Baudrillard's 'Simulacrum and Simulation'

Jean Baudrillard, a French philosopher, argues in Simulacra and Simulation (1981) that we are living in an era of hyper-reality. This is where the representation, or the signifier of an image has become simulated so that we are, according to Baudrillard (1981 in Poster 1988), ‘sheltered from the imaginary, and from any distinction between the real and the imaginary’ (p.167). In layman’s terms, this simply means that media images and political messages make us believe we are living a reality, when in fact, the reality we are living never really existed; instead, it was constructed by the messages given to us. Therefore, according to Baudrillard (1981), our reality is a simulacrum; which the Oxford Dictionary (2012) defines as ‘a representation of […] something’ (p.1). If something is a representation, which a simulacrum is, it cannot be original and therefore cannot be real. Baudrillard believes that the signifiers of language are being used to prevent a ‘real’ reality occurring. However, Douglas Kellner, in Media Studies (1995), believes that the media are using language signifiers to produce images ‘with which its audiences can identify and emulate, [therefore the signifier], possesses important socialising and enculturating effects’ (p.238). In other words, Kellner (1995), believes that the images which the media reproduce, promote culturally acceptable ideals, thus allowing those receiving the images to strive to fit into society.

Whilst Baudrillard’s theory is convincing, it does have its limitations. To say that our reality is totally constructed out of media messages to the extent that it is no longer real does not take into account the fact that the media must have gotten its initial ideas from somewhere. This would have to be a reality of some kind, therefore our reality cannot be completely constructed. Kellner’s theory suggests that the media are merely promoting what is culturally acceptable, but, he fails to take into account that more than one culture can, and very often does, live in a single area. Similarities between Baudrillard’s argument and Adorno’s argument in The Culture Industry can be identified. They both agree that the media is having a detrimental effect on society, in particular, with reference to the ability of society to use their imagination, and to distinguish between what is real and what is not. Likewise, similarities can also be seen between Kellner’s ideas and those of Fiske in Television Culture, where they both agree that media messages give individuals the chance to fit in society.

References
Adorno, T. (1944), The Culture Industry. In Rivkin, J & Ryan, J (eds) (1998). Literary Theory: An Anthology. Blackwell: Oxford.

Adorno, T. (1944). How to Look at Television. In Bernstein, J. M. (eds) (1991) The Culture Industry. Routledge: New York.

Baudrillard, J. (1981) Simulacrum and Simulation. In Poster, M. (eds.) (1988) Jean Baudrillard: Selected Writings. Stanford University Press: Stanford.

Fiske, J. (1990) Television Culture. In Rivkin, J & Ryan, J (eds) (1998). Literary Theory: An Anthology. Blackwell: Oxford.

Kellner, D. (1995) Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern. Routledge: London.

Oxford Dictionary (2012) Simulacrum. Oxford University Press: Oxford. [Online]. Available from: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/simulcrum. [Accessed 10th January 2012].