Fake for Real: Image Consumption

Hey! That muddy, greasy burger on my plate isn't the firm, fresh, delicious one I picked out from the advertisements above the counter, is it?

I vividly remember my first visit to McDonald's as a child. Of course, I already knew all the products from the commercials, and when the burger came to the table, I remember thinking, "Ok, this is it then..." Although the burger tasted great, my awareness that I was actually eating an image gave it a weird flavor. I later learned that this is how things are in our time: the image no longer represents the product. Rather, the product represents the image.

From our Fake for Real series.