Jean Baudrillard An Influential Thinker - 1379 Words

In 2007, Jean Baudrillard was published in a Canadian Newspaper, La Presse. Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007), French sociologist and philosopher, is one of the most influential postmodern thinkers, known for his scathing critic on consumerism or late capitalism, which he prophesied. In 1970, he published The Consumer Society, which he shed light on the subject and object of consumption, around which contemporary societies are organized. A few years later, he published Simulacra and Simulation, and implemented the hyper reality, by which objects are to be false and hidden from the truth. Baudrillard, an early admirer of McLuhan, expands his research and analysis on McLuhan’s idea that the ‘the medium is the message’ - distancing and separating from the Marxism. By â€Å" the medium is the message†, McLuhans describes that the ‘real message that the radio and television deliver†¦is not in the images that it transmits but rather the new mode of percep tion that it imposes on traditional group and family structure’ (Baudrillard 1983:187). In other words, it is, in fact, through the medium which a message shaped the perception of people, and not vice-versa. McLuhans warned us about the new medium effects, which it is often something unheard of in the early 18th century, since the medium, itself, influences society. Therefore, media and its medium mediate our experience without us noticing it, and Baudrillard alarms us about it. However, we must first differentiate the definition ofShow MoreRelatedAn Essay on Baudrillard2221 Words   |  9 Pagescritic? Radical thinker? Critical terrorist? Nihilist? These are just a number ways French sociologist, Jean Baudrillard is described in academic literature. Famous for his well-documented theories on Post-Modernism and the media, Baudrillard presents numerous commentaries on the media’s portrayal of ‘reality’ within society. His theories are extensive and includ e thoughts and narratives on Marxism and the rise of ‘new’ technology, to note a few. As Richard Lane suggests, â€Å"Jean Baudrillard is not onlyRead MorePostmodernism and the Simpsons10775 Words   |  44 Pagestheories of intertexuality, hyperreality, and metanarratives. Before delving into The Simpsons, some major theoretical aspects of postmodernism in aesthetic production are outlined. Three of the most prominent theorists of postmodernism – Lyotard, Baudrillard and Jameson – are introduced, as well as their theories which will be brought into consideration in the following chapters. The objective of the essay is to apply these theories to The Simpsons and thereby reveal some of the foremost characteristicsRead MoreA Critical Review of â€Å"the Ambiguities of Football, Politics, Culture, and Social Transformation in Latin America† by Tamir Bar-on.14147 Words   |  57 PagesPolitics, Culture, and Social Transformation in Latin Americaâ₠¬  by Tamir Bar-On. Introduction: In Latin America, soccer is not a game; it is a way of life. It is mixed in with politics and nationalism. It defines social classes. How politically influential is soccer in Latin America? It is used by â€Å"various Latin American socio-economic elites in order to retard the acceleration of working class and popular discontent† (Bar-On 1997:1.8). Is it then not intriguing that women play no part in the schemeRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesfrom the audience. This is a book that will become a classic in organization studies. Mihaela L. Kelemen, Professor of Management Studies, Keele University, UK An unusually rich and deep philosophical book on organization theory with several new thinkers and ideas. Pedagogically a well-structured book with many clear learning objectives, cases, examples and good summaries for every chapter. Professor Martin Lindell, Hanken Business School, Swedish School of Economics and Business Administration,