Hyperreality – Being unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Simulation (sometimes termed by Baudrillard as ‘Simulacrum’) – Where events are played out as if they are real when in fact they are not.

Simulation – CSP has unrealistic connotations – dominate signifier has otherworldly physical features which would never be seen in reality – shows that our visions of reality are ever changing and uncontrollably morphing.

Hyperreality – Wondering if the games cover is reality in some form.

SLAVOJ ZIZEK

Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, cultural theorist and public intellectual.

Talks about post-modernism

German – song

Surface level – style over substance

we are more interested in the surface of an object than its’ inner meaning.

A good place to look for illustrations of postmodern culture, in terms of media studies, is the music video. 

disconnect between artist and art in music video.

In Legacy – music video – there is no narrative theme and structure – just simply visuals.

copied from DrM

Key Thinkers

Although Postmodernism sometimes refers to architectural movements in the 1930’s the most significant emergent point is to be found in the 1980’s with clear philosophical articulations from eminent thinkers such as Jürgen Habermas, Jean Baudrillard, Jean-Francois Lyotard, Fredric Jameson and others. From which develop a number of key terms which are important to understand as they not only shed light on what is clearly a complicated and confusing topic, but they also form the body of knowledge that students are most likely to be assessed on.

The loss of a metanarrative

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.

Modernism – global movement which sought a new alignment with the experience and values of modern industrial life

Post-modernism – characterized by scepticism toward the “grand narratives” of modernism, opposition to feelings of certainty/stability of meaning, and emphasis on ideology as a means of maintaining political power

It is generally agreed that the postmodern shift in perception began sometime back in the late 1950s, and is probably still continuing. Postmodernism can be associated with the power shifts and dehumanization of the post-WWII era and the onslaught of consumer capitalism. It can be applied to  literature, art, philosophy, architecture, fiction, and cultural and literary criticism etc…

The post-modern world is globally linked, through technology and mass media, but locally divided due to the focus on technology, media, consumption as it causes individuals to be come isolated from the real world

Post modernism signifies the reworking of the old in order to create something new, through intertextuality, reference and pastiche – an instance were reference/copying contributes to understanding-self. in saying that, post-modernism signifies new expressions of identity and being, often found in popular culture and modern technology, which are simply new iterations of previous expressions.

the idea of fragmentary identity links to post modernism due to the uncertainty the movement is characterised by – people have adopted multiple identities EG identity with friends, identity at work, identity on social media. LINK TO GAUNTLET. Fragmented identity creates a sense of isolation but more individualism.

post-modernism is arguably an effect of consumerism – people seek satisfaction in consuming but find the pleasure is not long-term, so they continue to consume and therefore continue to be dissatisfied – creating a sense of unfulfillment and displeasure. Links to Fredric Jameson’s approach that mass media/culture is a form of hegemony in the post-modern world, where media and capitalism play a significant role in colonising people’s thoughts and ways of life. The desire to consume just for the sake of consumption creates a society that focusses on surface and/or style over substance

Baudrillard:

 claims that our current society has replaced all reality and meaning with symbols and signs, and that human experience is a simulation of reality

 “It is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication, nor even parody. It is a question of substituting the signs of the real for the real” (The Precession of Simulacra 2)

Key Terms – characteristics of post-modernism

• Pastiche – form of post modern art, an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another work, artist, or period.
• Parody – an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect
• Bricolage – a technique or creative mode, where works are constructed from various materials available or on hand,
• Intertextuality – relationship between texts
• Referential – containing or of the nature of references or allusion
• Surface and style over substance and content – appearance over quality
• Metanarrative – A narrative which concerns narratives of REAL LIFE historical meaning, experience or knowledge and offers legitimation of such through the anticipated completion of some master idea
• Hyperreality – inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality, especially in technologically advanced societies
• Simulation (sometimes termed by Baudrillard as ‘Simulacrum’) – imitation of a situation or process
• Consumerist Society – society which is characterised by the selling and buying of goods, especially goods they do not need
• Fragmentary Identities
• Alienation
• Implosion
• cultural appropriation
• Reflexivity

Is Ghost Town post modern?

• –post-modern in the sense is presented radical ideas which shifted from the objective hegemonic beliefs surrounding race and social class, and instead embraces a more subjective approach intersectionality –
• -it presents a metanarrative as it provides the soundtrack to real life economic hardship and racial tensions occurring at the time– ‘no job to be found in this country’ – as a result of a severe recession in the 1980s
• -the way in which it presents an unstable narrative structure represents ideas of uncertainty – juxtaposes Todorov’s tripartite narrative structure as it lacks equilibrium, and new equilibrium, only presenting disequilibrium as a reflection of the hardship faced by the working class during the time – ‘cant go on no more’
• post-modernism signifies new expressions of identity and being – the way in which it represents both the white and black community was the first of its kind – a new identity which embraces all kinds of people therefore shies away from objectivity of modernism -linking to Gilroy’s notion that rejects the concept of ethnic absolutism and believed identity was much more complex
• sense of alienation created through the idea of ‘ghost town’ as it connotes to decaying stability within society
• sense of intertextuality – low-key lighting, melodramatic tone, sense of foreboding, low camera angles are all conventions of expressionist horror films which presents a sombre dystopic narrative to reflect the uncertainty of the future

Postmodernism: Postmodernism is largely a reaction to the assumed certainty of scientific, or objective, efforts to explain reality. It is the idea that we copy previous work to express ourselves, and that new ideas are just a new reiteration of previous works.

Key Words:

• Pastiche: Imitating another piece of work
• Parody: To re-create something with intention to mock/take the mick to create a comedic effect.
• Bricolage: A French term that translates to ‘do-it-yourself’. The idea looks at how to create art from any materials that are available.
• Intersexuality:
• Referential:
• Surface and style over substance and content:
• Metanarrative:
• Hyperreality: finding it difficult to differentiate reality from a simulation of reality.
• Simulation: Imitation of a Situation
• Consumerist Society: similar to materialistic – someone who buys things that the often don’t need but buy them because there is value in having many things.
• Fragmentary Identities: The idea that we often construct different identities dependant on where we are, who we are with etc. This is fragmented.
• Alienation: The idea that we are disassociated to the world we live in.
• Implosion: The idea that meaning is now meaningless. Due to a combination of signs within society.
• Cultural Appropriation: Taking properties and characteristics from other cultures and appropriating them to another.
• Reflexivity:

“The Love Box in Your Living Room” is a parody but also a pastiche as it reiterates the work of Adam Curtis’ work. It is considered a ‘mock-umentary.’

Examples:

-Labour party leader is not called ronald mcdonald

– Doctor Who characters ‘Darleks‘ terminate children for misbehaving