Perspectives on Hyper-Realities: Simulacra and Shadows of Silent Gazes

On Ideology

There are several perspectives on ideology; the familiar and orthodox one is false consciousness, i.e., when social mechanisms cause mental distortion or misrepresentation of social relations in the consciousness of the underclass according to Karl Marx as discussed by Eyerman (1981, p. 3). It is typified by “they know not what they do.” This was the perspective of the Frankfurt School. However, in the late 20th century, it was argued that in a global capitalist society, the proliferation of digital technology and the mediation of life through serial image-making and dissemination meant that issues of control, surveillance, consumption, and commodification get implicated in ordinary experiences in contemporary society. The commodification of life experiences, for instance, can be experienced daily via cyberspace and cinema. “Real” life experiences are even purchasable on the market, and this era is becoming increasingly commercialized.