The term 'simulation' brings to mind images straight out of The Matrix. Thousands of human bodies in vats, powering the outside world. Simulated lives that can be woken up from once they reach the realization that "this isn't reality". Post-structuralist Jean Baudrillard's conception of 'simulation' is much more nuanced. In his 1981 book Simulacra and Simulation, Baudrillard puts forward his theory that signs have come to constitute and replace reality. The author proposes that this will culminate in the stage of the hyperreal, where reality and simulation cannot be told apart or separated. Examining cultural monarchs such as Disneyland and The Sims, I will argue that we've reached the stage of the hyperreal.
'Simulacra' is defined as representations and copies that have either come to replace reality itself, or never had originals. 'Simulation' refers to something that emulates reality. Jean Baudrillard proposes his theory of the four stages of simulacra that mark a degradation of reality:1
1 It is the reflection of a profound reality.
2 It masks and denatures a profound reality.
3 It masks the absence of a profound reality.
4 It bears no relation to any reality whatsoever: it is its own pure simulacrum.
The first two stages are easily identifiable in the real world, exemplified by photographs and simple photoshop jobs. The third and fourth stages are harder to identify, as they stray further from reality. Baudrillard observes that the fourth stage of pure simulacrum sets the stage for the hyperreal - where reality and simulation cannot be distinguished from one another. In order to demonstrate this idea, Baudrillard gives the example of Disneyland. He writes:
Disneyland is a perfect model of all the entangled orders of simulation. To begin with it is a play of illusions and phantasms: pirates, the frontier, future world, etc. This imaginary world is supposed to be what makes the operation successful. But, what draws the crowds is undoubtedly much more the social microcosm, the miniaturized and religious revelling in real America, in its delights and drawbacks.2
Disneyland embodies the levels of simulacra in every aspect of its existence. From the forced perspective of Main Street to the costumed adults on parade floats, it only seems right to denote the theme park as its own land. Disneyland is quintessentially American, a consumerist haven that lacks real substance. It is more American than America itself, a simple utopia branded as the 'happiest place on Earth'. The unspoken agreement to lean into the illusion and pretend that Disneyland differs from the rest of the world holds the entire corporation together. Once enveloped in this fourth order simulacra, the real and simulation become one and the same. Real discomforts and problems become part of Disney's charm, further entrancing visitors. Nearly anything can be forgiven when under the spell of Disney magic.
The term "Disney adult" was coined in the early 2020s to describe millennial fans of Disneyland who base their entire identity off of the Disney universe. As an article by Rolling Stone jokes, "a Disney adult is someone who lives and breathes the brand, buying limited-edition mouse ears and popcorn buckets and branded fitness trackers the moment they drop, constantly posting free advertisements for the park in the form of Cinderella's Castle and Purple Wall selfies."3 Disney is more than just an interest for this group, it's a lifestyle. Many spend thousands of dollars on each trip to the theme parks, and thousands more on seasonal merchandise drops. Disney adults have garnered much criticism online for having childish interests and spending their money irresponsibly - yet in 1981 Baudrillard suggested that Disneyland deliberately targets adults. He wrote, "it is meant to be an infantile world, in order to make us believe that the adults are elsewhere, in the "real" world, and to conceal the fact that real childishness is everywhere, particularly among those adults who go there to act the child in order to foster illusions of their real childishness."4 Disneyland is touted by Disney adults as a way to keep one's inner child alive, but if anything it exists to legitimize the concept of adulthood. It suggests that adults exist, if not in these cartoons, then in the 'real world'. Adulthood is written into the code of society, a natural destination for every person. It is more than the mere act of working a 9-5 and paying one's own bills, it's the acceptance of the social structure as fact and an unquestioned obedience to authority. It's a high level of responsibility and good judgment that is expected to be upheld at all times. 'Adults' are the product of social conditioning and expectations; they don't exist outside of the social structure. In the Disney corporation, 'adults' only exist to fiscally support the commercial interests of 'children'. Disneyland preserves the idea that the adult exists as the pinnacle of capitalist and imperialist interests. They work and work until they can take a vacation and visit "the happiest place on Earth", where they can revert back to children, oblivious to the fact that they are pursuing impossible ideals.
Similarly, people are attracted to digital life simulators. Simulators allow us to feel that there is merit behind rules and social conventions, cementing the systems in reality. It seems that the attraction of modern simulators is best analyzed using a combination of philosophical theories. French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan argues that fantasy is closer to reality than to dreams: "What does it mean, more precisely, to say that ideological fantasy structures reality itself? Let us explain by starting from the fundamental Lacanian thesis that in the opposition between dream and reality, fantasy is on the side of reality: it is, as Lacan once said, the support that gives consistency to what we call 'reality'."5 Simulators similarly support our conception of reality by reinforcing social conventions.
According to philosopher Slavoj Žižek, it's not that we don't know we're in a simulation; it's that we know but pretend not to. There appears to be no way out of the reality we've created, leading us toward smaller, easily controlled simulations such as virtual life simulators. With over 200 million copies sold worldwide, the prime example has to be the Sims franchise. Like Disney, the Sims has a cult following of chronically-online individuals. The Sims has a simple concept and gameplay, something that has only seemed to help boost its appeal to players. According to The Sims 4 game description, the franchise invites players to "play with life and discover the possibilities. Unleash your imagination and create a world of Sims that's wholly unique. Explore and customize every detail from Sims to homes-and much more." While playing The Sims, the possibilities seem endless - but are they? Lacan would argue that this is just another instance of ideological fantasy. Players have choices, but the options are pre-determined. The laws of physics can be challenged, but societal conventions still dictate what is allowed and what isn't. Players are made to believe that they're in control of the game, yet their every move has already been predicted by the gamemakers. Even the game's description looks to influence our perception of control; it claims that players are able to "customize every detail". The appeal of The Sims reaches beyond the game and peaks in the so-called 'real world'. Its existence comforts us, a contained simulation characterized by the illusions of choice and control. Baudrillard would say that The Sims is just another tool used to manipulate the minds of players.6 It simultaneously reinforces the ideologies of our simulation whilst giving players reason to believe in a reality. Further, its cultural impact is simply the worship of simulacra.
In conclusion, life simulators and other forms of simulacra have passed beyond reflecting a 'profound reality'7, developing into their own worlds. These simulacra structure our reality, shaping our minds and dictating the boundaries. It's impossible to tell ideology apart from reality. What interests me most about modern-day simulacra is the performance of it all. It's not just the private consumption of Disney movies or playing of The Sims, but the Disney influencers and Twitch livestreams of gameplay. It's the extensive creation of content based on the consumption of commercial products and the concurrent curation of an online persona for social media. On top of this exists thousands of people whose content is solely based on consuming and reacting to another creator's content. The web is endless; we have entered the hyperreal.
1 Jean Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation (University Of Michigan Press, 1981), 6.
2 Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, 12.
3 EJ Dickson, "How 'Disney Adults' Became the Most Hated Group on the Internet," Rolling Stone, June 21, 2022, https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/disney-adults-tiktok-hated-internet-1370226/.
4 Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, 13.
5 Slavoj Žižek, The Sublime Object of Ideology (Verso, 1989), 44.
6 Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, 66.
7 Baudrillard, Simulacra and Simulation, 6.