Mayo - Eco

"We accept the real so readily only because we sense that reality does not exist."
- Jorges Luis Borges

Umberto Eco states early in his essay, "The City Of Robots", that Las Vegas is not only a "fake" city, but a "message" city as well. Although we may not all agree what the "message" is, a few words that pop into my head, money, luck, decadence, American dream, chance, instant gratification, fit the collective bill well enough. And, although not quite the same thing, Disney World, is a "message" city in its own right... Promising the fulfillment of every child's deepest fantasy, and a nostalgic return to a time of innocence for adults.

Not to say the Disney World is less aware of it's grift. It is, in my opinion, even more contrived and calculating than the desert Mecca of sin, as it plays on the innocence of children, and a parent's compulsion to please... Walt's great achievement and legacy is even less a "real" city than Vegas, but functions in much the same way, that is, to separate you from your money, while providing the illusion of not only entertainment, but of tangible value.

Now, this is no secret. Whole families from all across the globe save and sacrifice for years on end for a mere weekend at either location, abstaining from other, more immediate forms of distraction and entertainment for the ultimate and synchronized moment of perfect, predetermined fantasy. The Jackpot. Tom Jones. Fireworks over Cinderella's Castle. Mickey Mouse. The Five Thousand Dollar an Hour Prostitute. These promised packages of symbolic pleasure appeal to different ages and cultures everywhere. The entertained know the falseness of the entertainment. The viewers know that the program is rehearsed, if it is even performed by an "actual" human at all. And, as Eco points out, many of the "actual" humans act as much like machines as their animatronic counterparts, as the patrons fall in line and act much like robots themselves.

A Heaven on Earth of sorts, manufactured by our own hands. If the Bomb transformed us into God, than it makes sense that we create our Heaven(s). Our current life a purgatory, that we must accumulate the monetary redemption to free ourselves from, if only for the duration of the "Three Park Family Pass". For the length of the weekend where all actions and accountability "stay in Vegas". Heaven indeed.

The ride is enjoyable because we are told it is.

We want a ball cap shaped like Pluto's head to prove our attendance, because it has "value" in its given context.

The casino promises a payoff that is seldom delivered, and gambling is mandatory.

Musicians and magicians and other performers who's artistic output is devoid of meaning or importance outside the city limits fill giant halls every night.

Having spent a small fortune, the entertained leave with products they will not use, with hundreds of photos to validate the experience, with a sense of accomplishment.

For what purpose does this serve us?

In addition, what of the "fake" cities that continue to be vomited from the mouths of corporate giants? What is their "message"?

Locally, Celebration and Baldwin Park, why do we go there? Why are these places so entrancing? The gentrification of Hannibal Square promises us what? Is the message of perfection, of instant "old neighborhood", so desirable that we look past its blatant deception? Do we collectively need such all encompassing conformity? Is the machine that we once created our ideal self? The loss of identity and individuality gains us the comfort of predictability, the safety of our own animatronic impression of self that is all things but true "Self".

Not only do we accept the Lie, but we will gladly overpay for it.