The Consumer's Sublime

Based on the introduction of the consumer's sublime in Hugo Gernsback's Ralph124c41+, I will be exploring the consumer's sublime based on two major sources of consumerism today: Walt Disney World (and the Disney Corporation) and Las Vegas, NV. While David E. Nye condemns these for being entertainment for entertainment's sake without any other value whatsoever, I will be arguing that the consumer's sublime is not so. Rather, the two popular vacation destinations provide elements of many other forms of the technological sublime mentioned in his American Technological Sublime. Also, I will exploring these themes through Jean Beaudrillard's theory in Simulacra and Simulation.





First here is a video of Walt Disney World's Main Street, USA in the Magic Kingdom Park. It is a replication of the 1940s(ish) New Orleans, (scaled down 1/3, including all buildings), bringing consumers back to a time of nostalgia and more carefree attitude. Behind all these facades are shops galore, as seen in the last bits of the video. (Really people, watch it, Disney makes people happy :))





Here is the main excerpt I will be focusing on in Baudrillard's Simulacra and Simulation. Please scroll down to Hyperreal and Imagery. It talks about Disneyland and how it is trying to replicate reality, by doing so it discards the real world we live in, trying to replace it. It is very interesting (and a short read!)

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/HPS/Baudrillard/Baudrillard_Simulacra.html

Here is a video of Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, where there is the facade of the Great Roman Empire. However, all it houses are high end designer stores and replications of sculptures that once inspired awe. (Still really pretty though! Enjoy!)