Deconstructing Hypertruth
Abstract
Truth in a hyperreal context and the veracity of our mediated relationships are the concerns of this research. The boundary between the digital and the physical becomes blurrier when considering Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality. This study employs Baudrillard’s semiotics framework as a theoretical lens to examine the intersection of consumer culture and socialism. The framework shows how various cultures, languages, and pictures may convey meaning in diverse ways, which poses an extent of challenge to the humanist idea of an objective truth. Socialist ideology, which advocates for public ownership, is ineffective when the signifier, or visual representation, takes precedence over the signified, or the underlying reality, as observed in specific ads, company logos, and celebrities. One risk with hyperreality ads is that viewers may become fixated on the models and ignore the items itself. The situation gets even more confusing, and consumer culture is once again undermined. Typically, brands use media to create a hyperrealistic image of their products, but the media provides consumers with a way to understand everything without experiencing it. As a result of seeing nothing more than the surface level of reality, people have become paralyzed by the media’s portrayal of a world full of reproducing simulations and models. The effects of hyperreality on truth and the potential of simulations to mask socialism’s flaws are also questioned in this research.