Factually Fake

The Truman Show (1998) depicts a constructed existence which deceptively simulates reality. The plot follows an orphan, who, as an infant, is purchased by a broadcasting corporation, and placed in a constructed dome (a large-scale film set) which holds a fake town inhabited by actors (24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Truman (Carrey) grows up in this distorted reality in which his entire existence is caught on film for millions to watch, all without his knowledge. The film is written by Andrew Niccol, and stars Jim Carrey. This fictional universe is comparable to Jean Baudrillard’s Simulacra and Simulations, in which he argues that Disneyland is a miniaturized working model of Capitalism, within our larger Capitalist reality. The Truman Show can easily be examined through the lens of Baudrillard’s Precession of Simulacra — in particular his explorations of a miniaturized hyper-real reality, the media’s “incantation”, and the acceptance of a presented reality.

The hyper-real as described by Baudrillard is “the generation by models of a real without origin or reality.” (409) Truman moves in what he perceives as “reality,” however he has not participated in what we perceive as reality. Baudrillard explains “The territory no longer precedes the map… it is the map that precedes the territory.” (409) Truman lives in this artificial town called ‘Seahaven’ which represents the real world. The director of Truman’s world, Christoph, aims to create a world in which one man (Truman) can have a beautiful, manipulated life, and never have to experience ‘the horrors’ of the real world. Living inside this television show parallels what Baudrillard says about Disneyland “ [A] town, which is nothing more than an immense script and a perpetual motion picture.” (414) Truman’s life further mirrors this phenomenon since his family and friends are all actors who have been cast in the television series, and within Disneyland all the fictional animations are actors cast to portray the characters that patrons are so familiar with. In both cases, this is done to create an overall semblance of authenticity.

Baudrillard argues that the media makes us believe in a fictitious reality, for we in fact live in a controlled capitalistic society. One could argue Fredric Jameson builds on this theory by describing postmodernism as: “The cultural logic of late capitalism” shown in The Truman Show with people buying into his fictionalized reality and quite literally wanting to be a part of his constructed life. Truman is living in a world as Jameson puts it “[A] reflection on the mission of political art in the bewildering new world space of late or multinational capital.” Furthermore, Tom Kando suggests, “The mass mediated electronic culture blurs the distinction between reality and unreality.” (5) Baudrillard calls the capital “a challenge to society” (415) to not “denounce” the fake reality but to “take it up [as] symbolic law.” Baudrillard explains that “the capital asks to receive it as rational or to combat it in the name of rationality.” This can be said of Truman’s capital reality, throughout his life has been commercialized. Baudrillard depicts a paradox which also applies to the movie The Truman Show:

“Disneyland is presented as imaginary in order to make us believe that the rest is real, when in fact all of Los Angeles and the America surrounding it are no longer real, but of the order of the hyper-real and of simulation. It is no longer a question of a false representation of reality (ideology) but of concealing the fact that the real is no longer real, and thus of saving the reality principle.” (413)

When people watch TV (within the movie and outside of it), it is accepted that our reality applies to the un-reality, and at the same time, does not apply.

Truman’s life is relative to the real world which is relative to what we know. This, as Tom Kando describes in Postmodernism: Old Wine in New Bottles? “A cornerstone of postmodern perspective is relativism — culture and otherwise.” (13) However, Baudrillard describes postmodernism relative to dissimulating and simulations. Baudrillard depicts dissimulation as “leav[ing] the reality principle intact” This is the reason Christoph, the “creator” of Truman’s life, believes he won’t leave or won’t choose to believe his life is a lie; because as he puts it himself “we accept the reality of the world with which we are presented.” (0:92:03) This also brings into consideration Baudrillard’s “simulations” which “threatens the difference between ‘true’ and ‘false’, between ‘real’ and ‘imaginary’” which one could argue as Christoph’s perception of reality could be a simulation as well. As Marlon, who plays the role of Truman’s “friend” on the show, puts it, “Nothing you see on this show is fake, it is merely controlled.” (0:02:07) One could argue our reality is “controlled”. Truman observes towards the end of the film that he would rather die than be enslaved. He finds death to be more appealing than participating in this false controlled “reality” that he is presented with. Truman declares this by screaming “Is that the best you can do? You’re going to have to kill me,” (0:90:06) while he attempts to escape by boat however a harsh storm is created in order to stop him. The Truman Show shows us Truman’s rejection of his preconceived reality as the only reality. In this moment, Christoph argues “There is no more truth out there than what I created for you.” (0:93:06) Truman then disregards this fact and steps into our “real” world demonstrating to us his “Incredulity towards the meta-narrative.” (Kaye, 18)

Having exited the simulated reality Truman had been subjected to for 30 years he is free to have a real life. But Baudrillard suggests that said “reality” is a “simulcra” in itself. The unclear distinction of what is true and false is a clear aspect of postmodernism just as a copy of reality is relative to the actual reality.

Works Cited

Baudrillard, Jean, and John Storey.

Cultural Theory and Popular Culture A Reader: The Precession of Simulacra.

Harlow: Pearson Educated Limited, 2009

Jameson, Fredric. Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism

UK: Verso Books, (1991)

Kaye, N,. Postmodernism and Performance

London: MacMillan Press (1994)

Kando, Tom. Postmodernism: Old Wine In New Bottles?

International Journal on World Peace, Vol. 13, №3 (1996), pp. 3–33

Los Angels: Professors World Peace Academy

The Truman Show Dir. Peter Weir.

Paramount Pictures, 1998