Baudrillard “Neither the product nor the productive effort are valued, but only the simulacrum”

In Simulacra and Simulation (1981), Baudrillard says that the illusion of the system is to provide a perfect explanation detached from imperfect reality. He argues that society and economy work because people believe that there is an inherent rationality in economy and society. What he calls Disneyworld is the invisible machine that supports such belief. In Disneyworld, a worker is not a person, but a sign. Time is synchronized, space is obliterated and both are represented in the same context. We deal with a widespread metastasis, a clone of the world and of our mental universe (Baudrillard, 2000).

A way of looking at current times

The way things are copied? the way things are surface level and superficial (re-imagining, pastiche, parody, copy, bricolage) self rerentiality.

Post modern culture is consumer culture where the emphasis on style eclipses the emphasis on utility or need

Most media is based on surface signs and has a preoccupation with visual style

A loss of metanarrative (theover arching ideas of life)

Parody VS Pastiche

Pastiche is a piece of work that imitates the work of a previous artist

Parody is a piece of work that imitates whilst ridiculing or having ironic meaning

Bricolage

‘involves the rearrangement and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning’ (Barker & Jane, 2016:237)

Intertexuality texts inside of texts

Fragmentary consumption creates fragmentary identities. Individuals are alienated from society

The meaning of texts resides in the reader and the theory of decoding and encoding

Jean Baudrillard uses the term implosion to describe the world. Along with Fredric Jameson and Jean Francois-Lyotard discuss the loss of metanarrative

Jean Baudrillard says the new real is just a representation of the real ( simulacrum and the hyperreal)

Richard Hoggart wrote uses of literacy in 1959. He spoke about “neighborhood lives”. He said the change from pre-war life which was ” an extremely local life, in which everything is remarkably near ” and the change after the war into post modernism

Shuker speaks about fragmentary and breakup up traditional understanding ” music videos have a preoccupation with visual styles”

Strinati “in a postmodern world, surfaces and style become the most important defining features of the mass media and popular culture”

Barker and Jane ” involves the rearrangement and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning “

Definitions

1. pastice
2. parody
3. bricolage
4. intertextuality
5. metanarrative
6. hyperreality
7. simulacrum
8. comnumerist socieaty
9. fragmentary identities
10. implosion
11. cultural appropriation
12. reflexivity

• Way of seeing and understanding the world (you, community and world.)
• Postmodernism can be understood as a philosophy that is characterised by concepts such as RE-IMAGINING, PASTICHE, PARODY, COPY, BRICOLAGE
• Characterised by copying, referencing etc

• pastiche is a work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist
• parody is a work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony

• BRICOLAGE : ‘involves the rearrangment and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning’ (Barker & Jane, 2016:237)
• INTERTEXTUALITY – It suggests signs only have meaning in reference to other signs and that meaning is therefore a complex process of decoding/encoding with individuals both taking and creating meaning in the process of reading texts
• Shuker refers Fredric Jameson’s (1984) – the fragmentary, decentred nature of music videos that break up traditional understandings of time and space so that audiences are ‘no longer able to distinguish ‘fiction’ from ‘reality’, part of the postmodern condition’ (ibid).
•  the concept that the meaning of a text does not reside in the text, but is produced by the reader in relation not only to the text in question, but also the complex network of texts invoked in the reading process.
•  ‘their preoccupation with visual style, and associated with this, their status as key exemplars of ‘postmodern’ texts.’ (2001:167). Shuker
• Surface and style over substance – surfaces and style become the most important defining features of the mass media and popular culture‘ (Strinati: 234)

• 1959, Richard Hoggart (Uses of Literacy *

• neighborhood lives’, which was ‘an extremely local life, in which everything is remarkably near

• Consumerism underpinned for want not need, never satisfied.

• In other words, there is an argument that postmodern culture is a consumer culture, where the emphasis on style eclipses the emphasis on utility or need

• Fragmentary consumption = Fragementary identities.

• Individual consumption – service, superficial, individual identity.
• fragmentation of identity
• alienation individuals
• Post modern world is precarious

• John Baudrillard’ points out that ‘the distinction between culture and society is being eroded’ From a societal perspective the ‘real’ seems to be imploding in on itself, a ‘process leading to the collapse of boundaries between the real and simulations
• What is reality – simulation – simulation vs reality
• Jean-Francois Lyotard’s
• Fredric Jameson 
• Breaking up due to loss of a meta narrative – Christian religion – story = God
• Science changed it, new ideas. – Only reveals so much

• SIMULACRA. – representation of real is now the real.
• Copying and simulation is the new real
•  HYPERREAL – exaggerated real
• sims establishing an identity – lacon – scizophrenic – ongoing project –

A way of seeing and understanding the world at the moment – a good way of thinking about it is through music videos.

RE-IMAGINING, PASTICHE, PARODY, COPY, BRICOLAGE

Parody v Pastiche 

Pastiche is a work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist

Parody is a work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony

Bricolage

Rearrangement and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning

Intertexuality – suggests signs only have meaning in reference to other signs and that meaning is therefore a complex process of decoding/encoding with individuals both taking and creating meaning in the process of reading texts.

For example, the fragmentary, decentred nature of music videos that break up traditional understandings of time and space so that audiences are ‘no longer able to distinguish ‘fiction’ from ‘reality’,

. . . the concept that the meaning of a text does not reside in the text, but is produced by the reader in relation not only to the text in question, but also the complex network of texts invoked in the reading process.

This may be frivolous, trite, casual, surface, throw-away. It may even be ironic, joking, or literally, ‘just playing’

As Shuker notes, two points are frequently made about music videos: ‘their preoccupation with visual style, and associated with this, their status as key exemplars of ‘postmodern’ texts.’

Surface and style over substance – ‘in a postmodern world, surfaces and style become the most important defining features of the mass media and popular culture‘ 

Richard Hogart – noted the shift in modern societies particularly the impact on our ‘neighborhood lives’, which was ‘an extremely local life, in which everything is remarkably near‘ (1959:46)

In other words, there is an argument that postmodern culture is a consumer culture, where the emphasis on style eclipses the emphasis on utility or need.

Think, for example, about new communications technologies, such as mobile telephony, which has created new (digital) worlds connected across time and space in ways which were completely unimaginable to previous generations. Often these are acts of individualised and personal consumption, where we are more likely to consume what we want, when we want, where we want and how we want.

Fragmentary consumption = Fragementary identities.

• Individual consumption
• Fragmented identity construction
• So in summary, the focus on FRAGMENTATION OF IDENTITY is characterised and linked to an increase of consumption and the proliferation of new forms of digital technologies. In effect, another key characteristic of postmodernism is the development of fragmented, alienated individuals living (precariously) in fragmented societies.
• Postmodern world is a precarious

From a societal perspective the ‘real’ seems to be imploding in on itself, a ‘process leading to the collapse of boundaries between the real and simulations’ (Barker & Emma, 2015:242)

The loss of a metanarrative

Metanarrative = Meta– big Narrative – story

A process which the French intellectual Jean Baudrillard would describe as IMPLOSION which gives rise to what he terms SIMULACRA. The idea that although the media has always been seen as a representation of reality – a simulation, from Baudrillard’s perspective of implosion, it is has become more than a representation or simulation and it has become SIMULACRUM not just a representation of the real, but the real itself, a grand narrative that is ‘truth‘ in its own right: an understanding of uncertain/certainty that Baudrillard terms the HYPERREAL.

Fredric Jameson claimed that Postmodernism is characterized by pastiche rather than parody which represents a crisis in historicity. Jameson argued that parody implies a moral judgment or a comparison with previous societal norms. Whereas pastiche, such as collage and other forms of juxtaposition, occur without a normative grounding and as such, do not make comment on a specific historical moment. As such, Jameson argues that the postmodern era is characterised by pastiche (not parody) and as such, suffers from a crisis in historicity.

 Jean-Francois Lyotard’s proposition that postmodernism holds an ‘incredulity towards meta-narratives‘ (1979:7) those overarching ideas, attitudes, values and beliefs that have held us together in a shared belief, For example, the belief in religion, science, capitalism, communism, revolution, war, peace and so on.

The idea that although the media has always been seen as a representation of reality – a simulation, from Baudrillard’s perspective of implosion, it is has become more than a representation or simulation and it has become SIMULACRUM not just a representation of the real, but the real itself, a grand narrative that is ‘truth‘ in its own right: an understanding of uncertain/certainty that Baudrillard terms the HYPERREAL. – the exaggerated reality is real

Reflexivity

Post modernism is about how we view and interpret the world at the current time.

Definitions

• Pastiche – piece of work which piggybacks ideas from other works (imitates)

• Meta-narrative – an overarching account or interpretation of events and circumstances that provides a pattern or structure for people’s beliefs and gives meaning to their experience
• Hyper-reality –  an inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced postmodern societies.
• Simulacrum – A simulacrum is a representation or imitation of a person or thing. The word was first recorded in the English language in the late 16th century, used to describe a representation, such as a statue or a painting, especially of a god
• Consumerist Society – A consumerist society is one in which people devote a great deal of time, energy, resources and thought to “consuming”. The general view of life in a consumerist society is consumption is good, and more consumption is even better.
• Fragmentary Identities – idea of a many personalities (digital or analog )
• Implosion – idea of society collapsing due to offshoring and other corrupt practices within our world
• Cultural appropriation – the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society.
• Reflexivity – is defined by such devices as looking into the camera, taking advantage of two-dimensionality of the screen, or simply making a film about making a film. In other words: A reflexive film is a film with self-awareness.

Parody v Pastiche

• Pastiche is a work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist.
• Parody is a work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony.
• Bricolage is a useful term to apply to postmodernist texts as it ‘involves the rearrangement and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning’ (Barker & Jane, 2016:237).

Inter-textuality

• Inter-textuality suggests signs only have meaning in reference to other signs and that meaning is therefore a complex process of decoding/encoding with individuals both taking and creating meaning in the process of reading texts. 
• Shuker says “the fragmentary, decentred nature of music videos that break up traditional understandings of time and space so that audiences are ‘no longer able to distinguish ‘fiction’ from ‘reality’ “

Surface and style over substance

• The emphasis is on the surface, in other words, if the main focus is the idea of just connecting one product to another, then the focus is superficial, shallow, lacking depth, so ‘in a postmodern world, surfaces and style become the most important defining features of the mass media and popular culture‘ (Strinati: 234)
• In terms of the key principles of art and design the priority is in formal elements: of shape, colour, texture, movement, space, time and so on. As opposed to more discursive principles of: narrative, character, motivation, theme, ideology.

Economic, historical and societal backdrop to Post-modernism

• In 1959, Richard Hoggart (Uses of Literacy) noted the shift in modern societies particularly the impact on our ‘neighborhood lives’, which was ‘an extremely local life, in which everything is remarkably near‘.
• In other words, there is an argument that postmodern culture is a consumer culture, where the emphasis on style eclipses the emphasis on utility or need. So that ultimately there is no real value to postmodern culture other than the need for consumption.
• Different consumption = Different identities (real life vs Instagram profile vs YouTube profile).
• “Putting it very simply, the transition from substance to style is linked to a transition from production to consumption.” Strinati (235)

The loss of a meta-narrative

A good starting point would be to return to the concepts of pastiche and parody, as Fredric Jameson claimed that Postmodernism is characterized by pastiche rather than parody which represents a crisis in historicity. Jameson argued that parody implies a moral judgment or a comparison with previous societal norms. Whereas pastiche, such as collage and other forms of juxtaposition, occur without a normative grounding and as such, do not make comment on a specific historical moment. As such, Jameson argues that the postmodern era is characterised by pastiche (not parody) and as such, suffers from a crisis in historicity.

This links to Jean-Francois Lyotard’s proposition that postmodernism holds an ‘incredulity towards meta-narratives‘ (1979:7) those overarching ideas, attitudes, values and beliefs that have held us together in a shared belief, For example, the belief in religion, science, capitalism, communism, revolution, war, peace and so on. Lyotard points out that no one seemed to agree to on what, if anything, was real and everyone had their own perspective and story. We have become alert to difference, diversity, the incompatibility of our aspirations, beliefs and desires, and for that reason postmodernity is characterised by an abundance of micro-narratives. It can be also characterised as an existence without meaning, as Žižek suggests it is an existence without ‘The Big Other’ , an existentialist crisis of existence when we realise we are alone (Lacan).

Strinati points out that ‘the distinction between culture and society is being eroded’ (231) and suggests that our sense of reality (the overarching meta-narrative) appears to come from the culture (eg the media), rather than from society which is then reproduced, represented and relayed through media communication. In terms of media studies, this marks a juncture from previous conceptions of mass media communication, for example, as a ‘relay system’ – a process which just relays information and events in real time to a mass society, or the conception of the media as a ‘window on the world’ (Strinati:233). From a societal perspective the ‘real’ seems to be imploding in on itself, a ‘process leading to the collapse of boundaries between the real and simulations’ (Barker & Emma, 2015:242). A process which the French intellectual Jean Baudrillard would describe as implosion, which gives rise to what he terms simulacra. The idea that although the media has always been seen as a representation of reality – a simulation, from Baudrillard’s perspective of implosion, it is has become more than a representation or simulation and it has become SIMULACRUM not just a representation of the real, but the real itself, a grand narrative that is ‘truth‘ in its own right: an understanding of uncertain/certainty that Baudrillard terms the hyper-real.

Post-Modernism – A way of viewing the world. Relating to ideas such as Re-Imagining, Pastiche, Parody, Copy and Bricolage. Fragmentation of identity via the alienation of society or even themselves.

Pastiche – An imitation of a piece of work, NOT with the intention of ‘Making fun of’ the piece.

Parody – Is a piece of work that imitates another piece WITH the intention to ridicule the original.

Does copying a piece make it original? Copying allows new meaning and contexts to be created, similar to the remix of a song, it is different to the original yet the same.

Bricolage is a useful concept or postmodernism as it ‘involves the rearrangement and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning’ (Barker & Jane, 2016:237).

Intertextuality – suggests signs only have meaning in reference to other signs and that meaning is therefore a complex process of decoding/encoding 

Fragmentary/ Decentred nature of music videos allow audiences to use media such as music videos as a form of escapism as they are unable to distinguish ‘fiction’ from ‘reality’.

Shuker – “Their preoccupation with visual style”

Consumerist Culture – One of the most iconic examples of consumer culture is Apple’s rise to the top to technology, because it created a product that fit the needs of consumers in a way that buyers became part of a technology movement.

There is an argument that postmodern culture is a consumer culture, where the emphasis on style is greater than actual need.

Surface and Style over Substance – as products can be created just for the idea of connecting it to another product, meaning and focus is reduced. A lot of focus goes into the surface of a product, but not the deeper meaning behind it such as context/ cultural/ social issues or ideas.

Richard Hoggart – ‘Uses Of Literacy (1959) and the idea of ‘Neighborhood Lives’.

John Urry – Due to the massive increase in population during the twentieth century, from 2 to 6 billion, now cities, towns and villages are high-consuming energy centers. – characteristic of postmodernism = consumption.

Jean Baudrillard – The world is imploding in on itself.

Jean Baudrillard, Jean-Francois Lyotard and Fredric Jameson – The loss of a meta-narrative. (Key Thinkers for course)

Simulation – The unreal/ copy is real. The Hyperreal – An exaggerated/ hyperbolic reality.

PostModernism Definitions

Postmodernism can be understood as a philosophy that is characterised by concepts such as RE-IMAGINING, PASTICHE, PARODY, COPY, BRICOLAGE. It’s an approach towards understanding, knowledge, life, being, art, technology, culture, sociology, philosophy, politics and history that is REFERENTIAL – in that it often refers to and often copies other things in order to understand itself.

Parody v Pastiche 

pastiche is a work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist

parody is a work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony

BRICOLAGE is a useful term to apply to postmodernist texts as it ‘involves the rearrangment and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning’ 

Intertextuality: Text inside another by being referenced

Shuker refers fragmentary, decentred nature of music videos, breaks up traditional understandings of time and space so that audiences are ‘no longer able to distinguish ‘fiction’ from ‘reality’, part of the postmodern condition’ (ibid).

Shuker notes, two points are frequently made about music videos: ‘their preoccupation with visual style, and associated with this, their status as key exemplars of ‘postmodern’ texts.’

Surface and style over substance
‘in a postmodern world, surfaces and style become the most important defining features of the mass media and popular culture‘ (Strinati: 234).

A brief economic, historical and societal backdrop to Postmodernism.

In 1959, Richard Hoggart (Uses of Literacy) noted the shift in modern societies particularly the impact on our ‘neighborhood lives’, which was ‘an extremely local life, in which everything is remarkably near‘ (1959:46).

In other words, there is an argument that postmodern culture is a consumer culture, where the emphasis on style eclipses the emphasis on utility or need. So that ultimately there is no real value to postmodern culture other than the need for consumption. If this is the case, then it is possible to link postmodernist cultural expression with broader shifts in society, specifically around economics and politics.

Fragmentary consumption = Fragementary identities.

This process of fragmented consumption separating, splitting up and dividing previously homogeneous groups such as, friends, the family, the neighborhood, the local community, the town, the county, the country and importantly, is often linked to the process of fragmented identity construction.

So in summary, the focus on FRAGMENTATION OF IDENTITY is characterised and linked to an increase of consumption and the proliferation of new forms of digital technologies. In effect, another key characteristic of postmodernism is the development of fragmented, alienated individuals living (precariously) in fragmented societies.

 Jean Baudrillard would describe as IMPLOSION which gives rise to what he terms SIMULACRA. 

 Jean Baudrillard together with Fredric Jameson,  Jean-Francois Lyotard’s. The loss of a metanarrative

 SIMULACRA. The idea that although the media has always been seen as a representation of reality – a simulation, from Baudrillard’s perspective of implosion, it is has become more than a representation or simulation and it has become SIMULACRUM not just a representation of the real, but the real itself, a grand narrative that is ‘truth‘ in its own right: an understanding of uncertain/certainty that Baudrillard terms the HYPERREAL.

a way of understanding yourself, your community and the world. – a good way to understand is through music videos – philosophy that is characterised by concepts such as RE-IMAGINING, PASTICHE, PARODY, COPY, BRICOLAGE. 

Parody v Pastiche 

pastiche is a work of art, drama, literature, music, or architecture that imitates the work of a previous artist ( work that imitates the original)

parody is a work or performance that imitates another work or performance with ridicule or irony (imitates with irony/joke- deliberate)

BRICOLAGE – rearrangment and juxtaposition of previously unconnected signs to produce new codes of meaning’ (Barker & Jane)

 INTERTEXTUALITY – suggests signs only have meaning in reference to other signs – meaning is a complex process of decoding/encoding with individuals both taking and creating meaning in the process of reading texts.

Shuker

• the fragmentary, decentred nature of music videos that break up traditional understandings of time and space so that audiences are ‘no longer able to distinguish ‘fiction’ from ‘reality’

As Shuker notes, two points are frequently made about music videos: ‘their preoccupation with visual style, and associated with this, their status as key exemplars of ‘postmodern’ texts.

Richard Hoggart

noted the shift in modern societies particularly the impact on our ‘neighborhood lives’, which was ‘an extremely local life, in which everything is remarkably near‘

The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology

is an argument that postmodern culture is a consumer culture, where the emphasis on style eclipses the emphasis on utility or need. 

Fragmentary consumption = Fragementary identities.

• fragmented identity construction.

• individually identity

• individually consumption

• postmodernism is a precarious world

The loss of a metanarrative

• metanarrative = meta = big narrative = big story

Fredric Jameson claimed that Postmodernism is characterized by pastiche rather than parody which represents a crisis in historicity. Jameson argued that parody implies a moral judgment or a comparison with previous societal norms. Whereas pastiche, such as collage and other forms of juxtaposition, occur without a normative grounding and as such, do not make comment on a specific historical moment. As such, Jameson argues that the postmodern era is characterised by pastiche (not parody) and as such, suffers from a crisis in historicity.

This links to Jean-Francois Lyotard’s proposition that postmodernism holds an ‘incredulity towards meta-narratives‘ (1979:7) those overarching ideas, attitudes, values and beliefs that have held us together in a shared belief, For example, the belief in religion, science, capitalism, communism, revolution, war, peace and so on. Lyotard points out that no one seemed to agree on what, if anything, was real and everyone had their own perspective and story. We have become alert to difference, diversity, the incompatibility of our aspirations, beliefs and desires, and for that reason postmodernity is characterised by an abundance of micronarratives.^[28] It can be also characterised as an existence without meaning

a process which the French intellectual Jean Baudrillard would describe as IMPLOSION which gives rise to what he terms SIMULACRA. The idea that although the media has always been seen as a representation of reality – a simulation, from Baudrillard’s perspective of implosion, it is has become more than a representation or simulation and it has become SIMULACRUM not just a representation of the real, but the real itself, a grand narrative that is ‘truth‘ in its own right: an understanding of uncertain/certainty that Baudrillard terms the HYPERREAL.

Jean Baudrillard, Jean-Francois Lyotard and Fredric Jameson explain there is a loss of a metanarrative = we are in a world that is superficial

A process which the French intellectual Jean Baudrillard would describe as IMPLOSION which gives rise to what he terms SIMULACRA. The idea that although the media has always been seen as a representation of reality – a simulation, from Baudrillard’s perspective of implosion, it is has become more than a representation or simulation and it has become SIMULACRUM not just a representation of the real, but the real itself, a grand narrative that is ‘truth‘ in its own right: an understanding of uncertain/certainty that Baudrillard terms the HYPERREAL.

An introduction towards theories of gender representation

Systematic Society Sexism

MISOGYNY – a fear and hatred of women (SEXISM) – a way of exerting power and control in society (PATRIARCHY)

A critical articulation for equality

According to Michelene Wandor, ‘sexism was coined by analogy with the term racism in the American civil rights movement in the early 1960s.” – sexism refers to systematic ways where men and women are brought up to view each other antagonistically – males are always superior to female

1st wave feminism – feminist critical thought became much more prominent and pronounced during the counter cultural movements of the late 1960’s and early 1970’s

1st wave fo feminism = galvanised by organisations such as the British Women’s Suffrage Committee (1867) the International Council of Women (1888) The International Alliance of Women (1904) = – worked to get women the right to vote

1970s – the womens liberation movement set great store by the process of conscious raising – influencing everyday conduct and attitudes + exposing mechanisms of patriarchy – a cultural mind set that had perpetuated a sexual equality.

Tori Mois

feminist = a political position

female = a matter of biology

feminine – set of culturally defined characteristics

Kean Kilbournes

looks at visual narrative media

Laura Mulvey

1975 polemical essay: ‘Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema‘ – role of the male gaze (theoretical approach that suggests the role of “women as image, man as bearer of the look”

In a world ordered by sexual imbalance, pleasure in looking has been split between active/male passive/female. The determining male gaze projects its fantasy onto the female figure which is styled accordingly. In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed and their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact

• “cinema offers a number of possible pleasures – freuds theory of scopophilla (taking people as objects and subjecting them to a controlling and subjective gaze -OBJECTIFICATION)
• vouyerism – sexual pleasure gained in looking
• fetishism – quality of a cut-out – parts of female body are presented as something to be looked at (OBJECTIFIED and SEXUALISED)

Jacques Lacan

mirror moment – highlights parallel between the mirror stage of child development and mirroring process that occurs between audience and screen. ‘a complex process of likeness and difference‘. 

explains that the audience are spectators who project their ‘repressed desire onto the performer‘.

Sut Jhally

draws a connection between the aesthetics of pornography and the codes and conventions of the music video.”

There’s no such thing as communication that doesn’t have something behind it, that it is always constructed by someone. And I want people to be active in the construction of their own world because if you’re not active in the construction of your own world then you’re a victim of someone else’s construction.“

Raunch Culture – 3rd wave feminism (1990s)

• coined by Naomi wolf
• response to generation gap between the feminist movement of 1960s (challenging + reconstextualising definitions of femininity
• 3rd wave sees women lives as intersectional, demonstrating a pluralism towards race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender and nationality when discussing feminism.
• according to Barker and Jane, 3rd wave feminism put forward the following characteristics:
• an emphasis on the differences among women due to race, ethnicity, class, nationality, religion
• individual and do-it-yourself (DIY) tactics
• fluid and multiple subject positions and identities
• cyberactivism
• the reappropriation of derogatory terms such as ‘slut’ and ‘bitch’ for liberatory purposes
• sex positivity

Ariel Levy book “raunch culture” is ‘a product of the unresolved feminist sex wars – the conflict between the women’s movement and the sexual revolution‘

‘Raunch culture is the sexualised performance of women in the media that can play into male stereotypes of women as highly sexually available, where its performers believe they are powerful owners of their own sexuality’

4th wave feminism – same as 3rd but more active – from the radical stance of #MeToo to the Free the Nipple campaign, which Miley Cyrus endorsed and supported (which may encourage you to re-evaluate your initial reading of her video Wrecking Ball above), the use of new media technologies has been a clear demarcation for broadening out the discussion and arguments that are played out in this line of critical thinking.

intersectionality: Queer Theory (founded by Alan Sinfield and Johnathon Dollimore)

Judith Butler

• expressed doubt over the reductionist, essentialist, approach towards the binary oppositions presented in terms of: male/female; feminine/masculine, man/woman.

• suggests that gender is fluid, changeable, plural 

ideas presented by Laura Mulvey seem to suggest that gender is fixed – male/female – that it is structured by institutions and those powerful individuals who are able to exert power and control

we have multiple identities that are performed to different people, in different social settings, under different social conditions.

• Postmodernism is a way of seeing and understanding the world, yourself and the community at the moment.
• A good way to think about post-modernism is through music videos.
• The media is part of understanding the world.

• Post modernism is characterised by things like copying.
• Copying can be a way of learning.
• Referential and referring to things.

• Parody vs Pastiche.
• Pastiche is a work of art that imitates an original or work of a previous artist.
• Parody is a work or performance that imitates another with ridicule or irony.

• Bricolage is a useful term to apply to postmodernism.
• It involves rearrangement and juxtaposition.

• Intertextuality.
• Surface signs, gestures and play.

• Shuker.
• Fragmentary, decentred nature of music videos.

• There is argument that postmodern culture is a consumer culture, where the emphasis on style eclipses the emphasis on utility or need.

• Fragmentary consumption.
• About fragmentation of identity.
• Alienated fragmented individuals.

• Jean Baudrillard.
• “The world is imploding in on itself.“
• Simulacrum, not just a representation of the real, but the real itself.

• Jean-Francois Lyotard.
• Metanarrative.