There is reality, and then there is the image of reality. The image is a snapshot of reality in a particular slice of time, typically superimposed across time a

There is reality, and then there is the image of reality. The image is a snapshot of reality in a particular slice of time, typically superimposed across time and space. At best, it covers the majority of the relevant space, for the relevant time. At worst, it's a hyperexaggerated representation of reality, possibly one that is hoped to exist (but does not), from a minor section of the world applied to a much, much larger area. But neither I nor this article (and marketing in general, as does much of the arts) does not speak of reality. This is a discussion of the image, shared between most of the country. (Reality itself is only shared between those happen to percieve it, and that is rarely more than a very minor subset of the population that has access to the image) Thus: it isn't relevant what New Jersey is really like. It is how New Jersey is perceived that matters. (Which I may still be wrong about; I can't say I know much about people's image of NJ).