A VIEW ON POSTMODERNISM

Sarah-Jane Grainger

AMERICAN HORROR STORY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cFhUp_2N00 Season 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7XC-4zVirA Season 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMy5BNoUMhM Season 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omu0lDUcMP4 Opening scenes of all three seasons.

All three of these seasons have multiple directors and writers subverting to typical television series' – Since all three seasons are different, they each have a different opening scene montage of random images not actual footage, and sounds not relating to the programme, yet the only synergy noticed throughout the three seasons is the typography stays the same and the non diegetic backing track underneath the opening sequences.Lyotards' Theory of “No Grand Narratives” relates to the non conforming style of media this is, creating its very own genre breaking conventions.

ON GOING ACTORS

This TV series links to Strinati’s Confusion between time & space and style over substance theory – The same actors are used throughout all three seasons, yet with each new season comes a completely different storyline and different characheter persona each time.

CONFUSION BETWEEN SPACE & TIME EXTENDED Post - Modernism and Mass Culture

The loss of a sense of history as a continuous, linear 'narrative' a clear sequence of events, is indicative of the argument that, in the post-modern world, meta-narratives are in decline. This point about the decline of meta-narratives arises out of the previous argument I have noted. Meta-narratives, examples of which include, religion, science, art, modernism, and Marxism, make absolute universal and all-embracing claims to knowledge and truth. Post modernist theory is highly sceptical about these meta-narratives and argues that they are increasingly open to criticism. In the post-modern world they are disintegrating, their validity and legitimacy are in decline. It is becoming harder for people to organise and interpret their lives in the light of meta-narratives of whatever kind. This argument would, therefore, include for example, the declining significance of religion. Post modernism has been particularly critical of the meta-narrative of Marxism and its claim of absolute truth, as it has been of any theory, which tries to read a pattern of progress into history. The consequence of this is that post modernism rejects the claims of any theory to absolute knowledge, or of any social practice to universal validity.

HYPER REALITY In the Hyper-Real world of American Horror Story, It become’s a hegemony epidemic, we no longer question anything, yet simply we take in the visual, This is subverting Jameson’s theory of him wanting every text to have a point.

Jameson does reject postmodernism, yet he is on the fence with some opinions, as he also sees reason for the present generation to express themselves through postmodernity giving a feeling of catharsis and self relief to the recieving audience.

John Lechte makes the point that hyper-reality might not be so all embracing, as Baudrillard believes. He suggests that the judgmental standards of a modern period – based on science and reason are still significantly in place.

MCCAULEY His theory expands Jameson’s acceptance of the audience needing self relief, as he understand typical horror texts are used as a form of entertainment, proving personal identity and letting go of repressed feelings through the forced emotions of the media.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82p7KeV7uGM