PostmodernismPostmodernism

What?What?

B&S: Postmodernism is:B&S: Postmodernism is:

1.1. A ‘period’A ‘period’2.2. A cultural view associated with A cultural view associated with

the periodthe period3.3. A style with definable featuresA style with definable features

……....4.4. A conceptual framework for A conceptual framework for

analysing / approaching the aboveanalysing / approaching the above

Discussion:Discussion:

What are some of the key debates What are some of the key debates within postmodernism?’within postmodernism?’

What are the defining features of What are the defining features of post-modern texts?post-modern texts?

In what ways can these be In what ways can these be problematic?problematic?

Cultural Hierarchies:Cultural Hierarchies:

‘‘Theatre is lifeTheatre is life

Film is artFilm is art

Television is furniture’Television is furniture’

…………....

"I find Television very educational. Every "I find Television very educational. Every time someone switches it on, I go into time someone switches it on, I go into

another room and read a good book." another room and read a good book." Groucho Groucho

MarxMarx

The TimesThe Times SupermanSuperman comic comic Laurence Olivier film ofLaurence Olivier film of Pride and Pride and

Prejudice Prejudice Buffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy the Vampire Slayer La BohemeLa Boheme McFlyMcFly The SunThe Sun The complete works of ShakespeareThe complete works of Shakespeare BBC adaptation of BBC adaptation of Pride and PrejudicePride and Prejudice Jane Austen’sJane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice Pride and Prejudice The BeatlesThe Beatles BachBach

Case Studies activityCase Studies activity

Using the prompt sheet and your Using the prompt sheet and your reading of B&S, suggest a media reading of B&S, suggest a media text which you feel can usefully be text which you feel can usefully be defined as postmodern. defined as postmodern.

Justify your choice.Justify your choice.

postmodernism in actionpostmodernism in action

Teen TVTeen TV HorrorHorror CybercultureCyberculture

from from Helpless Helpless (Season 3)(Season 3)

The gang are in the library researching possible causes of Buffy’s loss of powers

XANDER: You know, maybe we're on the wrong track with the whole spell, curse and whammy thing. Maybe what we should be looking for is something like, um, Slayer kryptonite.

OZ: Faulty metaphor. Kryptonite kills. XANDER: You're assuming I meant the green kryptonite. I was

referring, of course, to the red kryptonite, which drains Superman of his powers.

OZ: (thinks) Wrong. The gold kryptonite's the power-sucker. The red kryptonite mutates Superman into some sort of weird...

BUFFY: (impatiently) Guys? Reality?

from from Buffy vs. DraculaBuffy vs. Dracula (Season (Season 5)5) Buffy has just staked Dracula. After everyone's left, a Buffy has just staked Dracula. After everyone's left, a

fog starts forming, and Dracula reappears. As soon as fog starts forming, and Dracula reappears. As soon as Dracula has fully appeared, a hand appears and stakes Dracula has fully appeared, a hand appears and stakes him again. He gasps.him again. He gasps.

BUFFY:BUFFY: You think I don't watch your movies? You always You think I don't watch your movies? You always come back.come back.

Dracula explodes into dust again. Buffy folds her Dracula explodes into dust again. Buffy folds her arms and arms and

watches. The fog begins to collect - again.watches. The fog begins to collect - again.

BUFFY:BUFFY: I'm standing right here! I'm standing right here! The fog dissipates. The fog dissipates.

from Shakespeare’s Henry V from Shakespeare’s Henry V

This story shall the good man teach his son; This story shall the good man teach his son;

And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,

From this day to the ending of the world,From this day to the ending of the world,

But we in it shall be remember'd; …But we in it shall be remember'd; …

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition: This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now a-bed And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

from from The GiftThe Gift (Season 5) (Season 5)

BUFFY: Stay close but don't crowd her. We'll follow in a minute. Everybody knows their jobs. Remember, the ritual starts, we all die. And I'll kill anyone who comes near Dawn.

she exits

SPIKE: Well, not exactly the St. Crispin's Day speech, was it?

GILES: "We few...we happy few..."

SPIKE: "We band of buggered..."

Postmodernism and HorrorPostmodernism and Horror Horror constitutes a violent disruption of the Horror constitutes a violent disruption of the

everyday worldeveryday world Horror transgresses and violates boundariesHorror transgresses and violates boundaries Horror throws into question the validity of Horror throws into question the validity of

rationalityrationality Postmodern horror repudiates narrative closurePostmodern horror repudiates narrative closure Horror films produce a bounded experience of Horror films produce a bounded experience of

fearfear

From: Pinedo, IC; (1997) From: Pinedo, IC; (1997) Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Recreational Terror: Women and the Pleasures of Horror Film ViewingHorror Film Viewing; New York:SUNY; New York:SUNY

Postmodernism and Postmodernism and cyberculturecyberculture

‘‘Postmodernism’ is a term sometimes used to Postmodernism’ is a term sometimes used to describe the age of computer technology and describe the age of computer technology and cybernetics, as coming after the era of factory cybernetics, as coming after the era of factory production [also known as ‘late modernity’]production [also known as ‘late modernity’]

What other areas of resonance can you What other areas of resonance can you identify between postmodernism and identify between postmodernism and cyberculture/new technologies?cyberculture/new technologies?

Postmodernism and Postmodernism and cyberculturecyberculture

Cyberculture enables us to be producers rather Cyberculture enables us to be producers rather than consumers of texts – again, small, than consumers of texts – again, small, fragmented production unitsfragmented production units

Studies of cyberculture often focus on multiple Studies of cyberculture often focus on multiple and unstable identitiesand unstable identities

Blurring of real and simulated – virtual realities, Blurring of real and simulated – virtual realities, CGICGI

Blurring of cultural hierarchies – bricolage, Blurring of cultural hierarchies – bricolage, appropriationappropriation

Absence of narrative/cultural authority & Absence of narrative/cultural authority & single/scientific truthsingle/scientific truth

Postmodernisms and Postmodernisms and McLuhan’s Rear-View McLuhan’s Rear-View MirrorMirror

McLuhan’s Rear-View Mirror McLuhan’s Rear-View Mirror is:is:

A way of describing our relationship with A way of describing our relationship with new technology. We define the new new technology. We define the new through its resonance with the familiarthrough its resonance with the familiar

Eg: Eg: electric keyboards look like pianos – why?electric keyboards look like pianos – why? We still talk about ‘dialling’ phone numbersWe still talk about ‘dialling’ phone numbers The ‘file’ icons on computer desktopsThe ‘file’ icons on computer desktops The term ‘desktop’The term ‘desktop’

Hence, terms become divorced from contextsHence, terms become divorced from contexts

Levinson on McLuhanLevinson on McLuhan

The internet as new media:The internet as new media: Levels hierarchiesLevels hierarchies Form more important than contentForm more important than content

McLuhan as a technological determinist:McLuhan as a technological determinist: People as the products/effects of the People as the products/effects of the

media, rather than vice-versa media, rather than vice-versa diminishment of human controldiminishment of human control

Stances Toward Technological Determinism:

1.1. ExtremeExtreme (also called "strong" or (also called "strong" or "hard") technological determinists"hard") technological determinists:: Information technology (or some other) Information technology (or some other) will radically transform society and/or will radically transform society and/or our ways of thinking (or has already our ways of thinking (or has already done so). done so).

2.2. In a more cautious variation of this In a more cautious variation of this stance, stance, weakweak (or "soft") technological (or "soft") technological determinists present technology as a determinists present technology as a key factor which may key factor which may facilitatefacilitate such such changes in society or behavior. changes in society or behavior.

Commentators on technology take four main standpoints:

In opposition, two groups downplay the role of technology:

3.3. Socio-cultural deterministsSocio-cultural determinists present present technologies and media as entirely technologies and media as entirely subordinate to their development and use subordinate to their development and use in particular socio-political, historical and in particular socio-political, historical and culturally-specific contexts. culturally-specific contexts.

4.4. VoluntaristsVoluntarists emphasize emphasize individualindividual control over the tools which they see control over the tools which they see themselves as "choosing" to use. themselves as "choosing" to use.

from: Technological or Media Determinism Daniel Chandler http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tdet11.html

To think about:To think about:

Where would you place yourself?Where would you place yourself? McLuhan?McLuhan? Levinson?Levinson?

How do you perceive the How do you perceive the relationship between relationship between postmodernism and technological postmodernism and technological determinism?determinism?

Further reading:Further reading:

Daniel ChandlerDaniel Chandler on technological determinism:on technological determinism:http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tecdet.htmlhttp://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tecdet.html

Imagining Futures, Dramatizing Fears:The Portrayal of Technology in Imagining Futures, Dramatizing Fears:The Portrayal of Technology in Literature and FilmLiterature and Film

Technological or Media DeterminismTechnological or Media Determinism

Passages from Neil Postman’s Technopoly: The Surrender of Culture to Technology.

http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~kimble/teaching/cis/cis4.html

Article reflecting on Cyberpunk, cyberspace & the global village: Marshall McLuhan Marshall McLuhan Meets William Gibson in "Cyberspace“ Meets William Gibson in "Cyberspace“ by Michael E. Doherty, Jr.by Michael E. Doherty, Jr.

http://ibiblio.org/cmc/mag/1995/sep/doherty.htmlhttp://ibiblio.org/cmc/mag/1995/sep/doherty.html

Terry L. Heaton: perspectives on the Terry L. Heaton: perspectives on the web, the news and postmodernismweb, the news and postmodernism

TV News in a Postmodern World: Beyond the TV News in a Postmodern World: Beyond the World Wide Web August 2004 World Wide Web August 2004 http://dirckhalstead.org/issue0408/heaton.htmlhttp://dirckhalstead.org/issue0408/heaton.html

TV News in a Postmodern World: The Rise of TV News in a Postmodern World: The Rise of the Independent Video Journalist October the Independent Video Journalist October 2003 2003 http://dirckhalstead.org/issue0310/tvpomo.htmhttp://dirckhalstead.org/issue0310/tvpomo.htmll

And for your amusement at the expense And for your amusement at the expense of postmodern theorists and their of postmodern theorists and their impenetrable writing…impenetrable writing…

‘intellectual writing doesn't have to have any conscious direction at all’

http://www.elsewhere.org/cgi-bin/postmodernhttp://www.elsewhere.org/cgi-bin/postmodern

http://www.brysons.net/generator.htmlhttp://www.brysons.net/generator.html

http://www.info.ucl.ac.be/people/PVR/decon.html http://www.info.ucl.ac.be/people/PVR/decon.html How to How to Deconstruct Almost Anything--My Postmodern Adventure Deconstruct Almost Anything--My Postmodern Adventure Chip Chip Morningstar, Electric CommunitiesMorningstar, Electric Communities