supersede the real itself (Smith 67). Perhaps the only difference between Motss’s crisis
and other historical ‘events’ is that the signifier is void of any meaning whatsoever from
the very beginning. From the onset, the integral reality of war assures that we have
entered into the symbolic domain of pure fiction from day one. Is this the greatest victory
of the simulators of war?
Furthermore, the computer-generated picture is the most powerful type of image
ever conceived. Due to their propensity to replicate themselves endlessly in cyber
space, computer- generated graphics have no limits. The final product of a cinematic
work contains scenes were few traces of the real remain, because modern technology
allows directors to meld, distort, and fabricate images in a variety of ways to make them
appear authentic. As a master of special effects, Motss knows how to harness this
power. As Jennifer Walton underscores, “To produce the illusion of war with Albania
much of the technology necessary are computer-generated graphics” (12). Walton
further specifies, “The image necessary to launch the war is a young girl, who is running
through a burning village in Albania. In actuality, the young girl […] runs through a
sound stage holding a bag of potato chips. Stanley Motss and his assistants digitally
add the burning village behind her and replace the bag of potato chips with a kitten”
(12). In her Baudrillardian analysis of Wag the Dog, Walton reveals the dangers of
modern special effects. Given the plethora of digital