Sociological Theory                                                              Applying Baudrillard 

Wag the Dog

You are required to write a paper analyzing Wag the Dog using concepts/theories from Jean Baudrillard.  Your paper will be graded according to your ability to integrate theoretical material into your analysis.

I do not want you to review the film.  Instead, I want you to analyze the reality behind the film.  In your paper, you should give a very brief overview of the setting and plot of the film (a paragraph).  I want you to apply Baudrillards discussion of simulation/reality to the film.

Length: This paper should be five pages long.

Movie Issues to Consider:

1) the line between reality and simulation

2) the media and reality

3) signs vs. reality

4) War as spectacle