Question # 10

In Jean Baudrillard’s artible “Simulacra and Simulations” he discusses the way in which our world has lost both its perception of “reality” and its perception of the “abstract.” He explains that we have not only lost track of reality and that which is “real” but, we have also lost track of the “magic of the concept” or the “ideal.” In this article he also develops the idea of the “hyperreal” which refers to all that is produced by complete “simulation.” The “hyperreal” describes a one dimensional world that no longer has “the ideal” or “the real,” but is rather a world developed by the substituting of “signs.” This idea of “simulation and simulacra” in many ways can be connected to Karl Marx’s constructions of the “superstructure.” Marx developed the “superstructure” as a means to explain the way in which the desires of the people are filtered through the “super structure” or “hegemony” in order to create what society actually is. Therefore, in a sense Marx’s idea of the “superstructure” could in fact be the reason why culture has begun to develop characteristics of the “hyperreal.” As a result of the fact that the differences and unique desires of individuals are being filtered out through the “superstructure” or “hegemony” our world could eventually only allow us to “substitute signs” in order to become a product of the simulation of our culture.

In the article “Advertising and the Political Economy of Lesbian/Gay Identity” the author Fejes explains the way in which gay men have “achieved equality” through their consumer profile. Advertisements and other forms of media have in recent years come to the realization that gay men are the ideal consumer based off of their typically above average incomes and their tendency to splurge on clothing, travel and other products. In addition, in the article “Black Sitcoms Portrayals” by Robin R. Means Coleman, the author reveals peoples opinions regarding many sitcoms and television shoes featuring African American characters. In conclusion, this article states that “hegemony” or the “superstructure” has only allowed for certain, positive aspects of African American culture to be seen in media outlets. Therefore, similarly to the way gay men have only been partially accepted for their consumer profiles, African Americans have also only been partially accepted by the “superstructure.”

This image featuring many images seen in “Vogue” magazine depicts the ideas developed in these three articles in the sense that for the most part all of the women in these pictures look relatively a like. Therefore, their similarities in a way embodies the complete “simulation” of our culture, which will most likely come as the result of Marx’s superstructure. Essentially both of these constructions call for all people to portray the same image that “hegemony” has declared is right. In other words, the fact that all of these models are tall, beautiful, attractive and possess symbols of wealth, may reflect the overall goal of “hegemony,” the “superstructure” and the “hyperreal.”