POST-MODERNISM

Exam Prep 2

‘How valid are Baudrillard’s ideas of simulation and hyperreality to understanding the media?

You should refer to the Close Study Products Tomb Raider and War of The Worlds to support your answer‘

Post-modernism = Society is a bricolage, pastiche of a time of modernity. Characterised by uncertainty, fragmentation, alienation.

“everything is already dead and resurrected in advance”
“Advertising holds us in a hypnotic state of superficial saturation and fascination”
“illusion of actuality”
“accelerated circulation of meaning”
“We live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning.”
“Postmodernity is said to be a culture of fragmentary sensations, eclectic nostalgia, disposable simulacra, and promiscuous superficiality”
“The media represents a world that is more real than reality that we can experience. People lose the ability to distinguish between reality and fantasy.”

Four phases of transition into the ‘Simulacrum’:

Key Ideas:

Idea of moral panic, hysteria
It was broadcast at a time in which new technology was emerging. The beginning of the post-modernist era.
Metanarrative
Hyper-real descriptions and narrative themes
Idea that listeners are in a simulation?, Believe what they hear
Fragmented knowledge, lack of validity at this time
Meaning implosion (so many opinions, signs and signifiers), lack of clarity for what is ‘real’

Quotes/Evidence:

‘The War of the Worlds’ radio script from October 30, 1938

“We know now that in the early years of the 20th century, this world was being watched closely by intelligences greater than man’s”
Use of radio programme codes and conventions mean there is a lack of clarity between where the fictional narrative begins and where the real framework stops. “Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News.”
By incorporating these basic radio codes into the start of the script, it is clear the writers were trying to make the story sound plausible. According to Baudrillard’s simulation theory, this would be the first stage which is a “reflection of reality”.
As the metanarrative develops, other-worldly creatures (martians and UFO’s) are introduced. This moves to the next phase of simulation in which reality is masked.
Blurring of boundaries between fact and fiction

Key Ideas:

Simulation/ hyper-realistic representations
Idea of immersion and playing reality
Look at consumer culture, mass consumerism
Representations of femininity are exaggerated
Certain body parts are accentuated
Player is immersed into the story world, could begin to believe that this is reality. Indistinguishable separation between reality and narrative
“chain of replication”, pastiche of each other, meaning implosion

Quotes/Evidence:

“She is closely related to mass media, consumer culture and information technology. She appears in several of the mass media – she actually only exists in the media.” Lara Croft, the protagonist is sold as a product and her identity is constructed through hyper-sexuality and femininity. In ways, her identity is fragmented (a key characteristic of a post-modern existence), one one hand she is represented with certain ‘masculine traits’ whereas on the other hand she is constructed to appeal to the male gaze.
The setting is constructed using a paradigm of hyper-real signifiers, for example – dinosaurs – create a fragmentation of time (Croft is quite post-modern in her representation whether the continuation of ancient civilisation creates a conflict in time frame.
There are 17 versions of Tomb Raider, they are all a pastiche of each other – follow the same conventions of a survival, adventure, quest narrative and video game play. Copy of each other, development of new versions of old creations (Characterisation of post modern era, there is a lack of originality)

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