Overview
Jean Baudrillard
(1929—2007) French sociologist and cultural critic
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(1929–2007),
cultural theorist and philosopher, born in Reims, France. His work was at the forefront of the postmodernist and deconstruction movements, and influenced sociological and communications theory. He was particularly interested in the way in which modern media such as TV and the internet both filter and construct our representations of the world we live in. More than many other French thinkers, his work is informed by a socially critical stance, in which globalization is seen as resulting in a hyper‐technological, consumerist dystopia. His most controversial work, The Gulf War Did Not Take Place (1991), suggested that the war to liberate Kuwait from Iraqi invasion occurred primarily as a media spectacle. Other topical works include The Illusion of the End (1992) and The Spirit of Terrorism: And Requiem for the Twin Towers (2002).
