Hyperreality- Disney world, or the hyperreal world of Disney?
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Blog 3
The concept of representation within the notion of hyperreality is a critical aspect in the view one has of reality. The idea of how reality is represented not only allows us to convert meaning but construct it. However, due to hyperreality, the media does not simply represent or mirror reality but rather takes snippets from reality to reconstruct their meaning, hence creating a new reality. As, if one is exposed to a false and negative representation of reality say a 16-year-old adolescent is solely exposed to racist media, his perception of those belonging to a different race will be backed up by the misrepresentation in the media he follows. Hence, meaning is created and does not just happen.
Umberto Eco, an Italian literary critic, speaks heavily about the fabricated world of Disneyland, a perfect example of hyperreality, and the post-Disney effects one may experience in his book, ‘Travels of Hyperreality’ (“Umberto Eco”, n.d.). Disneyland is a place that is constructed around the ideal world, where everyone is friendly, roads are clean, everyone is happy, animals are tamed and a place where hopes and dreams can potentially come true. Eco, however, sees beyond the beauty and calls it a world of “absolute Fake” (Woolley, 1993), Baudrillard on the other hand, explains it as the “perfect model of all the entangled orders of simulation” (Woolley, 1993). Disney is a place that does not try to reproduce reality but enhance it, making it better than reality could ever be, causing our reality to be further away from ideal. The hyperreal effects are so prominent in post-Disney withdrawals that Eco says “…You risk feeling homesick for Disneyland,” a place, “where the wild animals don’t have to be coaxed. Disneyland tells us that technology can give us more reality than nature can.”(“Umberto Eco and His Travels in Hyperreality”, n.d.). Disney is not just known for its pristine environment and adrenaline-filled rides, but also for its unique food, ranging from Mickey Beignets, a Mickey-shaped doughnut, (Wolfe, 2017) to their legendary lobster nachos (Cox, 2021), however flavoursome and attractive their food may be, this too contributes to the idea that Disney creates a world better than reality, even in the aspect of food. As the Mickey Beignets are sold as advertised, no extra glam. This is evident as in the first link (“Disneyland Duel: Battle of the Beignets! | the Disney food blog”, n.d.) is what the official Disney page promises their Beignets to look like, while the second is an image shared by a tourist, (“Our first stop at WDW was obviously for Mickey-shaped beignets. These are now available at Port Orleans!”, 2021). In reality, when one orders food from places such as Burger King, Taco Bell and so on, many times the advertisement image we are shown, differs greatly from what we are given. Take this image for example (“Fast Food FAILS: Ads vs Reality”, 2011). The image on the right shows the ideal burger, which has a crispy bun, crunchy lettuce and the special sauce which gives it the punch. However, behind the seemingly ‘perfect’ burger, lies hours of manipulation. The burger patty is sprayed with shoe police to give it shine, and touched up with a few grill marks to make it more attractive. The bun is carefully picked, and coated in a cooking spray for shine after the vegetables are dried and placed accordingly, a toothpick is stuck in the middle adding height and security. Lastly, a tampon that had been placed in boiling water is placed at the back of the burger to give off a smoking effect (Djudjic, 2019). When made aware of these tricks, is one less or more disappointment in their food when ordering at a restaurant?
However, as Eco tried to investigate the reason behind this hyperreal world, where everything is more attractive, he understood the reason behind the perfect food, imitation castles and the coaxed animals, was nothing but capitalism. He understood that by creating a world that is better than reality and by constructing stores that looked like kids toys, big corporations like Disney would generate more traffic into their stores. Eco explains that hyperreality leads to the “completely real” manifesting into the “complete fake” (“Umberto Eco”, n.d.).
A similar concept is seen in Las Vegas, according to Mark Gottdiener. When thinking of Vegas, one usually imagines beaming lights, casinos, money and a number of structures that are not quite related to gambling. Take for instance the Egyptian pyramid, there is no historical or social relation between Egypt and gambling in a casino. Therefore, places like Las Vegas created these simulated unrealistic landmarks, where people feel they’ve stepped into another world, one where they feel like kids entering a Disney store built in the form of a castle. However, here the same concept is seen but for adults, who enter a wild, or a tropical paradise themed casino, which ultimately feeds capitalism. (Ryan, 2007.
Money making corporations such as Disney and casinos make use of hyperreality and its luring effects, in many cases for capitalism. A common aspect between Las Vegas and Disneyland is that they both adopt qualities from real life but amplify and enhance the positives of reality, making their audience never want to leave, causing them to spend more money on this unrealistic and fabricated reality, where the barrier between truth and simulation falls.
Cox, B. (2021). The Best Food At Disneyland, Ranked — Los Angeles — The Infatuation. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://www.theinfatuation.com/los-angeles/guides/the-best-food-at-disneyland-ranked
Disneyland Duel: Battle of the Beignets! | the disney food blog. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2014/08/28/disneyland-duel-battle-of-the-beignets/
Djudjic, D. (2019). How to create a perfect (fake) burger for a photo shoot — DIY Photography. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://www.diyphotography.net/how-to-create-a-perfect-fake-burger-for-a-photo-shoot/
Fast Food FAILS: Ads vs Reality. (2011). Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://www.boredpanda.com/fast-food-ads-vs-reality/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=organic
Our first stop at WDW was obviously for Mickey shaped beignets. These are now available at Port Orleans!. (2021). [Blog]. Retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/BkxmftJntg6/?utm_source=ig_embed
Ryan, M. (2007). Hyperreality. The Blackwell Encyclopedia Of Sociology. doi: 10.1002/9781405165518.wbeosh056
Umberto Eco and His Travels in Hyperreality. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://transparencynow.com/eco.htm
Umberto Eco. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from http://enterhyperreality.weebly.com/umberto-eco.html
Woolley, B. (1993). Virtual worlds. London: Penguin Books
Wolfe, A. (2017). The 10 Most Essential Foods at Disneyland Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 26 January 2021, from https://www.lamag.com/digestblog/best-disneyland-food/
