Hyperreality is a condition where reality is replaced by simulacrum.
Simulacra is the current stage of simulation; it is a representation of
the real. One form of hyperreality is a magazine cover showcasing
celebrities which look picture perfect. These images of 'perfection' derive from other equally false
representations, for example Hollywood ladies, thus developing the
idea of beauty which is then copied to the extent that it is presented
upon glossy magazine covers. The cover designs portray
celebrities to have perfect shiny hair, flawless skin and amazing
figures, although this often is not the case and it is the use of photo
enhancing software which aids the production of these images. These
enhanced images then become simulacrum of the real person; they do not
actually look like this but this is the image of the person that is
portrayed to the real world. Due to this perceived image, the person
featured may even be passed in the street without the realization that
they have previously been seen on a magazine cover. This media
manipulation that is believed to be real then leads people to want to
look a certain way, be a certain person, have the perfect lifestyle.
People become insecure about their own features, believing there ears
are too big, nose is not the correct shape, breasts are too small and
will consequently turn to drastic measures, such as surgery, to change
what they see as imperfections in a strive to become a copy of the
person they see on the magazine covers; closer to the hyperreality. The
reality of what a real person looks like directly juxtaposes the images
on magazine cover designs. These perfect images that people measure
themselves against are not reality but instead hyperreality. Thus proving that 'We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.' (Baudrillard, 1994, p. 79). Reality is
far from the world of hyperreality and can very rarely be reached.
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