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Tag: Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The Gatlinburg Simulacra

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is one of those towns that really should have nothing going for it. However, its advantageous position just next to Great Smoky Mountains National Park has unintentionally made it a tourist destination. Yet rather than serving as a rustic respite, the city has run with it, making the “resort town” into a theme park all its own. Along with nearby Pigeon Forge, the two cities are some of the kitschiest places I have ever been. For those of you who have been to Pier 39, it’s pretty much the same: chain restaurants, hokey rides and arcades, bright colors, lots of crowds… Some people say Disneyland is the perfect example of Baudrillard’s simulacra, but I am convinced downtown Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge are the East Tennessee equivalents.

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