Interesting, isn't it? Baudrillard talks about the same thing regarding American culture and hyperreality. Hyperreality is the exaggerated representation of the world we see in TV, Art, or Advertising. All the food is amazing, the women are all beautiful, people have fulfilling jobs and big houses in the suburbs. It creates an idealized image of the world that is more attractive than the comparatively dismal experiences in real life, as a means to opiate people and keep them buying into the promises of capitalism. It provides an ideal goal to focus your labor towards.
There are multiple expressions of Hyperreality, which Baudrillard cites as Disneyland and Las Vegas. At Disneyland we are given a fantasy of childhood, princes and princesses, heroes who save the day, thrilling rides. It is a world where a heroic individual can do great deeds and get the girl in the end. In Vegas, we are given flash and sin and hedonism. You can gamble, see a topless dance show, visit a prostitute.
Of these contrary ideals, purity and hedonism, we are presented with multiple modes of personal fulfillment under Capitalism. Your role is to be both hard working and serious, and also devilish and playful. And since we can't express both modes simultaneously without contradiction, we create liminal spaces where and when it is appropriate to perform separate roles. Reina's mistake was to express her lust at a work lunch, instead of at a late-night drinking party. People in hyperreal cultures must perform incredible mental gymnastics to switch modes as the context demands.
[snip]