Task 3 - hyperrealityyy

Write a short analysis (300 words approx) of an aspect of our culture that is in some way Hyperreal. 

Coffee Shop Chains – Costa, Caffe Nero etc.

'Hyperreality is used in semiotics and postmodern philosophy to describe a hypothetical inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced post-modern societies. Hyperreality is a way of characterizing what our consciousness defines as "real" in a world where a multitude of media can radically shape and filter an original event or experience.'

It is possible to argue that various coffee shop chains in countries such as the UK and the USA are a good example of Hyperreality.

Coffee shop chains such as Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero come two a penny in the UK, and their primary commodity is of course coffee; of course however this is not the only thing they are selling to their customers. The shops they set up are based on stereotypical ideas of Italian Coffee houses held by the general British Public, and aim to provide them with an 'authentic' Italian experience. They often go the lengths of advertising their coffee as being, in the case of Caffe Nero, 'the best coffee this side of Milan', which of course instantly creates a hyperreal situation.

Essentially, in terms of being hyperreal; at some stage someone decided it would be a good idea to set up a Coffee Shop in Britain, inspired by those found all over Italy, as an alternative to traditional British tea shops and pubs usually found on our streets. As one coffee shop becomes more successful than the next, it naturally develops to gain more premises in order to attract more customers and increase revenue. Of course, as the chains of coffee shops developed they would have to adapt in such a way to suit the tastes of the British audience, whilst attempting to retain some ideas of the traditional Italian coffee houses. As a result of this, we end up with large companies such a Costa Coffee running premises up and down the country which adopt the same basic model; the interiors are the same, the staff wear the same outfit and they sell the same coffee. However, once it has reached this stage, it is beyond simply a coffee house inspired by those found in Italy, it is something that has developed out of this into what is essentially a British company attempting to promote their idea of an Italian experience, which of course is very detached from the reality of the genuine Italian experience – any trip to Italy will demonstrate that none of their coffee shops look anything like a Costa Coffee, nor does their staff consist of students and other young people acting as 'baristas', and they certainly don't offer takeaway coffee in cardboard cups with a coffee bean logo on the side.

Essentially, when a member of the general British public thinks about an Italian Coffee shop, the majority would naturally think about a Costa Coffee or a Starbucks, despite the fact that these shops have been transformed in such a way to the point where they are a long shot away from the reality of Italian Coffee Houses; and in this sense it is true to say that these coffee shops are an example of Hyperreality.