Warning: This is not an image of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It is a photograph of the 2/3-size replica on the Las Vegas Strip. Although some may be unaware of the original monument, I don’t think anyone is fooled into thinking they are actually in Paris. This frivolous structure participates in an architectural costume party that stretches up and down Las Vegas Boulevard. The replica is a part of an environment designed to amuse and
immerse visitors in an ever-changing fantasy. The Strip does not intentionally educate or seek to enrich its visitors, it simply offers a momentary, decadent escape from the everyday.
Given the stresses and speed of modern life the desire to escape is understandable and perhaps a legitimate human need. Personally, I would rather escape by watching a good movie or going on a long hike than hang out on the Strip. I don’t think this is unusual for people that live and work in the valley. Regardless, I don’t consider the Las Vegas Strip unreal. It possesses a surprising honesty, openness and clarity — it is self-aware.
In contrast, places like Colonial Williamsburg are truly disturbing and destructive. This commercial district is touted as a 301-acre living history museum, although very few of its structures are original. The fabric of the historic district was seamlessly reconstructed using period buildings brought in from other regions and modern reconstructions. There is little, if any,
delineation between the truly historic components of this community and its re-creations, leaving most visitors deceived and unaware. Colonial Williamsburg, silk flowers, many Facebook posts, solar panels disguised as slate shingles and counterfeit watches all blend the real with the un-real in a toxic cocktail of self-deception. It is dangerous when the real becomes indistinguishable from the unreal.