Response to the Baudrillard... Writing? Rambling?

    Let me begin by saying that I have read some odd things for my previous classes, but this article has been the strangest, most non-linear read ever.  Now that that is out of the way, I believe the overall tone was supposed to be that when applied to a grand scale, media as a whole is most noticed by those who use said media to create their own interpretations.  Much like the saying, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder," I feel that Jean is, for the most part, trying to convey a sense of individuality through media that's marketed to the mass populous.
    The portion of the article that helped me understand the main theme was the article on Disney and the media icon that is Disney World.  While looking at the rest of the article, I couldn't help but relate everything back to the idea that we as humans are surrounded by simulations.  Some of these simulations are obvious or self-administered (video games, theme parks, television, etc.), while some of the simulations are ingrained in our lives, some may say subliminally, such as clothing and modern trends.  For example, Jean later comments on counterfeits and reproductions in the Orders of Simulacra and their negative connotations in modern society.  This, however, appears to be a simulated negativity to protect the rights of the owner of the individual product or idea.  To look for what you as an individual sees in media, explicit or implicit, is the very idea of modern media. 
    Though this was a very difficult read, and I am still grasping some of the concepts presented, I feel that I can apply my new ideas in everyday life.  Seeing things for what I want versus what the mass populous sees may be a tough goal at first, but I feel in the long run I will get more out of the media I am exposed to.  By understanding and appreciating what I view, I feel that I will also obtain a better idea of who I am as an individual, rather than a number among the ranks of society.