The Bling Ring (Sofia Coppola, 2013)

“Yes, California (and America with it) is the mirror of our decadence, but it is not decadent at all. It is hyperreal in its vitality, it has all the energy of the simulacrum. ‘It is the world centre of the inauthentic.’”

Jean Baudrillard (1988: 100)

Consumerism is the main contributing factor in creating a superficial hyperrealist appearance, where many wealthy people like to live in. Celebrities in particular emphasize material status symbols and bring on their viewing audience a sense of shortcoming. They embody examples of extreme wealth and their excessive investment in luxury give skewed images. The crowd possibly will simulate their dramatic actions that as a result seem authentic and real. Even ‘reality’ shows like Big Brother teach us hyperreal behaviour. A year ago, Reality (2012), a movie by Italian director Matteo Garrone described perfectly that particular effect. Luciano wants to participate Grande Fratello, therefore gets generous urges, because of the thought being watched and judged by the program’s creators. Equally important to realize, the main idea of “they lived as if we were not there” is naïve, as well is the very nature of selecting candidates (Baudrillard, 1994: 29-30). By clearly picking out stereotypes and special cases regularly, ‘reality’ TV guarantees a distorted reality.

Fans can go as far as having imaginary relationships with their “post-cinematic” idols what demarcates a thin line between liking and stalking. The Bling Ring tells the tale of five teenagers, obsessed by celebrity culture. With the help of Google Maps and social network sites, they know the right time to break into famous people’s houses, accessing their personal spheres. Showing off with their belongings afterwards, provides the kick of wearing an actual piece of the celeb’s personality. Boorstin sees a clear difference between hero worship ages ago and celebrity worship today. Old heroes seemed to be famous because they were great in contrast to the present-day celebrity who gets famous and as a result becomes great cause he or she has got a good press agent (1992: 48). During the trials of the ‘bling ring’ kids, they accomplish their main goal, being elevated to celebrity status by embracing the extensive media exposure. American pop culture works in mysterious ways.

“America has this sick fascination with the Bonnie and Clyde kind of thing.”

Marc (The Bling Ring, 2013)