Baudrillard focuses most of his article on simulations and hyperreality. Baudrillard explains that hyperreality is a simulation without origin. There are many signs that are kind of taking the place of real signs; when this happens it makes neither true nor false. In a way it just blurs reality. The social world is hyperreal because it is based on simulations of simulations. This means that they produce unending cycle of simulations and imitations. There are four stages to this unending cycle; reflection of basic reality, masking and perverting reality, masking the absence of basic reality and pure simulacrum.
First we will talk about the first stage, the reflection of basic reality. It is just a good appearance and it is the representation of order of sacrament. The second stage is of evil appearance and there is no way to separate the real from the hyperreal. The third stage is playing at being an appearance. It is of the order of sorcery; it covers the line that separates the real from the unreal. In the last stage appearance no longer matters at all. At this point it has become a simulation. This is where the simulation of simulations is created.
Baudrillard uses Disneyland as an example of simulations of simulations. Baudrillard even goes as far as saying that Disneyland is a world entangled simulations. As soon as one parks the car they leave the real world and enter Disneyland; a world of simulations. A world filled with simulations of simulations. Disneyland is like the sign that covers up what is really real, America. It is covering up America and being the symbolized as what America really is. It is presented as imaginary to make us believe that the rest of America is not really real. It is covering up the line between real and unreal by using the imaginary; all the things that it makes up Disneyland, all its characters, all its worlds, and all its gadgets. It also fits in the four stages because it is neither true nor false. The characters and the different worlds are not really real, they are just imaginary, someone made them up, but there is no doubt that Disneyland exists. It is also meant to help us realize that this is place for children; that adults don’t exist in this world. However, they do, they are just acting as children and are proving creating yet another simulation in this world of simulations. This world is an imaginary station that is filled with endless, unreal simulations. This imaginary world has no space or dimensions, no real time. It only exists in this imaginary station. However this world needs all the made up worlds that live in it and all the made up characters that live in those worlds to survive. Without this imaginary the imaginary station can no longer exist. This world can’t exist without the simulations of simulations. When the simulations are out of the picture then the world is just something that is imagined. The world dies without its simulations.
First we will talk about the first stage, the reflection of basic reality. It is just a good appearance and it is the representation of order of sacrament. The second stage is of evil appearance and there is no way to separate the real from the hyperreal. The third stage is playing at being an appearance. It is of the order of sorcery; it covers the line that separates the real from the unreal. In the last stage appearance no longer matters at all. At this point it has become a simulation. This is where the simulation of simulations is created.
Baudrillard uses Disneyland as an example of simulations of simulations. Baudrillard even goes as far as saying that Disneyland is a world entangled simulations. As soon as one parks the car they leave the real world and enter Disneyland; a world of simulations. A world filled with simulations of simulations. Disneyland is like the sign that covers up what is really real, America. It is covering up America and being the symbolized as what America really is. It is presented as imaginary to make us believe that the rest of America is not really real. It is covering up the line between real and unreal by using the imaginary; all the things that it makes up Disneyland, all its characters, all its worlds, and all its gadgets. It also fits in the four stages because it is neither true nor false. The characters and the different worlds are not really real, they are just imaginary, someone made them up, but there is no doubt that Disneyland exists. It is also meant to help us realize that this is place for children; that adults don’t exist in this world. However, they do, they are just acting as children and are proving creating yet another simulation in this world of simulations. This world is an imaginary station that is filled with endless, unreal simulations. This imaginary world has no space or dimensions, no real time. It only exists in this imaginary station. However this world needs all the made up worlds that live in it and all the made up characters that live in those worlds to survive. Without this imaginary the imaginary station can no longer exist. This world can’t exist without the simulations of simulations. When the simulations are out of the picture then the world is just something that is imagined. The world dies without its simulations.