[Brookside]

SIMULACRA IN THE DESERT



All of us are familiar with these spy-pics. The story goes that some intrepid photographer just so happened to snap these in the California desert on his cell phone.
He was then threatened by the fellows in the photo, they pounded on his car and he somehow managed to escape without any bodily harm.

BOGUS



I think these are carefully staged, deliberately grainy photographs orchestrated and paid for by BMW. The same guys who do those great nightshots of fatsuited prototypes.

Note how we only get to see exactly what BMW wants us to see...for example, how artfully posed the scrim is that hides the front of the car

(aren’t all of us hoping that we get a different grille and headlights than the Euro 1-series?) And the rear shot...whoops...taped up.
But BMW wants us to see the roofline, how perfectly and low the car sits on what appears to be 17” wheels. This particular shot is so professionally done it would do Tarentino proud.

And btw...these people, especially the “Chuckie” guy - they’re actors. Would you hire these people to do anything...anything like security or detailing or even schlepping film ecquipment around. I mean I wouldn't hire these people to mow my lawn...let alone pay them to do anything except to stay away.
These people are spoofs- spooky cliches - B-movie nightmare-in-the-Mohave.
Starring...the hard chick (oh yeah, black t-shirt in the desert sun - perfect attire for dehydration), the burnt-out surfer guy, and of course Chuckie.

This is Jean Baudrillard’s theory of the simulacra...the simulation of reality...acted out for you and me. Exactly you and me. This is our pornography from Playboy...oh, sorry, I meant BMW.

Don’t believe me? OK. Why haven’t we seen any additional photos? Scott27 said the
photographer was shopping around much better shots...that was over a month ago.
So where are they? I’ll tell you where...they are out there in the ether. They don’t exist.
These do because the two photographs are the product. These are the first official press photographs.
What photographer that you know reaches for their cell phone instead of their camera when presented with this kind of scoop?
To me, this is the new art- the art of the unreal posing as the real. The heightening of desire for consumership of an "inside" product.
Word-of-mouth. Image dissemination among the cognescenti via the internet.

So, thank you BMW for the skilled manipulation. I really mean that. You guys, wherever you are,are at the cutting edge of marketing.
You are ecqual to the genius' in the fatsuit department. And give Chuckie a big kiss from me. :wink:
Brookside