EVALUATE MEDIA LANGUAGE: BAUDRILLARD

Baudrillard’s theory suggests that in contemporary society, representations no longer reflect reality but instead create a simulated version of it. Postmodernism challenges the idea of an objective reality, arguing that meaning is constructed through media and cultural representations. LFTVDs often blur the lines between reality and simulation, creating a world where images and signs become more ‘real’ than reality itself.

In Stranger Things, the series presents a nostalgic, hyperreal version of 1980s America. Rather than an authentic representation of the era, it draws from pop culture references, synthesising elements from classic films, music, and aesthetics of the time. This results in a world that feels more ‘real’ than the actual 1980s, as it is constructed from collective media memories rather than lived experience. The Upside Down, a dark mirror of reality, serves as a metaphor for hyperreality, as it distorts and replicates the real world while existing as a simulation within the show’s narrative. The use of Leica Summilux-C lenses to replicate the visual aesthetic of Spielbergian cinema reinforces this simulated nostalgia, but viewers are not nostalgic for the real 1980s, but for a hyperreal version, a “copy of a copy of a copy.”

Similarly, D83 constructs its historical diegesis through carefully curated signifiers, creating a hyperreal vision of Cold War Germany. In one scene, Lenora hands Martin a Puma T-shirt, Adidas trainers, and Levi jeans, highlighting them in close-up. These brands symbolise the capitalist freedom of West Germany, but they, too, are simulacra—copies of a consumerist ideal rather than genuine freedom. Martin’s transformation into a Western spy mirrors the process of simulation itself; he does not truly become a West German but performs a constructed version of one. Baudrillard’s theory of hyperreality allows us to decode these multiple layers of meaning that may otherwise go unnoticed.

While Baudrillard’s ideas about hyperreality and simulation are useful for analysing these texts, we must be cautious about over-attributing meaning. The first scene of Stranger Things, depicting a scientist attacked by a creature in a secretive government lab, seems to challenge the modernist faith in science. However, this may not be a postmodern critique but simply a sci-fi convention. Similarly, D83 opens with Lenora listening to Ronald Reagan’s ‘Evil Empire’ speech, a moment rich with ideological ambiguity. Reagan’s belief in capitalism is modernist in its embrace of scientific and social progress, yet its globalist rejection of nationalism aligns with postmodern thought. Baudrillard would likely revel in this ambiguity, but it seems unlikely that D83 is deliberately making this ideological statement.

420  WORDS – 8/10

Baudrillard also theorises that postmodernity is characterised by an implosion of socio-cultural distinctions. On the surface, both Stranger Things and Deutschland 83 appear to contradict this idea. Stranger Things presents a rigidly patriarchal culture, with clearly defined family and workplace roles, while Deutschland 83 portrays West Germany in a similarly hierarchical manner. However, both series contain signs of this implosion beginning. Nancy in Stranger Things challenges gender norms, excelling at science and evolving into an investigative journalist, despite her initial role as the popular boy’s girlfriend. Likewise, Lenora, though dressed like a stereotypical Western woman, is the ruthless leader of East Germany’s HVA. These contradictions suggest an early erosion of traditional gender roles, a shift that Gauntlett’s theory of fluid gender identity may better explain.

Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra helps us understand how these dramas create meaning by layering representation upon representation. However, his perspective assumes that audiences passively accept these hyperreal constructs. In reality, audiences recognise the nostalgic artifice of Stranger Things and the dramatised historical representation in Deutschland 83. While hyperreality shapes their engagement, they still interact with these texts critically, bringing their own cultural perspectives and interpretations.

610 WORDS – 9/10

Ultimately, Baudrillard’s hyperreality and simulation provide valuable insights into how media constructs reality, but they have limitations. Stranger Things and Deutschland 83 exemplify postmodern storytelling, blending reality and representation in ways that challenge traditional notions of truth. However, audience engagement is not purely dictated by simulation—individual interpretation, emotional connection, and genre conventions all shape meaning. While Baudrillard offers one way of decoding these texts, Gauntlett’s views on identity and Neale’s genre theory may, at times, be more useful tools for analysis.

690 WORDS – 10/10