Post Modernism

Assess the arguments for and against Postmodernism in relation to media examples.

Postmodernism is a movement in art that followed modernism. Postmodernism challenges and breaks the rules and conventions of media texts this can be through the use of bricolage, hyper reality, hybridity, intertextual references, playfulness and blurring of boundaries. This can lead to negative and positive effects from postmodern texts signifying that there are many reasons for and against postmodernism compared to other media. Examples such as Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001), Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006), Glee (Ian Brennan) and the music video 'We made you' by Eminem, illustrate positive and negative attributes of postmodern texts.

Firstly Marie Antoinette's illustrates many postmodern aspects for example the use of bricolage as the film is set in 18th century France however uses a modern soundtrack including bands such as The Cure and New Order, this highlighting the bricolage and hybridity as there is a mix of genres and history. This also suggests mediatisation because there is a loss of historical content suggesting a negative characteristic of postmodern texts as this period in history is not presented accurately.

AS well as this the film has a sense of playfulness in order to appeal to its 21st century audience, therefore presenting parallels between 18th century Marie Antoinette and a modern teenage girl. As the film shows Marie's lifestyle of shopping, partying, drinking, drug taking and interest in boys, much like a 21st century teenage girl. This is a positive effect of post modern text as it allows the film to relate to its audience and make a connection.

Additionally, Marie Antoinette shows the use of a global nature cast much like Moulin Rouge which emphasises playfulness and mediatisation as the accents are not accurate. Another similarity between the two films is that they are both style over substance due to the lavish costumes and sets used as well as the modern soundtrack used to appeal to a modern audience signifying a lack of depth and emphasising a negative characteristic of post modern text as they appear to lack meaning and depth whereas modern texts have meaning to them.

Moreover, Moulin Rouge represents post modern influences for example from the scene where a well known indie/grunge song 'Smells like Teen Spirit - Nirvana' is mixed with two songs from a different genre which portrays hybridity and bricolage because the genres are mixed in a playful way appealing to the audience who will be familiar with song 'mash-ups'. However it represents the point that nothing is original and things are just copies of copies as instead of Moulin Rouge using their own soundtrack and songs they use already existing songs yet change them to fit in to the film setting emphasising a negative attribute of post modern texts.

Furthermore the television show Glee represents negative attributes towards post modern texts. The show is set in a high school and discusses many different subjects such as homosexuality, homophobia, racism and bullying. These controversial topics are sometimes represented with parody and irony making them offensive highlighting a negative aspect  to post modernism as post modern texts can be offensive to audiences.

Additionally the episode 'Dynamic Duets (Ian Brennan 2012)' the show intertextualy references the comic book super hero genre through pastiche such as super hero conventions by using loud, 'pows' and 'bams'. This is emphasised in one scene where two characters dressed up as super heroes are running away and presented on screen in comic book style are the words 'Slaine' and 'Blam' referencing the old batman series and mixing the genres and blurring boundaries between Glee and super hero comic books emphasising how audiences cannot distinguish between the two. Also much like Marie Antoinette this episode relates to Jameson's theory of a post modern culture as the gossiping in Marie Antoinette and the characters in Glee disguising themselves as their alter egos suggests the flattening of the individual representing a lack of depth in these characters signifying a negative attribute of post modern texts.

Lastly Eminem's music video to 'We Made You' highlights many negative characteristics with post modern texts. This is because the video uses celebrity lookalikes who are intertextualy referenced but are presented in parody as the video is making fun of their lives and exaggerates them. This suggesting Baudrillards theory of 'hyper reality' as the audience cannot distinguish between what is real about the seventies and what is just a parody of them signifying another negative feature of post modernism.

Overall post modernism can have positive attributes to other media such as better relationships with their audiences as with the use of irony and intertextual references it makes them feel intelligent and knowledgeable. However there is also a lack of meaning and depth to the texts as well as not being accurate and featuring offensive and controversial examples signifying that there are many elements for and against post modernism in relation to other media examples.

How do postmodern media differ from other media?

Postmodernism is a movement in art following the modernist movement. Postmodern texts differ from others as it dismisses grand narratives and the idea of absolute truths where as modernism texts believe in logic an truth, with set rules and conventions where as postmodernism challenges these conventions through its ironic and playful ways of referencing and parodying. Postmodern texts such as Moulin Rouge (Baz Luhrmann, 2001), Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006) show many postmodern conventions such as Bricolage, Playfulness, Hyper Reality, Pastiche, Blurring of boundaries as well as relating to Jameson's theory of a postmodern culture.

Firstly Coppola's Marie Antoinette, in many ways represents the differences between postmodern texts and other media. Firstly the film is a biopic of the 18th century French Queen, which instead of being presented accurately there is a sense of playfulness as the 18th century court life represented is similar to modern day high school and Marie Antoinette has similar characteristics to a 21st century teenage girl as the audience see: shopping, drinking, taking drugs, gambling, partying and sneaking out. Emphasising ho the use of playfulness is used because the 18th century figure is represented in a postmodern 21st century way which has a reflection of the materialistic and superficial society. This can also be seen through Coppola's use of pop, punk music as the soundtrack, which emphasises the use of bricolage by using bands such as The Cure and New Order against the 18th century background.

Additionally in one seen the audience sees Marie's expensive taste for clothes and shoes which is presented to the song 'I want Candy' which highlights the use of bricolage, but whilst she is trying on the shoes we see a pair of 21st century converse next to the18th century shoes, this adding an element of pastiche to the blurred boundaries of the film and the suggestion of mediatisation as there is a loss of historical content as the audience cannot distinguish what is historically true and what is there for their entertainment. Where as compared to a modernist text there would not be a loss of historical content or even a playful pastiche overtone to the film, signifying the differences between postmodern texts and modern texts.

Furthermore the film relates to Jameson's Postmodern culture as the film shows the courts constant gossiping of Marie, emphasising the flattening of the individual. Also the soundtrack has a pastiche aesthetic which signifies that the film is style and image over substance much like Jameson's postmodern culture, represneting a lack of depth of the film in order to appeal to the MTV generation audience.

Similarly to Marie Antoinette Moulin Rouge features similar postmodern elements like; bricolage, hybridity, pastiche and playfulness through its use of soundtrack. For example the film is a musical and is set in 19th century France, however uses modern songs like the scene where grunge band Nirvanas 'Smells like teen spirit' is mixed with two other songs from different genres to create a theatrical number which is done through the use of bricolage and hybridity as these songs have been changed and presented in different styles. Also Baudrillards theory of simulacrum as the film echoes the words of a writer and uses flashbacks and flash forwards, representing that there is no difference between reality and its simulacrum. Signifying how these elements make the film postmodern and illustrate of postmodern texts differ  from and challenge other media as the film does nor represent 19th century France or the Moulin Rouge accurately.

Moreover the television series glee represents the differences between postmodern and other texts, particularly the episode 'Dynamic Duets' (Ian Brennan 2012). This episode has a comic book superhero theme to it with the constant intertextual references to the genre. This episodes title card is presented in a comic book style speech bubble highlighting the playfulness used in the reference. The use of the comic book style is used again in the episode when two characters dressed up as their own alter ego superheroes are running away, the words 'slaine' and 'blam': referencing the old Batman series, appear on screen suggesting Baudrillards theory of the blurring of boundaries and hyperreality as because it suggests that the two characters are superheroes in a super hero show. Also there is a link to Jameson's flattening of the individual theory because the characters are dressing up as their 'alter ego' superheroes in order to disguise their true selves. This emphasising the difference from postmodern and modern texts because glee is suggesting all though it is considered under the musical genre it can use other conventions challenging modernist views.

Overall signifying how postmodern texts differ from other media, through their use of challenging rules and conventions in order to emphasise that there is no grand narrative because these examples show that with the use of bricolage, hyper reality and blurring of boundaries, in order for the audience to interpret it in their own way.

My Postmodern Case Studies

Moulin Rouge Post Modern analysis and Prezi.

Why are Music videos Post Modern?

·         The use of Pastiche and parody throughout the video.

·         Intertextual and metetexual to real life events, people and other media texts.

·         Also the use of bricolage to mix up genres with one another.

·         Music videos include elements of timelessness, this suggesting that nothing is original because it has been done before.

·         However by using bricolage the music video can become different as combining different genres.

·         They use hyperreality to mix up what is actual reality and what is not.

How Eminem - We Made you is Post Modern

This video is Post Modern because throughout the video there are several intertextual references and metetextual references to celebrities, for example in the video look a likes of celebrities appear as we see Jessica Simpson, Lindsey Lohan, Amy Winehouse and many more. Also there are references to films such as Rain man.  These references are presented as a parody because Eminem is presenting these celebrities in a comic light by exaggerating their lives. Furthermore the video uses bricolage as it is mixing genres together such as the part when the artists is performing in a rock game, yet is rapping this emphasising the mixing of the rap and rock genre. Additionally the video uses dark humour to act as a parody, because the dark humour flattens the  violent scenes.

Postmodernism Eminem

We Made You - Analysis

How Eminem - We Made you is Post Modern.

The music video I have chosen is Eminem 'We made you'. This video is post modern as it features many Post Modern elements such as the use of Pastiche, Parody, intertextual and metetextual references. The video also links to Jean Baudrillards theory of Hyper reality as there is the blurring of boundaries between what is real and what is not with the use of the lookalike actors.

Firstly the video starts by the artist Eminem saying 'Jessica Simpson sing the chorus' the scene then changing to one featuring a lookalike of Jessica Simpson suggesting that it is actually Jessica Simpson singing the chorus. This uses hyper reality as the viewer does not know if it is really her emphasising the blurring of the boundaries between real life and fiction. As well as this the look alike Jessica Simpson appear in a costume that the real Jessica Simpson wore in a film she featured in this again blurring the boundaries as well as being an intertextual reference to the film. Furthermore the look alike actor is portrayed as being overweight this adding an element of parody as it suggests that Jessica Simpson is overweight, which is an intertextual and metetextual reference to her and her personal life. Many other celebrities are portrayed throughout the video such as Amy Winehouse and Lindsey Lohan, the are portrayed with the use of pastiche because the are shown in a comic way due to the use of the metetextual references which could be seen as making fun of their lives.

 

 

Additionally the use of hyper reality can also come from the many different ways Eminem is portrayed as in every scene we see him dressed up as someone different, from Elvis to Spock. The only time we see Eminem as himself is when he appears to be performing in the game Guitar Hero.

The video also contains intertextual references to not only people but things such as rain man, Star Trek and Guitar Hero. The use of the Guitar Hero reference emphasises the lyrics to the song which are 'You're a Rock Star', however it is also the use of bricolage as genres are being mixed, the genres are the Rock theme from Guitar Hero with the genre of Eminem's music which is Rap. These two genres being very different and in turn emphasising the post modernism of this music video.

 

 

 

Additionally the video has the sense of nostalgia within it, the nostalgic references come from the scenes where the audience see Elvis performing. As well as this although the video use parody and pastiche to be humorous it also uses dark humour such as the scene where Kim Kardashian is being put through the shredder and money is coming out, the dark humour is used in order to flatten the otherwise violent scene in order to emphasise the parody signifying how this music video is post modern.

 

 

 

 

Lady Gaga and Postmodern.

Telephone

·         In this video there are many intertextual references, such as the use of the signature Quentin Tarantino font that he uses in many of his movies. As well as the references to Kill Bill by the use of the 'Pussy Wagon' and also Thelma and Louise.

·         Furthermore there is a quote with intertextual reference as the prison guard says 'I told you she didn't have a dick' this references the rumour that was going around saying that Lady Gaga is a man. This making the video appear that it is set in real life and based on real events.

·         Throughout the video there is obvious product placement as the camera lingers for too long, this is shown with a sense of irony as it is mocking the use of product placement yet the video features it.

·         Also when Gaga and Beyonce are in the car we can hear diagetic sound coming from the radio which is advertising their song Telephone, this makeing the video appear that it is real life.

·         Also when in the car both Gaga and Beyonce look directly at the camera, implying that they know they are being filmed, this breaking down the barrier between the stars and the viewers.

·         Additionally as the video goes on and the two characters have killed everyone in the diner Beyonce wears a pair of Mickey Mouse glasses to kill her boyfriend, these are the same glasses that Gaga wears when she kills her boyfriend in Paparazzi which telephone acts as a sequel to. The use of the glasses in both videos brings an irony to the scenes, as Mickey Mouse being a child's T.V character is mixed with the act of killing someone. Emphasising how the characters are detached from their emotions.

·         As well as there is a flattening effect on the violent scenes to make them more ironic.

What makes a music Video Postmodern?

A music video can be made postmodern as it can use intertextual refernces to other medias or events such as Lady Gaga did by using Quentin Tarantino like font. Also the videos could use irony or be a parody.

Jean Baudrillard

• Jean Baudrillard believes in Hyperreality. Hyperreality expresses the inability to distinguish between reality and simulated reality.
• Baudrillard suggested Simulacra is when a sign loses its relation to reality as it begins to simulate the simulation.
• The simulation is when the representation of something replaces the thing which is actually being represented.
• Hyperreality is when reality has been replaced by simulacra.

Fredric Jameson Post Modernist theory

• Jameson believes that Post modernism uses pastiche, irony, humour and intertextual refereence to reference itself and other texts.
• Jameson suggests the key features of Post modern culture as self referentiality, irony, pastiche and parody.
• Post modernist works are often characterized by lack of depth, which has been replaced.
• As a modernist Jameson believed that Post modernism lacks a point and a purpose compared to moderism.  

Media Theory is the systematic way of thinking about communication that is associated with modern digital media technologies.  Postmodernism can be found in nearly all texts. Examples can be that music videos and films make intertextual references,

Modernism was a movement that startedint the late 19thg century and ended in the 60's, it aims to break the traditional forms. This is the date of the modenrist art movement, this movement was often sel reflexivity.

1. Hybridity is the mixing and sampling of different kinds and levels.
2. Bricolage is the aspects of one style that are given different meanings.
3. Simulation which is the blurring of real and the simulated.
4. Interetextuality is referring to the structure of other texts.
5. Dis jointed narrative is the mimic of uncertainties.
6. Erosion of history is where historical characters and facts are disregarded entirely.
7. Active Audience is where audiences no longer use the media for graticication.
8. Blurring of Boundries where there are now classes or hierachies.
9. A Society of Spectacle where Postmodern media texts have surface style and superficiality and trivial subjects.
10. Structures of Feeling is a different postmodern approach of atmospere of decay and alienation.

Problems with Post modernism is that, it has too many definitions, therefore making its definition confussing.


Post Modernism meaning the tendency in contemporary culture characterized by the rejection of objective truth and global cultural narrative.