Did the Simulacrum die? Did it live in the first place?

Back in university, I went into a philosophical phase (I majored in literature and minored in philosophy) that is best described as "postmodern". I don't even know how to define the term, but I distinctly remember studying and applying theoretical models/methods including but not limited to semiotics and deconstruction.

I write this now that I have learned of the death of one thinker associated with postmodernism (independent of his opinions of the matter) that truly entertained me back then. His name is Jean Baudrillard.

Interest in Mssr. Baudrillard peaked when his most noted work Simulacra et Simacrum featured in The Matrix. There was this scene where Neo sold some contraband to a group party-goers, and the contraband was stored in a hollowed-out copy of Simulacra et Simulacrum.

Here's a link to an old blogpost I made on the Matrix.

However, Bauldrillard didn't quite approve of how his thinking was interpreted in the movie. Here's a link to the article where he discussed it.

A major critic of the United States, especially concerning its cultural composition and contribution. Baudrillard made a lot of claims and comments on subjects such as Disneyland (which he asserted was the "real" America, and what lies outside its walls are mere phantasm), and the first Gulf War (which was produced like a Hollywood movie broadcast through CNN).

I was more than happy to find this video representing Bauldrillard's thinking through the Grand Theft Auto game. I wonder what he would say about Second Life.