Hyper-reality

Reality, can people actually tell the difference between what is actually real and what is not? It has seem to appear that society has evolved into different realities of alternate truth. Hyper reality is when the conscious mind is unable to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality where what is real and fiction are blended together with no clear distinction between one end or beginnings. When I think of hyper-reality, I relate it to fashion. What is that defines the trends of fashion we see today. How do we actually distinguish what is beautiful and what is not? Let us take two different time zones and compare.

Modern version of bikini

 

1950’s version of bikini

Now in the modern version of bikini is undoubtedly today’s preference of “sexy” while the 1950’s version is not. But if we were to think about it and take the perception of society during the 1950, people then would consider that the older version as sexy while the modern version as inappropriate. This undoubtedly due to the illusion that society has created for themselves of what is the actual truth, or as we can say, a hyper-reality.

Then what is it that influence people that creates this hyper-reality? Jean Baudrillard, writer of Simulacra and simulation defines that it was the link between reality and symbolism. In relation to our modern society, perception of things around us are influenced the media and the information that we receive from television, radios and so on. The fact that how much the media plays such an important role in influencing society clearly shows how fashion can be defined by what the media say is sexy and what is not. This act of symbolism(media) I would say is pushing society towards a hyper-reality, an illusion of what the truth really is. The things around us, what is sexy and what is not, or even what is cool and what is boring is really an illusion created by society that creates the media.

An example of this can be reflected on the movie “Borat”. A movie that is supposedly to portray they life style and culture of people in Kazakhstan. Truthfully, the movie does not actually portray the true sense of people on Kazakhstan, the movie was in fact a mockery of them. Many people may not really know the truth of what Kazakhstan is and actually accept symbolism created by the movie and perceive how Kazakhstan is portrayed in the movie. I have to admit myself that I once was ignorant and depended on movies and medias to show what places like Kazakhstan is like. I would say, majority or people are living in this illusion that they have created for themselves. A hyper reality of the truth like the movie Borat and the actual culture of Kazakhstan.

Borat version of people in Kazakhstan

Actual version of people in Kazakhstan (they are normal)