MuleSkinner Book Recommendation #12

Il costume di casa ^{- I suppose this to be the original italian name for these essays (also possible that its the name of only one of these). Texts may have been published in english in book under title Travels in Hyperreality, but didn't have time to check that out...}

(Umberto Eco, 1973)

For the next recommendation we've chosen again a series of short texts, this time some Umberto Eco's essayist writings from behind years, 1970s/80s. These essays are almost like remarks from travelers notebook (but with a common theme and style, which we can summon as glances under the consumerist shine with 'semiotic magnifying glass'). Basically this limited selection from Eco's numerous essays, (semiotics his main field of research, along with the middle-ages, I guess), presents us a cultural journey across the Reaganesque/Nixonian California and America; rather more sarcastic trip than the stories in more typical traveler-books.

In during his travels around Eco visits several places where (he finds) most striking exaggerations of mixing cultural artefacts with counterfeits and copies, the imitations and re-creations from the historical pasts. Most briefly (said): kitsch and coca-cola hand-in-hand, fx original 'art-works' and antique furniture next to the false copies and waxed models of such. His journey then continues through the historical museums, heritage collections of the enormously rich and their castles with odd architectural formations, entertainment towns like Disneyland and also animal gardens and natural (marine) amusement parks. The result is a contemplated, but of course rather pointing interpretations from the building of these overconsumerist dreamworlds.

Despite all the remarks and other sarcastic notions, fx waxed dolls in Superman's miniaturized collections as substitutes of memoirs from past adventures, reader cannot quite escape the feeling that there exists perhaps also some fascination towards his topic of study. Perhaps even something similar as regular tourists occasional keen interest. In the same breath, it must be noted, that Eco's analyses appear no way admiring, neither not necessary too carefully structured, rather they are merely a humorous notions, ironic but also almost judging sometimes.

In these essays reader finds not much 'scientific distance' being maintained. This is sometimes apparent also in some kind of intellectual annoyance, fx when passing through the rebuilt aristocratic salongs in New Yorks Museum. Following, Eco visits the exhibitions showing 3D-wax remakes from works of the great artists of the past, fx Leonardo represented in painting Mona Lisa and several other renown painters shown in like-life scenes along copies of their famous works, as are presentations found in the Palace of Living Arts. (Not to mention the marmor copy from Michelangelo's David in front of the Palace, next to golden Rolls Royce decorating neighborhood Movie land Museums entrance.) And so, the most describing sentence from visiting the Palace's collections, then summarizes (as something like:) ”the basic philosophy isn't 'we're giving you the copy, to raise an interest to see the original”, but instead ”we're giving you the copy, for not anymore having the need to see the original”. Further in these thematics, a short conclusive remark is then reached as (or something like this:) 'industries of absolute fakedom'.

Of course, tours on such boring places as public and household-museums would give a rather limited view and Eco then continues travels to some pure dream-gardens, Disneylands and Amusement parks. His similar findings in those areas (from counterfeited reconstructions, not only from distant corners of the world but also the local adjacent districts as re-created there) now feels perhaps even a bit unjustified. After all such places are generally considered as children's amusement places and fantasy-lands, but Eco only notices the falsified facades of buildings hiding shops selling the American dream and sees even the main message of the various entertainment vehicles in forcing the visitors to line up for each place. Rather one-sided statements, but the view is in sync with his earlier remarks from museums and so the Disneylands just appear to belong in category of the similar kind. Although, these limited picks we've mentioned here don't give quite a complete picture from his use of language and various sources refered; Eco fx mentions along his own remarks Louis Marins essays from Disneyland as well as the text of Giovanni Brino from the development of the 'real' towns like Las Vegas. Plus several other cultural studies and icons.

Eco also visits some animal zoos and marine lands during his journeys, and not surprisingly, according to his views these don't appear much different; the nature in uses of differing signs than its real original appearance. Because animals are there shown by human order and preferences, they are found just as organized places devoted to representing remakes and alterations from the pristine, untamed nature. Even San Diego's large zoo-like animal park, where enclosure areas are designed and built according to wild species natural grazing needs, therefore appears to Eco just as an example of falsification from humans relation to nature.

Nowadays, when basically similar 'faked' worlds take form and/or 'become flesh' in more technical ways and are distributed by even increased numbers of various channels, fx in the seemingly endless generations of consumer goods, Gameboys, Playstations, cars, 3D-cartoons, flicks, games, handhelds, etc, one is not so convinced if these even contain any falsification from the 'original' meaning anymore. Also, as TV and other channels have americanized everyplace with the flow of resemblances of cultural forms and content, it almost feels like the Eco's ironic travels would belong to as distant past as these traditional forms of recycling the western cultural heritage. But, these texts are also very entertaining reading, solely for their clever use of words, even if not thinkin' that any connection would exist between the travels on the search of basis for that 'real thing' (written almost 40 years ago, the essays are) and the current momentum. Some of Eco's lengthy sentences also contain references to works of art and writings that feel (for us, if not the reader) rather distant and odd, but that isn't really any barrier.

Also, one almost feels liking to recommend these as some parallel reading to/with Kerouac's famous road-novel On the Road, since somehow this cultural tourism and view-points make visible similar thematics and such...but perhaps it is only too self-evident and just seems like that, so we'll restrain from making such comparisons.