"Things are never expected to be real; rather, things are read as signs of themselves, idealized and often frustrated....the correspondence between histories and geographies is not essential. Both can be bought, sold and moved."
After reading this article I was immediately reminded of my recent visit to Las Vegas. I was in awe of the Paris hotel in Las Vegas. The large Eiffel tower was so amazing to see lit up in the middle of a desert in North America. The idea or symbol of the Eiffel tower is correctly represented, so the tourist is satisfied by the reproduction. Not only was the Eiffel tower scaled down and built in Las Vegas, but the city of Paris was represented in a thirty second walk through the hotel's entrance. I found it so mind boggling to walk through Paris, and then emerge in Ancient Greek and Roman times at the Monte Carlo and Caesar’s Palace. Why do we fall for such a false representation of different cultures? The most amazing place I saw was the Venetian Hotel. With such a large reproduction of a European city, I was impressed, however left feeling empty after I walked passed it. I felt I learned nothing, gained nothing. For me it was the same as seeing a photo of the real thing. So why is Las Vegas so popular? Is it the idea of visiting the most famous places in the world in one night? Or is it for the Photo of you beside the Eiffel tower? But how mind-boggling is it that we are so enthralled by a photo of a reproduction?
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