a
"luminous certainty" (Orwell 213) and briefly absorbed the Party ideology before "everything was
normal again" (Orwell 213). After a few more "teaching" sessions, Winston let go of his earlier
concept of independent, external
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9. Theme Of Hyperreality In The Crying Of Lot 49
Introduction
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. (b. 1937) who was awarded the US National Book Award for Fiction
in 1974 for his most renowned novel Gravity Rainbow (1973) is mostly famous for such
complicated novels as V (1963), The Crying of Lot 49 (1966) and Mason & Dixon (1977). While
writing The Crying of Lot 49, he was deeply distressed by the irreversible losses of World War II,
the probability of nuclear explosions, and role of the mass media; consequently he repeatedly
presents the motifs of loss, chaos, and entropy in his novel.
Pynchon is the author of seven novels, V (1963), The Crying of A lot 49 (1966), Gravity Rainbow
(1973), Vineland (1990), Mason and Dixon (1997), Against the Day (2006), andInherent Vic (2009).
Among them, the two novels correlating with the notion of reality and media ... Show more content
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Are the speculative nature, parodic playfulness and bookishness of the novels mere form diversions,
which leads us away from reality? To what extend can we distinguish hyperreality from reality, and
the referent, the subject, and its objects? Can media and advertisement shape the character of heroin,
and what consequences do it exposure in character worldview? Are there any structures or are they
only deceptive galaxies of signifier?
Here are some key terms regarding Baudrillad in Richard Smith's The Baudrillard Dictionary:
Simulation:With the advent of 'realistic' media (photography, film, sound recording, TV, digital
media) it has also come to refer to an audio– visual experience that artfully mimics but otherwise
has no connection with the reality it presents. It is the notion of a kind of copy which is not merely
indistinguishable from what it copies, but in which the very distinction between copy and original
disappears. Simulation threatens the difference between the true and the false, the real and the
imaginary. Simulating is not pretending. It is replacing the reality
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10. The Haunting Of Hill House
"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality."–
Shirley Jackson, The Haunting of Hill House For the purposes of reducing confusion the world that
we live in, the air we breathe, the universe that is generally accepted as the real world, and the
felling and presence of our bodies will be referred to as "home".
Humans are unique in the animal world in that we solve puzzles for fun. Very few other animals do
this, and only ones with a complex neural network have the desire to complete puzzles for
enjoyment. Over 40% of Americans play video games at least three hours a week; 1.2 billion people
play video games worldwide. Games have always been a form of entertainment, chess is a melena
and a ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The game seeks to trick us for a time into abandoning what is real (home) and focus on what is
inside our monitors and T.V.s. Baudrillard spoke on the process of a simulated reality in a multi–step
process. "In the first case, the image is a good appearance – representation is of the sacramental
order." This can be related to the early days of video games when they used cathode ray tubes to
project pixelated images onto a curved glass scene. Video games where very new, and exciting. "In
the second, it is an evil appearance – it is of the order of maleficence. This can be related to games
starting about 15 years ago till today. Video games were and still are thought to be a source of
violence in people. Many view them as a waste of time and that they detriment a person. Though
this mentality is starting to fade as we shift towards the third order "In the third, it plays at being an
appearance – it is of the order of sorcery". Technology is starting to advance to the point that anyone
without training in the field cannot understand what is going on. As myths about video games
negative appearance are being debunked or confirmed their negative aspects are getting swallowed
up by the more exciting advancements in the fields. "In the fourth, it is no longer of the order of
appearances but of simulation." At this level the video game stops being a game, and starts to
become a part of everyday life (home). For as much as some may dedicate their whole lives to
games, in the
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11. Simulacra And Science Fiction By Jean Baudrillard
Think about the last time you sent a text in order to communicate with another person. You may
have been under the impression that you were talking with someone, but in reality you were simply
pressing down on your phone and watching the pixels on the screen move. According to Jean
Baudrillard's ideologies, you were the mere product of a simulation. In "Simulacra and Simulations"
and "Simulacra and Science Fiction", author and sociologist Jean Baudrillard explains this
phenomenon by exploring the concept of simulacrum and simulations. Baudrillard argues that we
live in a simulation that is more real than reality, and thus no longer even bears a resemblance to
reality. In other words, the reality we think we know is really just an illusion. One movie with an
exceptional amount of parallels to Baudrillard's ideologies is The Matrix, directed by the
Wachowskis. Many people believe that foundation of The Matrix's plot is based off Baudrillard's
philosophies, however this has been met with numerous counterarguments. While The Matrix's plot
may correspond with many Baudrillard's beliefs, it is my belief that The Matrix is not solely based
on Baudrillard's works but instead incorporates ideas from a variety of different sources.
Although people may assume that the terms simulacra and simulation are interchangeable, it is
important to specify how they differ. The chapter, "Simulacra and Simulations" in Selected Writings
opens with quote from Ecclesiastes stating "[t]he simulacrum
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12. The Happiness Plunge Jean Baudrillard Analysis
Three Thinkers and their Realities: The Influence Parents Have on their Children Moreover parents
have an influence on their children I the color scheme they follow when they find out the sex of
their baby. When a women is expecting the first question people ask id what are you having? A boy?
Or a girl? Parets cannot help but to find out so they can start planning a tutu and tiara baby shower
or a sports themed baby shower. Parnets canot help but start planning what options they will have
for their kids, whether it has to do with dress code, colors, toys: two very different themes that
divide the sexes. Moreover, in the article. "The Precession of Simulacra" by Jean Baudrillard
reflects the idea of simulacra which is an image or representation ... Show more content on
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Many of those ideas have been reflected on "The Happiness Plunge" by Adam Pervez when he
explains how living the American dream and still not being happy can be very difficult. Of course,
all parents always have that specific sport we want our children to play, for example, if you have a
boy football is one of the number one choices for our children to play. But what about if it's not
atisfying our child, like to them it dosnt make them happy. In The Happiness Plunge, Perez talks
about how he was a field engennier, a business development specialist but it still wasn't enough.
This reflects the udea of your son bring the best quarter back of the team, compared to other football
teams he's still the best but he dosnt look forward to going to practice, or getting out onto the field,
to him it's just something he feels he has to do. This idea is reflected in Pervez article when he says
"I was following a script for success written by someone else, or by society" (Pervez). A lot of the
time parents unintentionally have their children follow a script that they were taught by their
parents. Parents are raising their children in a consensus reality which is a reality that has been
created by culture through practices, behaviors, shared beliefs, rules and artifacts. Moreover, instead
of parents letting their children choose to try something they are intesred in or they try different
things they have to stick to a script or to something they feel is correct. In another example, Pervez
tells how he identified writing, traveling, telling stories, and helping others were his passions and
decided to take the happiness plunge where to him, "there [was] more to life than the American
Dream we've been sold." In other words, parents tend to stick to specific sport for their sons to
playbeing that's the ideal sport for boys according to society, so naturally that's what e have to
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13. Emile Durkheim And Mircea Eliade
RE220 Final Exam
Alexa Bloom
140647650
December 13th 2015
Question 1
Émile Durkheim and Mircea Eliade have dissimilar understandings of religion. Emile Durkheim did
not have an interest in a belief system or the cognitive approach. He dismissed the study of how
particular beliefs lead to certain practices and adopted a functionalist approach. He does not
acknowledge the belief in God, rather focuses on what religion does within society. He believed that
individuals encompassed a more pure form and focused on the essential structure of religion. His
theory of totemism developed, which centers around the idea that the subject of religion is to bring
people together, and to ultimately result in social cohesion. He metaphorically relates this to when
people in a community rally around the totem. Furthermore, making the totem represent the sacred.
Durkheim then understands that the totem will eventually develop into a spirit, and ultimately into a
'God' or spiritual form. Moreover, connecting a society on a metaphysical level. This concept does
not center around a belief system, rather on social cohesion. On the other hand, Micrea Eliade
approach to religion can be categorized as a phenomenological study. He was interested in universal
patterns and commonalities amongst the world. Rather than looking at religion as a function that
branched off of something else, he wanted to emphasis that the study of religion has it's own right.
The
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14. Hunger Games And White Noise Comparative Essay
Comparative Analysis of The Hunger Games and White Noise Both novels The Hunger Games by
Suzanne Collins and White Noise by Don DeLillo having varying representations of reality and
simulation. This is apparent in many articles and stories we have read in this course. Both
protagonists fear death and they keep up appearances to stay alive. Both showcase what can happen
when technology and the government gain too much control and the haphazard and dangerous
situations society is exposed to. These novels explore the tension that reality and simulacra create.
The environmental catastrophes that occur in both set the stage for a continuous downfall. In White
Noise, Jack's alternative reality is portrayed as the vibrant sunsets and his big ... Show more content
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It represents White Noise by Jack's view of the sunsets. He has seen beautiful sunsets so many times
without any contrast, therefore he has become numb to really appreciating the beauty of the sun
setting. This quote also represents The Hunger Games by the structure of the games and the
propaganda done by the Capitol. Many of the wealthier districts are honored to participate in the
games because they have prepared for the event. They believe the Capitol's perception of the games
as suffering as entertainment. In reality these contestants are honored to fight other teenagers on TV
and hope to be the last one alive. Both novels suffer from an anesthesia from different sources which
cause their societies to be desensitized to the occurring
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15. Homosexuality In Tony Kushner's Angels In America
Homosexuality plays an important thematic role in Angels in America by Tony Kushner. This is
obvious; the play is about homosexuals during the AIDS epidemic in the 80's. Not only is gayness
their lives, it also figures in as a distorted simulation of itself. In the postmodern era, identities have
become simulations of perceived actions instead of actual actions. Seen in rhetoric and in the play,
homosexuality becomes associated with powerlessness, sin, and disease. Kushner's characters are
greatly affected by these stereotypes and false realities of their identities. We see the way simulacra
affects the characters of Roy, Joe, and Prior. Importantly, Prior suffers under a simulation of
homosexuality as an openly gay man with AIDS, while Roy and Joe cannot fully identify as gay
because of the implications they have been taught. Roy and Joe never know an unmediated
definition of homosexuality; it forever has a negative connotation of powerlessness or sin. Prior is
able to survive his disease and break away from the oppression of the simulacra. Tony Kushner
writes these stereotypes into the rhetoric of the play to dismantle the conceptions of homosexuality.
Kushner uses Roy, Joe, and Prior to present the effects of simulated identities in Angels in America
in order to complicate the metanarrative of AIDS ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Due to the growing power and influence of the media, what people think is "real" is actually just a
representation, but they cannot separate or distinguish the two. This failure to separate reality from
imitation is an important aspect to simulacra. It makes it more powerful than a simple
representation. Simulacra become the reality. Dr. Dino Felluga, of Purdue University, talks about the
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16. Complexity And Contradiction In Architecture: Less Is Bore
While many practical issues interrupted due to Modernist language, Robert Venturi wrote a book of
"Complexity and Contradiction in Architecture" and published in 1966. Book expresses the
postmodernism and its rebellion to the purism of architecture. He respond to the quote of Mies van
der Rohe "Less is more" as "Less is Bore" and discuss the architecture which should bow down to
the complexities and contradictions. Architecture should be in touch with it in the creation of cities.
After Modernisation, public spaces introduced into society and in the book of "The Society of the
Spectacle" which is written by Guy Debord in 1967, criticize contemporary consumer culture and
product fetishism which bring up the alienation of classes, mass media and homogenization of
culture which ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
What people see is a simulation of the real, symbolizing the culture and media (Baudrillard, 1981).
After these theoretical perspective, focus on media, architecture, symbols, consumer society and
capitalism were most dominant critical debates. "The Lost Dimension" is another book in these
areas written by Paul Virilio and published in 1984. Author discussed the media and its impact on
the architecture. The reason behind this impact and consequences are discussed at conceptual level.
This book discusses public spaces, their decline and turning into media spaces. In 1985 Sony
presented the first large screen device that was properly suited for outdoor use. The JumboTron, as it
was called, was 40 meters wide and 25 meters tall and soon became a standard fixture in stadiums
all over the USA. During the 1990s similar screens were installed at Times Square, Piccadilly
Circus, and other commercialized urban spaces. One of the first media facade was integrated into
the architecture of a building is the KPN Tower in Rotterdam which was built from 1998 to 2000.
Ironically, the architect was the same Renzo Piano who proposed to implement large screens on the
Centre Pompidou almost thirty years
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17. Essay on Baudrillard and the Matrix
In 1999 Larry and Andy Wachowski wrote and directed an American science fiction action film
called The Matrix. The movie depicted a future where many humans might perceive is real, is
actually a simulated reality. The Wachowski brothers made many explicit references in their film
based on the work of French sociologist Jean Baudrillard. In Jean Baudrillard's essay entitled
"Simulacra and Simulations" he mentions in his essay how society has replaced all reality and
meaning with representation of symbols and signs. Baudrillard starts off with an example of Borges
tale, "cartographers of the Empire draw up a map so detailed that it ends up exactly covering the
territory (but where, with the decline of the Empire this map becomes frayed ... Show more content
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He tells Neo "Welcome to the desert of the real," "desert of the real" is a quote from Baudrillard's
essay that explains after the simulation has been taken away, we are left with our real reality, the
reality that is decaying, leaving us with not much left.
"The reality itself erodes to the point that it becomes a desert" (Sparknotes). In this scene they are in
a simulated reality with nothing but a blank, white room, with a sofa, and a television set. Morpheus
has New York, as they perceive it, in the year of 1999 displayed on the television. It is shown as a
busy, bright, a vibrant city. Then he switches the channel to how the world really is today, the year
closer to 2199. How the world really is in the year 2199 is nothing but a depressing, broken down,
"apocalyptic wasteland" (The Film Journal). It would seem that the Wachowski brother's aim to
illustrate Baudrillard's concept in The Matrix was well put together. They made it very clear that
their portayal of The Matrix is a "simulation" that derived from a "real reality" that is no longer
rational. In otherwords, now that Neo has awoken to the truth, he could no longer go back to what
he thought is real and see it the same as before.
"Someone who feigns an illness can simply go to bed and pretend he is ill. Someone who simulates
an illness produces in himself some of the symptoms" (Littre). Thus, feigning or dissimulating
leaves the reality principle intact: the difference
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18. Essay on Postmodern condition
1. What is meant by the 'postmodern condition'? Postmodernism can be called "a condition of
contemporary culture", it is a modern movement which is strong, ambiguous, very popular and
controversial. However, it is very difficult to explain the term because there is no full clarity what
the term really means. As one can read in The Condition of Postmodernity it is "a mine–field of
conflicting notions" and "a battleground of conflicting opinions and political forces". There are so
many interpretations, definitions and evaluations of the term that it is hardly possible to build a
coherent definition, or to be brave enough to attempt to describe it. Almost everyone has a different
opinion about it, advocate "for" or "against" or are ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
One of the hyperreality images and the world of imagination (Baudrillard writes) is Disneyland,
which is the perfect model of all those confusing orders of simulation. It is primarily a game of
illusions and phantasms. Imaginary world of Disneyland is neither true nor false. It is a space of
regeneration of the world of imagination, reminiscent of a recycling factory. Thus, the world of the
imagination of children and adults is a rubbish, the first great civilization hyper real pollution.
Disneyland is a prototype of this new feature on the mental area. As one can read in Simulacra and
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".
Another example of " flipping " a deeper reality by its overriding, and then hiding its deficiencies,
through breaking any relations with it and finally achieving the status of its simulacrum, completely
emancipated from the power of what is real is the Sokal hoax. Sokal saw a marked reduction in the
standards of intellectual reliability in some American humanistic academic circles. That is why he
decided to do the "experiment", which consisted in checking whether the leading American journal
dedicated to cultural research will publish a text full of nonsense, if it only sound good. It turned out
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19. This essay will discuss Foucault’s and Bauldrillard’s...
This essay will discuss Foucault's and Bauldrillard's views on today's society. Foucault sees the
current state of the society as a system of domination, while Baudrillard says that the society we
knew has collapsed in to a world of images produced by the mass media. Both of them focus on the
cultural dimension of the progression of the society and sees society as having moved on from
modernity. Though both have different views when it comes to Power, Foucault focuses on the
changing nature of power and the historical circumstances which assist the rise of specific
discourses while Bauldrillard on the other hand says that power is a mere product of images, signs,
and simulacra generated by the mass media which makes it not real. ... Show more content on
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For example, medical discourse dismisses other ways of treating people like holistic medicines.
Forms of knowledge are linked to discourses, knowledge simple refers to the particular construction
or version of a phenomenon that has received the stamp truth (Burr,2003). Though knowledge is not
a direct perception of reality because different cultures have different perception of how the world
is, this makes the idea of 'truth 'problematic. All knowledge comes observing from one perspective
or another. Discourse, knowledge and practices are then related to power. Power is influenced by
particular world views which generate certain ways of acting and marginalise others. For example,
sexuality in the Victorian era was monitored, classified and regulated and eventually sexuality was
seen as taboo by some and society became obsessed with policing it, then parents obsessed with
preventing child masturbation but as years have passed society's view on sexuality shifted and now
see sexuality as something important to our identity and there are professionals who provide help for
those who need it which suggests that Power isn't always about repression but it also produces
opportunities. Foucault studied the forms of power that have dominated us through the years; the
monarchical power, disciplinary power and bio power. He suggest that society has no ordered
development, no
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20. Simulacra And Simulation By Jean Baudrillard
In Jean Baudrillard's text "Simulacra and Simulation", Baudrillard argues that repeated simulation of
a depiction over time causes a loss of the original thing that was copied and eventually the copied
thing replaces original; he coined this notion the Simulacra. Baudrillard notes "That eventually in
contemporary times, the referent disappears altogether and people come to live in pure simulations,
replications of reality that resemble it in all respects save they are representations...1". Such
disappearance and replacement of the 'original' is seen in John Ajvide Lindqvist's gut–wrenching
novel "Let the Right One In" in which attempts to simulate the role of a vampire's 'original' function
actually yields to a drastic change away from the 'original' ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
Repeated use of simulation to replace the original leads to alteration of the original and people
eventually live in a simulation of the real. Baudrillard's description of this transformation from the
Simulation to the Simulacra is heavily observed from the book's deviation of the vampire's
association with religious characteristics and therefore a loss in the characteristics from the
traditional is seen. The transformation of the simulation of an image to the simulacra is described in
the following stages: "1. It is a reflection of a basic reality. 2. It masks and prevents a basic reality. 3.
It masks the absence of a basic reality. 4. It bears no relation to any reality whatever; it is its own
pure simulacrum."1 The first stage is where a somewhat perfect copy of the original is made "the
representation is of the order of sacrament" – or the original is preserved. The second stage is where
reality is altered, this is the pain where the sign becomes an unfaithful copy which masks reality. In
this stage, signs and images do not reveal reality, but hint at the existence of a reality. The third stage
is where there is a complete disconnect from the real. The sign pretends to be a faithful copy or the
original, they attempt to be passed along as the real. Finally, in the fourth stage a pure simulacrum is
observed – the new image or
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21. Simulacra And Simulations: Disneyland
Simulacra and Simulations: Disneyland by Jean Baudrillard is an essay about what is real and what
isn't, and if certain things can become real. Simulacra is a latin word meaning a copy, or a
representation of something else. Baudrillard's main argument is that these copies can turn into their
own reality. Baudrillard gives the example of someone who's pretending to be ill, and someone who
is simulating to be ill. He writes, "Someone who feigns an illness can simply go to bed and pretend
he is ill. Someone who simulates an illness produces in himself some of the symptoms" (Littre,
358). According to Baudrillard, there is a line between pretending and simulating. With pretending,
there is always the reality that the person is not telling
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22. Fight Club
Life is esoterically encrypted in mystery, only to be deciphered by the properly initiated. This is the
immanent fact that confronts us all. We live in a world where there is more and more information,
and less and less meaning. "The term 'Simulacra is derived from the Latin word 'simulacrum,' which
means 'likeness' or 'similarity.' The term simulacra was first used by Plato, when he defined the
world in which we live as an imperfect replica of the world of Ideas" (O'shea). As Plato divulged,
we live in a cave with our backs to the light, our perception is nothing more than the shadows that
appear upon its walls. According Jean Baudrillard, "Our current society has replaced all reality and
meaning with symbols and signs, and that human experience ... Show more content on
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In the society of simulacra, the public absorbs all information, signs, and messages, and makes them
all meaningless. Society has become so reliant on models and symbols that we have lost all contact
with the real world that exists. Reality itself has begun merely to imitate the model, which now
determines our perception of the real world. Our culture is not necessarily artificial, because the
concept of artificiality still requires some sense of reality against which to recognize the artifice.
Rather, we have lost all ability to make sense of the distinction between nature and artifice.
Author/Philosopher Alan Watts is attributed with
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23. What Aspects Of The Museum Provide The Visitor With An...
"When we say that something is original ... we are referring to the aspect of what can be called
authenticity or genuineness, that which is unique not because it is necessarily different in topic or
technique, but because it embodies one person's experience with deep particularity." This statement,
made by the poet Jane Hirshfield, has provoked a reevaluation of my ideas of an authentic work of
art, especially within the museum. Authenticity has some definite, and some more vague definitions.
In the following paper, I plan to explore what aspects of the museum provide the visitor with an
authentic experience, allowing them to access something authentic. Three institutions will be
examined: Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Winterthur), the Barnes Foundation, and
Philadelphia's Magic Gardens (PMG); each institution provides the visitor with a different type of
experience, some more authentic than others. I would first like to start by examining Winterthur
within the context of the article, "The Precession of Simulacra," by Jean Baudrillard. Baudrillard
describes different levels and types of simulacra that exist, which I view as a sort of scale between
simulation and hyperreality, where the real is something entirely separate. Authenticity falls within
this model in the real. Winterthur exists in a state of hyperreality. It is a historic house, which was
once the home of Henry Francis du Pont, a collector of American decorative arts. In the 1950s the
house was converted
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24. Social Theorist, Postmodernist Jean Baudrillard And...
Commercials can give insight to the society in which they are marketed toward. Advertisers attempt
to connect with their target group. This attempt can be a reflection of the society in which that
market group lives. Although it can be argued whether we are in a modern or postmodern society,
commercials can utilize aspects from both theories to market and advertise their products. I take a
closer look at two commercials and examine how they would be interrupted by two distinct social
theorist, postmodernist Jean Baudrillard and modernist George Ritzer.
Chevron created a series of commercials where animated talking cars were portrayed as sentient
talking beings. These commercials started airing around the time when Disney and Pixar were
making the movie Cars in 2006. Chevron was aware of the marketing opportunity and produced
commercials that were very similar to the concept of the movie. The commercial I am referencing,
portrays an SUV taking on the persona of an outdoors enthusiast. The care is shown using emotion
and being a sentient being. The nature of the commercial is multifaceted. It is intended to entertain
the viewer while informing how techron gasoline from Chevron is beneficial for a car's engine, this
has the additional effect of creating a "need" for the product. It is easy to identify that the
commercial was intended to be entertaining. It is whimsical and was different than other
commercials for gas. The marketing does not tell the viewer to purchase their
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25. Che Guevara Simulacralised Image
Che Guevara, a simulacralised image
In this essay I will discuss with the help of academic resources the difference between cult value and
exhibition value and how it relates to the "aura" of authenticity in reproduced artworks. The concept,
definition and different stages of simulacrum will be discussed according to Jean Baudrillard's and
Michael Camille's text by referring to Che Guevara photograph and represented images such as
internet memes. Lastly an understanding will be demonstrated of how postmodern strategies are no
longer relevant in the context of simulacrum.
According to Benjamin (1955: 794) aura belongs to the artwork's uniqueness and that most artworks
had this uniqueness before mechanical reproductions. In Film theory and ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
The first stage is the "reflection of basic reality" which suggests that the representation refers to a
deeper meaning or reflecting the meaning of the original, in this case it is the original photograph
taken, figure 1, by Alberto Korda (Baudrillard 1988: 170). The second stage is the masking and
perversion of basic reality, meaning that the image itself has become a transformation of the image
in itself, figure 2, Jim Fitzpatrick's represented image of Che Guevara (Baudrillard 1988: 170). The
third stage is the masking of the absence of basic reality, meaning that the image has taken on its
own transformation, thus moving away from the original concept, for example the mass produced
T–shirt or mugs with the image of Che Guevara. The third stage does not grasp the reality it belongs
to and Baudrillard (1988: 170) refers to this stage as the simulation. The fourth and the last stage of
Baudrillard orders of simulacra is the final stage of simulation, this is the stage that the image has
become too distant from its origin and that it bears no resemblance to the original and has become a
new reality or "Hyper–Reality" (Baudrillard 1988: 170). The fourth stage can be noted in figure 3,
where each meme of Che Guevara has its own meaning and new
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26. Baudrillard Vs Jameson
2. Both Baudrillard and Jameson, argue that technology is a factor that pushed society toward
postmodernity. Baudrillard proves this in terms of original forms of information, in Jean
Baudrillard's work entitled The Masses: The Implosion of the Social in the Media, Hans
Enzensberger writes, "For the first time in history, the media make possible a mass participation in a
productive process at once social and socialized, a participation whose practical means are in the
hands of the masses themselves," (Baudrillard 184). Baudrillard also describes how simulations are
basically taking over one's relationship with the real world, and creates a hyper reality which is a
copy that doesn't have an original. This hyper reality happens when the difference between reality
and representation is no longer distinguishable, when one sees an image it is only a copy. For
example the Marilyn Monroe pop art is everywhere from t–shirts to buildings. ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
He also gives an example of this when he describes mental illness, how if someone acts crazy they
must be crazy. Therefore, mentally ill people are simulators. Mentally ill individuals are simulating
their own reality and are unable to distinguish between reality and
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27. In The Mood For Love Essay
What is the ultimate form of a tragic love? For Wong, it is neither denial nor acceptance, but an
eternal state of longing and waiting. Among Wong Kar Wei's internationally acclaimed productions,
Days of Being Wilde (1990), In the Mood for Love (2000), and 2046 (2004) are loosely counted as a
trilogy of love. In the end chapter of his trilogy 2046, Wong continues to focus on Chou–Mu–Yun, a
sentimental yet callous writer and womanizer. Revolving around the affairs of Chou, 2046 presents
to its audience three pathways that love could possibly offer: to unite in happiness, to move on after
the denial from the loved one, and to linger upon the unanswered love in perpetuity. Chou is
undoubtedly chosen to be the bearer of the last pathway. As the ... Show more content on
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Mazierska discusses the overarching theme "trapped in presence" in Wong Kar Wei's movie as
postmodern implication that correlates to Wong's addicted uses of montage and symbolism in
narration and editing (p8, Mazierska). As he considers, Wong's works share the similarity with
several postmodern authors. "The notion of alternative temporalities is central to the narrative
organization to postmodern novels, such as those of Italo Calvino and Alain Robber–Grillet."(p17,
Mazierska and Rascaroli). James Udden also argues in "the Stubborn Persistence of Local In Wong
Kar–wai" that Wong's popularity is credited to his typically post–modern philosophy of denying his
Hong Kong identity and embracing it at the same time (finnayson, p143). In some more relevant
cases, Flannery Wilson discusses Wong's overlapping narration between presence and future in 2046
as the manifestation of Deleuze's theory of "crystal of time," vaguely alluding to the notion that
virtual and the real intermingles in 2046 (p164, Finnayson). Brunette also postulates that the sense
of resisting the advancement of time correlates to what the Fredric Jameson terms as "longing for
the present. (Teo, p358) " Although it is evident that every production of Wong concerns the subject
of love, few theorists have been found so far who posit Wong's interpretation of love in a post–
modernistic framework. The one who got closest to this
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28. The Simulation Of Reality, By Cameron Stewart
The Simulation of Reality
Even at a first glance, Cameron Stewart's webcomic Sin Titulo seems to be fraught with mystery,
uncertainty and a certain sense of foreboding. It's fast–paced and pulls the reader in immediately
with its questions of existentialism as it blurs the line between dream spaces and reality. There is
anxiety, paranoia and the text is full of philosophical paradoxes and references. Above all, however,
the text grapples with the question of what reality is, how human beings perceive it, and if it is
possible to simulate it. This is directly in line with Jean Baudrillard's philosophical treatise of
Simulacra and Simulation, which examines the link between reality, society, and symbols. With this
concept in mind, Cameron Stewart's Sin Titulo can be read as a postmodern expression of paranoia
about life being reduced to a simulation of reality where the original is lost and where there is a
precession of simulacra.
The best way to explain the simulation of reality in v is through an allegory used to explain
Baudrillard's philosophy, which is derived from Jorge Luis Borges' "On Exactitude in Science" in
which the latter explains the relation between an empire and its representation. The cartographers of
this empire, "struck a map of the Empire whose size was that of the Empire, and which coincided
point for point with it" (Borges and Hurley 325).When this empire finally meets its downfall, all that
is left of it is the map. In Baudrillard's version of this
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29. Critical Analysis Of Miss South Africa
Critical Analysis
As a young African–American man in America, my life (past, present, and future) has been a
constant struggle for survival, adequate education, and self– awareness. No matter how handsome,
smart, or strong one is or can be, the level of success and peace will always be determined by skin
color in America and others countries across the globe.
For example, black and brown– skinned people all originated from different areas of Africa. In
present–day South Africa, the black or brown people represent over eighty percent of the population.
Interestingly, South Africa's representation in the global Miss Universe pageant was a woman of
European descent. This European woman represented a country that she was born in but not a
descendant of South Africa. I find it very puzzling that out of over twenty–one MILLION beautiful,
African women you could find one worthy of being Miss South Africa? This is not just an issue in
Africa, the origin of civilization, but across the globe? Why are people of African descent around the
globe facing the same racism and discrimination? Professor and author, Carol Anderson, explains
the predicament of African Americans as they continue to fight against racial injustices and
inequality. Carol Anderson's book White Rage focuses on the history of black triumph in American
and the steps taken by racists to demolish all evidence of black or African progress and triumph.
Carol Anderson does not try to explain her blackness or excuse
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30. Why Does Baudrillard Discuss Borges's Map?
1.) Why does Baudrillard discuss Borges's map?
Borges's map was meant to represent the worlds insistence to recreate the things that we see in exact
detail, yet he uses the tale to point out the fact that todays society has redefined images and objects
thanks to mass media, confusing reality with that of the representation. He states that "the map
precedes the territory" which I take to mean that the medium precedes the message. More so, that
the copy of an image, the representation, precedes the actual object. The creation of the copy has
been created on such a minute and "genetic" level its hard to decipher from actual reality especially
since we have nothing to measure reality against so it doesn't have to be rational.*** (119)
2.) What is simulation, based on the anecdote of the map?
Simulation is the creation of a real without having to be real in any way.** In terms of the map, the
real are the pieces of the map that are disappearing and decaying while simulation, the ....., is taking
its place.
3.) What is the difference between representation, simulation, and dissimulation?
Simulation is the representation or imitation of the real, pretending to have something that is missing
or lacked. Baudrillard uses the example of someone pretending to be sick. If they were to simulate
that illness, they would ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
With studies arising on the affects of media on the mind and social perceptions, it is known that
media does have a strong effect on the way we see the world and ourselves. The creation of the
proper body image, the cool cars, or the socially accepted places to go are all generated and not
based on reality. I don't believe that all things have lost their touch with reality, but I do however
believe that we, as a society, have compiled perceptions of things, like different people and their
lifestyles, places and their
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31. Ender's Game and the Matrix
"In a comparative study of texts we see that the connections between texts are realised through the
different textual forms used by each composer."
How accurate is this statement for the pair of texts you have studied in this unit? In your answer you
may like to discuss some or all of the following: form, structure, language features, context,
information & ideas.
When texts are considered together, responders realise that texts are connected through their similar
themes and ideas displayed in their textual forms. Texts are allegories of human existence which
simultaneously examining contextual ideas. This is seen the two texts, the Wachowski brothers' film
The Matrix (1999) and Orson Scott Card's novel Ender's game (1985), through their ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
This idea is represented in the matrix by "The Desert of the Real" and the motifs of mirrors
throughout the movie. The reflections represent the confusion toward the blurred line between
reality and simulation. Similarly, this idea of the blurred line between reality and simulation is
reflected with Cypher's conversation with Agent Smith. A firm believer in the theory "ignorance is
bliss", Cypher prefers the 'happier' simulated life to the truth facing him. By emphasising this
simulated environment, the Wachowski brothers allow us to analyse our own dependency on
technology for our lives. Similarly, Card analyses this idea of human kind living in a simulacra in
his novel Ender's game. Not knowing the truth, Ender is deceived by his military superiors into
believing that the real battle against the buggers was simply a computer game. "Real. Not a game."
After this sudden revelation, Ender cannot cope with his existence, and only finds redemption in
religion. In both texts, the composers use textual forms to highlight the idea that computers are used
to create a simulation which absorbs the user, hiding them from the realities of life.
Similarly, both texts use defamiliarisation to give representations on gender. The futuristic shifts are
used to reflect contextual shifts in gender paradigms. In The Matrix, this is apparent through all the
androgynous characters, such as Trinity, Switch and to some
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32. Jean Baudrillard Research Paper
The Human mind is a very intriguing thing that develops plenty of ideas that sometimes may only
occur to brilliant thinkers such as Jean Baudrillard. Baudrillard's theory is that due to the media
repeatedly altering reality we have lost touch with what is real and what is not, presuming that the
media conveys one reality and developing on it which will conclude to the viewers losing touch with
the reality and having a hyper reality produced on a reoccurring a cycle on the hyper reality created
by the media itself and hence the world would be living in the hyper reality created by the media for
its viewers these theories are referred to as simulation and simulacra. This essay will discuss this
theory in depth and how this distinction relates ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Such production misrepresents and masks an underlying reality by imitating it so well, thus
threatening to replace it (e.g. in photography or ideology); however, there is still a belief that,
through critique or effective political action, one can still access the hidden fact of the real; 3) in the
third order of simulacra, which is associated with the postmodern age, we are confronted with a
precession of simulacra; that is, the representation precedes and determines the real. There is no
longer any distinction between reality and its representation; there is only the simulacrum." Felluga
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33. Transhumanism In The Film Her, By Spike Jonze
While watching the film Her directed by Spike Jonze a common theme that is viewed within this
film is, transhumanism. Transhumanism is the theory that the human race can evidently evolve
beyond its current physical and mental limitations, This can be easily achieved by the advancements
of technology. This is seen when the viewers looked at the relationship between the protagonist,
Theodore Towbly, and his operating system. Transhumanism is also seen when the director, Spike
Jonze, uses simulacra to identify the characters within the film. It is also seen when the protagonist
can not distinguish between the real and simulation.
Firstly within the film Her directed by Spike Jonze transhumanism is seen when Theodore develops
emotions for an operating ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is seen when humankind has evolved so much that the main character's job is to write personal
letters for other people. Which is very ironic because then this makes these letters impersonal
because the senders are not actually writing these letters themselves but the receiver is unaware of
this. It's also, ironic because the protagonist has a horrible love life, but is writing love letters for
others. Theodores job creates who he is as an individual. He even becomes successful when
Samantha helps him publish a book composed of these letters which he wrote for others. Another
way of using simulacra to express transhumanism is the development of Samantha's character. After
all, the viewer knows she is only an operating system but the ironic part is in which theodore sees
Samantha as a real human being. This is shown when Theodore questions whether Samantha is
faking it during their virtual sexual encounters. Even though Samantha's character is not real she
represent an extremely realistic human companion because she feels emotions, such a jealousy.
Jealousy is seen when Theodore goes and has lunch with Catherine to sign the divorce paper.
Samantha is also receptive to emotions. However, when Theodore asks if she is faking it
theoretically she is faking it because she is not a real human but Theodore believes she is real
because of the world he lives in with all the technological advancements. One thing that the viewer
may see is that Samantha's character does not fully represent simulacra because eventually her a
Theodores relationship starts to wither and becomes
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34. The Globalization Of Baudrillard Implosion
Introduction
There have been notable advancements in technology and media which shaped our twenty–first
century.The global spread of technology creates extensive connections on a large scale which have
helped in making new opportunities.Social media is a landmark of the modern technological
advancement. It helped in spreading knowledge, culture, personal experiences, different views
between people from different countries.Social Media has been used in all aspects of life such as the
economy, health, politics and social sciences. Advocating for human rights, appeal to help people in
need, sharing knowledge are good examples of the wise use of technology and social media.On the
other side, human trafficking, terrorism, money laundering and pornography are some examples
when some people abuse social media.With the heated political tension, social media have
dominated in many occasions. This assignment discusses Baudrillard postmodern philosophy and
his theories regarding globalization and this era which controlled by technology. Also, it goes
through hacking and how Baudrillard implosion reflects it.
Who is Jean Baudrillard?
Jean Baudrillard (1929–2007) was a French philosopher. He completed his degree in sociology in
University of Paris X at Nanterre. Also, he taught there between (1966–68) in the sociology
department. Then, he moved later to the University of Paris IX, until his retirement in 1987. ("Jean
Baudrillard | French author and philosopher," 2017)
In his early
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35. The Myth Of Dante 's Divine Comedy By Harry Potter And The...
A Myth is a story that keeps being retold. How is the myth of Glaucus actualized (i.e. what are the
new cultural implications at stake) in the first Canto of Paradise of Dante's Divine Comedy? And in
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? ( /2) The Myth of Glaucus begins when Glaucus, a mortal in
Greek mythology, becomes immortal by eating a magical herb. When he goes into the water he is
then turned into a prophetic god of the sea. This myth is actualized the film, Harry potter and the
Goblet of fire, when Harry consumes the Ghillie weed and grows flippers and gills when he jumps
into the lake. This transformation is done through magic, rather than a miracle, so it has a magical
theme rather than a spiritual one, loosing the religious aspect. The weed Harry consumes in the story
is very similar to the one used in the myth of Glaucus showing where the idea of the Ghillie weed
came from, and how the transformation is actualized through magic. The myth of Glacus is also
actualized in Dante's Divine Comedy when Dante transcends beyond the human kind, and becomes
equal to the Gods by looking at Beatrice, similar to how Glaucus used the herb to gain his power.
Beatrice stood unmoved; and I with ken Fix'd upon her, from upward gaze removed, At her aspect,
such inwardly became 65 As Glaucus, when he tasted of the herb That made him peer among the
ocean gods: Words may not tell of that trans–human change; And therefore let the example serve,
though weak, For
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36. Television and Media
Categorization of Sitcom Fathers
For this essay I consulted EPGuides.com[1] and The Internet Movie Database[2], which also
includes minimal facts of television shows and casts. Throughout the course of television history
there have evolved several types and variations of fathers: the Simulacrum; the Single–parent; the
Substitute; the Homer Simpson; the Apathetic.
Though their characteristics coincide with American values, the Simulacrum Father does not merely
represent ideals but America's adoption of simulations. Jean Baudrillard concisely describes his
complex idea of simulacra as "the generation by models of a real without origin or reality" in "The
Precession of Simulacra." Mid–Twentieth–century television fathers such as ... Show more content
on Helpwriting.net ...
The Simulacrum Father endures because sitcom fathers reinforce American ideals of fathers through
deriving from past generation of ideal father images, the same origin of audiences' ideals.
The Single–parent Father diverges from the Simulacrum as such fathers exist as referents; however,
this type signifies another American ideal of the virtuous parent. The model for this type is Bob
Saget's Danny Tanner of Full House, who strove to provide his three daughters the experience of
two parents through dedication, over–compensation, and unhealthy doses of didactic conversations.
Two shows descended from Full House illustrate both the simulacrum (through their cast
connections to Full House) and attributes of the single–parent father: Raising Dad, featuring Bob
Saget, "A sitcom about a widowed father struggling to separate his professional & personal lives and
keeping his sanity while raising two daughters," (imdb.com) and "Two of a Kind," "A show about a
single father who has his hands full raising twin sisters Mary–Kate and Ashley [Olsen, of Full
House]" (imdb.com). The description of these shows alludes to single–parenting as the modern
struggle; unlike other ideals, this television image represents reality at least in as much as the high
divorce rates of the 1990s, though
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37. Tereska's Photography Essay
Tereska's portrait, commissioned by UNICEF, was amongst the series of photographs intended to
document the displaced victims of the Second World War. Tereska's photograph, in particular, is
subject to psychosocial surveillance as she embodies the war–weary youth. The face, unlike any
other part of the human body, takes on depth in its ability to reflect character and express emotions.
The expressivity of Tereska's eyes, so bewildered and devoid of any innocence and joy, pierces the
viewer; caught was the expression of a child who had grown up and survived the horrors of a
concentration camp. The face of the distressed orphan incites compassion in the viewer and draws
discourse on the traumas of war. As it is, children react to war differently ... Show more content on
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(5). Therefore, in the task of depicting 'home,' a child would naturally construct a simulacra, a
perceived reality, of home shaped by culture and media. However, under Tereska's circumstances –
being an orphan during the period of the Holocaust – the orthodox notion of home is subverted. The
image emulates the second stage of Baudrillard's "precession of simulacra," in which the image
becomes a perversion of reality; while a false depiction to the audience, suggests the existence of an
obscure reality (3). As she covers the board in erratic scrawls, one can only postulate an ambience
saturated with barbed wire, of rising flames, of chalky smoke smothering Tereska's sight. Tereska's
chaotic rendition is a simulacra of her personal experiences growing up in a concentration camp;
illegible to the average person, but a tangible reality in which the meaning and significance is tied to
the artist alone. After all, Baudrillard argues that rather than a copy of the real, the simulacra
becomes truth in itself – that is, the hyperreal (3). In that sense, opposed to a vague domestic
depiction, Tereska's image is faithful to her harsh experiences of
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38. The Living Doll Analysis
In his article, The Precession of Simulacra, Baudrillard establishes simulation as a copy of an
original or otherwise reality. This concept is even apparent in the title, The Precession of Simulacra,
since precession is something that precedes or comes first, and a simulacrum is an image or
representation of something else; in that sense, the title literally states that an image precedes its
original. Thus, Baudrillard argues that simulation adopts a reality effect in which the viewer's view
of the real world is skewed and this notion is easily seen throughout the CSI episode of "The Living
Doll."
According to Baudrillard, this episode, "The Living Doll," would be the perfect representation of
simulation. The miniature model comes before ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Because of the reality effect that is at play, discoveries on the model influence real life decisions.
One such example occurs after examining the miniature model and discovering that the victim was
Sarah. Because it is her, the police then know to go to Sarah's car which they discover is the scene of
the abduction. Additionally, seeing Sarah's hand move in the miniature gives them hope that she is
still alive and thus impacts the urgency of the whole investigation. Furthermore, when they go to the
junkyard to ask the owner where he took a car, they are able to tell him that it is a red mustang
because they were able to identify that as the car in the model. In the end, perception is reality and
because of the details and information the CSIs perceived through the miniature, as seen in these
examples, a new reality was created and imposed upon them.
In the end, the CSIs finally track down the location of the car only to find that Sarah is not under it
and that the CSIs' perceived reality was not accurate. The model was a copy of the original and in
theory the reality would be a copy as well, but if that was true than Sarah would still be under the
car when the CSIs got there. The fact that this didn't happen shows that with simulation and new
reality is created that changes the view of the real since the real is
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39. Jean Baudrillard : An Influential Thinker
In 2007, Jean Baudrillard was published in a Canadian Newspaper, La Presse. Jean Baudrillard
(1929–2007), French sociologist and philosopher, is one of the most influential postmodern thinkers,
known for his scathing critic on consumerism or late capitalism, which he prophesied. In 1970, he
published The Consumer Society, which he shed light on the subject and object of consumption,
around which contemporary societies are organized. A few years later, he published Simulacra and
Simulation, and implemented the hyper reality, by which objects are to be false and hidden from the
truth. Baudrillard, an early admirer of McLuhan, expands his research and analysis on McLuhan's
idea that the 'the medium is the message' – distancing and separating from the Marxism. By " the
medium is the message", McLuhans describes that the 'real message that the radio and television
deliver...is not in the images that it transmits but rather the new mode of perception that it imposes
on traditional group and family structure' (Baudrillard 1983:187). In other words, it is, in fact,
through the medium which a message shaped the perception of people, and not vice–versa.
McLuhans warned us about the new medium effects, which it is often something unheard of in the
early 18th century, since the medium, itself, influences society. Therefore, media and its medium
mediate our experience without us noticing it, and Baudrillard alarms us about it. However, we must
first differentiate the definition of
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