Fake Holidays
April 3, 2015 1:46 AM Subscribe
When wishes are out of reach, simulation is taking over our leisure time and our holidays. Imaginary worlds are created, often under massive technological exertion, in order to offer us experience as reproducible merchandise. Although the quality of these adventures on demand sometimes proves to be rather dubious, the boom does shed light on one thing: the yearnings and dreams underlying people’s daily lives.
More photos available by clicking look inside on the book's purchase page.
More photos available by clicking look inside on the book's purchase page.
This really is fascinating (and gorgeously photographed too!).
posted by Ravneson at 2:18 AM on April 3, 2015
posted by Ravneson at 2:18 AM on April 3, 2015
MeFi's own cstross wrote a great blog post about going to one of these ersatz holiday destinations, which was built inside a giant mothballed cargo zeppelin hangar.
posted by Happy Dave at 3:11 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Happy Dave at 3:11 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I admit as an American the title made me think of "Sweetest Day" and similar, but this is vacationing in faux reality, which is way more interesting.
Like if you can't make it to Germany you can go to Germanland in Kings Dominon, VA where it's Bavaria Lite, always OctoberFest, and has rollercoasters. (And which I see now has been re-themed to a Safari Village I think.)
posted by travertina at 5:10 AM on April 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Like if you can't make it to Germany you can go to Germanland in Kings Dominon, VA where it's Bavaria Lite, always OctoberFest, and has rollercoasters. (And which I see now has been re-themed to a Safari Village I think.)
posted by travertina at 5:10 AM on April 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I admit as an American the title made me think of "Sweetest Day"
Yeah, those new ones suck. Our family only celebrates time-honored traditional holidays. Nothing brings me back to my childhood faster than spectacle of public sacrifice on Saturnalia. And, I still remember the joy of running through the streets naked save for a goatskin on Lupercalia, lashing women as I went.
Traditional Holidays Matter.
posted by leotrotsky at 6:11 AM on April 3, 2015 [6 favorites]
Yeah, those new ones suck. Our family only celebrates time-honored traditional holidays. Nothing brings me back to my childhood faster than spectacle of public sacrifice on Saturnalia. And, I still remember the joy of running through the streets naked save for a goatskin on Lupercalia, lashing women as I went.
Traditional Holidays Matter.
posted by leotrotsky at 6:11 AM on April 3, 2015 [6 favorites]
Those photographs would be a nice visual complement for Umberto Eco's "Travels In Hyperreality," which is definitely worth reading if this sort of simulacrum is of interest to you.
posted by talking leaf at 6:31 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by talking leaf at 6:31 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I would love to go to something like this based on Skyrim or maybe Mass Effect.
Anyone got an extra few hundred million to invest? I'll do all the work.
posted by Jalliah at 6:32 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Anyone got an extra few hundred million to invest? I'll do all the work.
posted by Jalliah at 6:32 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
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Traditional Holidays Matter.
Every day is Ravening with Delight Day to the members of the Esoteric Order of Dagon. That's why they are a fast growing religion (if the Feds would stop torpedoing them).
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:56 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Every day is Ravening with Delight Day to the members of the Esoteric Order of Dagon. That's why they are a fast growing religion (if the Feds would stop torpedoing them).
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:56 AM on April 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
Barring further explanation, I choose to believe that this one ("Cage") is actually targeted at babies seeking the novel thrill of being left in a crib in a bamboo forest.
posted by bjrubble at 9:53 AM on April 3, 2015
posted by bjrubble at 9:53 AM on April 3, 2015
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posted by palmcorder_yajna at 2:14 AM on April 3, 2015