Jean Baudrillard, the famous French sociologist, cultural critic, theorist, philosopher and futurist died this week in Paris. He was 77.
Baudrillard was a man who never feared to make his thoughts known and feelings understood on just about any topic from the war in Iraq to the most mundane ordinary things of life.
He had the uncanny ability to see the future and from his unique perspective pronounce ideas that at the time seemed far-fetched and even ludicrous, but over time proved to be the way things were.
Baudrillard gained some notoriety in SF circles when the Wachowski brothers paid tribute to him in the futuristic film “The Matrix” because it was Baudrillard who first brought attention to the impact of a computerized, post-industrialized society’s lifestyle on the human psyche. The film had Neo, played by Keanu Reeves, hiding his illegal hacker’s software in the hollowed-out pages of a copy one of Baudrillard’s greatest works called “Simulacra and Simulation.” Later, when Neo awakens to the real world around him, the one not controlled by the Matrix, Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne, quotes Baudrillard with “Welcome to the desert of the real.”
Even though Andy and Larry Wachowski did all this to pay tribute to Baudrillard, one of their heroes, in typical rebellious Baudrillard style he claimed the film misrepresented his true intent.
“The most embarrassing part of the film is that the new problem posed by simulation is confused with its classical, Platonic treatment,” complained the philosopher. “The Matrix is surely the kind of film about the matrix that the matrix would have been able to produce.”
Long after “The Matrix” has been forgotten, Jean Baudrillard will still be remembered as a man of immense wisdom, insight, integrity and just the right amount of rebellious spirit.
No it’s not just you. I was thinking of folks like you and myself when I wrote the line. I agree that most will remember the Matrix more than Baudrillard, but it was to the chosen few, like yourself and others, that the last line was dedicated.
“Long after “The Matrix” has been forgotten, Jean Baudrillard will still be remembered as a man of immense wisdom, insight, integrity and just the right amount of rebellious spirit.”
I’ll say upfront that I’m a big fan of The Matrix (and the sequel Reloaded/Revolutions). I also read Dr. Cornell West before I read Simulacra and Simulation. I’m sure many people were introduced to Beaudrillard because of the Matrix, or because of Dr West.
But because we live in a world dominated by pop culture and lazy minds, because the majority of people don’t read anything deeper than People magazine, I’ll have to disagree with the closing statement of your article.
Is it just me?