Examples of hyperreality and simulacra
- Christmas. In family films and Netflix specials, Christmas is a 'magical' time with food, fun, friends and shopping. In reality, Christmas is stressful and often isolating. It rarely snows, and the process of Christmas shopping can be nightmarish. The representation is clearly superior to the reality, and remains far more popular too
- Small town life. Living in a small down sucks! It can be isolating, cliquey and frankly depressing. However, small town life is often fetishised and idealised by hyperreal representational constructions in films and TV shows.
- Sex. Represented in a variety of ways in films and videos. 'The first time'. The loss of virginity narrative. The reality never lives up to the fantasy. Rose petals, low key lighting... Also hard core porn.
- War. Represented in a fun and exciting way in films and videogames. War films such as Hacksaw Ridge. Heroic! Exciting! Glorification! Must be entertaining for an audience, avoid offending an audience. Propaganda!
Examples of hyperreality and simulacra in Humans
 |
| The synths themselves are an excellent example of hyperreality, a 'perfect' representation of humanity, who look identical to humans. Arguably synths are even better than humans! For example Nishka decides to not switch off her pain-chip to deliberately force herself to suffer. This illogical yet highly noble act is exactly what a human may choose to do... yet Nishka is a machine. |
The breakfast scene
To what extent can it be argued that Humans is a postmodern media product? {15} {25 minutes}
...I shall argue that is a fundamentally postmodern media product, and in particular is an excellent exploration of the concepts of hyperreality and simulacrum....
One particularly convincing example of hyperreality occurs during the breakfast scene.
The breakfast itself. MES: arrangement of toast, "the jam's in a thing!". Sophie's excitement can be explained by the fact that she clearly recognises such scenes from films and TV shows. Her excitement indicates that this is different from how breakfast usually is in the Hawkins household. Joe: "this is what breakfast is supposed to be like!"clearly happy and excited! Excitement at a hyperreal construction, a fantasy. The breakfast resembles a hotel breakfast, or a breakfast in a film or TV show. Characters within a TV show discussing the nature of reality is a highly hyperreal, postmodern aspect.
Anita herself. A hyperreal construction of hegemonic female attractiveness. More hegemonically attractive than Laura, and forms a powerful diametric opposition. While Laura has skin blemishes, ginger hair, and slightly larger frame constructs her as less hegemonically attractive. For Laura, Anita is a hyperreal version of herself, stealing her life. Not only does Anita read stories to Sophie and do the ironing, she also constructs a fabulous, hyperreal breakfast. Joe may even prefer her to Laura for the very fact that she is not real. Cognitive dissonance. The inability to hold two thoughts in ones head at the same time. Anita is both alive and beautiful, yet dead and cold.
Anita's laughter is also an example of a hyperreal construction. Joe tells an appalling pun that normally would be met with groans. When prompted, Anita reacts with a fake, empty and repetitive and creepy laugh. By doing what she is told in an exact way, Anita reinforces the patriarchal hegemony wielded by Joe, and inflates his ego. Disturbingly, this theme is returned to later on in the series when Joe essentially demands sex off Anita, presenting her with the 18+ card.
Even more confusingly, Anita is not even Anita, but a brainwashed synth called Mia. A copy of a copy of a copy... Postmodern media products generally make deliberately complicated and confusing statements about the nature of our existence and our inability to distinguish between fact and fiction. Anita's loss and reclamation of her identity is a classic postmodern narrative.