Simulakra, from the way I understood it, is when you don’t know when reality is really reality or whether reality is just shaped out of perceptions, of social constructs. According to Jean Baudrillard in his book, “Simulacra and Simulation”, associated with postmodernity is the blurredness of reality and representation (Wikipedia, 2011). In this post modern world, we have accepted realities as results of social constructs. We have accepted it because we don’t know the difference between what is real and what is not real anymore. In our lecture, it is said that our “society is being increasingly simulated that is conjured in images and discourses that substitute for people’s experience of a hard and fast reality.” As we live in the post-modern world, we are faced with this lack of distinction.
An example can be the media in terms of how it sensationalizes the world of celebrities to the masses. In a National Geographic commercial, I was able to catch Jose Javier Reyes’ statement about the Filipino masses living their lives vicariously through the celebrities. After watching that commercial, I laughed so hard because I know that it’s true. I looked to my left and saw my mom reading Kris Aquino’s magazine. She even commented about her recent thoughts about James Yap, as if they were close. Wow. This is amusing and very fitting indeed, don’t you think? Most of the Filipinos have their daily dose of Chikka minute and SNN and empathize with these so called popular people. We have become lost in the worlds of these celebrities that they have become part of our constructed “reality”. Moreover, these celebrities make more money out of their personal lives rather than what they do for a living-which is to appear in television and in movies. You don’t know whether they are acting their part or whether they are really what they seem to be, as portrayed in television. In Jose Javier Reyes’ status in Facebook, he says that he is “baffled how celebrities find a constant need to reveal secrets about their personal lives as if it were their obligation to the public to expose every sordid detail about their relationships and tests of fate. If Oprah can reveal her half sister, what will her local media-hungry counterparts "expose" for the sake of "pagpapakatotoo" about their dirty laundry?” It’s really intriguing to see the simulacra in the world of television. It’s like these celebrities integrate themselves with their own representations of reality that we want to be involved with. For instance, Kris Aquino broke up with James Yap (with all the drama involved with Hope and their other issues). It sounds like a telenovela but it’s actually real. Or perhaps, sila ay “nagpapakatotoo” lamang sa harap ng telebisyon. At tayo naman, bilang manoonood ay binibigyan halaga natin bilang totoo o “real”ang mga hininahain sa atin ng media. What the media depicts as reality can be only translations of reality. More often than not, what they let us see in the forms of media are just tidbits of what is real. Another example of this can be the reality television shows. Pinoy Big Brother is a famous reality show in the Philippines. They “simulate” situations that happen in real life. All the sad times, good moments and drama are highlighted. But you’re never sure if they’re real, or the media just wants you to think that it’s real. Moreover, this show blurs reality in such a way that you don’t know whether the characters are being told to act in a certain way off camera. They also sensationalize the happenings in the house, as if the characters really have major issues against each other to begin with. The media magnifies what is really happening, making it just a representation of reality. This kind of show is packaged in such a way that it will appeal to the audience by making them feel that this show is important through the use of commercial images and celebrities. But in reality, this show is just for ratings so the television company can profit from it. Lastly, the hyperrealism (as a world where reality is represented as more perfect than real) is evident in the way the Kuya’s house operates. Everything seems to be within the housemates’ reach-food, rewards, celebrities, material gifts etc (except for their families). If they are punished, they are not punished severely as opposed to what real life can do to you. They say PBB is the “drama ng totoong buhay”. Can this be true even if what they are experiencing is only a part and parcel of reality? If hyperrealism according to Baudrillard is “The generation by models of a real without origin or reality," such that one can no longer tell the difference between what is real and what is a representation of the real. Are we still living in a real world? Or are we just living in our constructed realities?
References:
Wikipedia. (2011). Simulacra and simulations. Retrieved from
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