Simulation and Theming in 'Ghost World' (2001)

Jean Baudrillard, in his dissection of the postmodernist concepts of simulation and hyperreality, argues that through this ‘simulacrum’ where everything is merely a copy of a copy of a copy, culture experiences a death of ‘reality’, where reality is replaced by simulation. One of the most ubiquitous forms of this simulation is that of theming; themed restaurants, themed bars, even themed housing. This corporisation often involves an element of nostalgia, exemplified through the rise in popularity of restaurants presented under the guise of a 1950s American Diner.

The film Ghost World (2001) explores the notion of simulation, and in particular, theming. The town in which the narrative is set is fictitious, a representation of small town America set against Baudrillard’s notion of hyperreality. There is a depiction of a 1950s themed diner which blares out a soundtrack of 1990s hip hop; a blues gig where a renowned African American blues guitarist is overshadowed by a white ‘blues’ band who’s grasp of the genre is nothing short of pitiful; and the protagonists themselves are portrayed as caricatures of American society through their lack of belonging in even an imagined reality.

Ghost World parodies the ‘reality’ in which simulation and theming exist, presenting its reality with a mocking, and often cruel, overtone. The film is based on the underground comic, also titled Ghost World, by Daniel Clowes, so is itself an example of ‘simulacrum’; it is a copy of a copy mocking the factions within society which base their reality on this concept. The overall tenor of the film is one of sadness and near hopelessness; the reality, or lack of, that now exists due to the fact that only simulations remain is depicted in Ghost World as creating an existence where happiness and belonging no longer prevails, where everything and everyone is disconnected, and where individuality is desired, gained, and then ultimately destroyed.