I thought this was an incredible example of how the world of signs and simulacra is impossible to separate from reality. They are on in the same, working on, and overlapping on, one another always.
This has always happened in news and media of course, but the ad reads on podcasts are so “authentic” – of course, now that they are labeled authentic they no longer are – compared to the commercial breaks of cable TV news in the past.
It used to be:
Story about Clinton Impeachment or whatever > “We’ll be right back after these messages” > cuts to commercial on ordered special gold coins > cuts back to news
Now it is:
Impassioned commentary about sudden death of sitting U.S. Senator > blending perfectly into an ad for a tech hiring platform.
Baudrillard would be proud.