8/9/2019 Discuss two or more media texts that you would define as postmodern and explain why you would give them thi

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Discuss two or more media texts that you would define aspostmodern and explain why you would give them thislabel. Cover at least two media in your answer.

Introduction:

Briefly describe post-modernism as a movement in the arts and incriticism that extends and develops some modernist ideas in ahumorous and ironic way. Comment briefly that post-modernism isalso a rejection of some of the grand certainties of the previous era.

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Outline your broad essay structure giving two examples from filmand two examples from TV that you are going to use as the central

texts for the essay. Explain briefly that you will assess your texts inrelation to the major theorists of post-modernism including forexample Baudrillard, Lyotard, Kramer and Fiske.

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Explain briefly how post-modernism is a theory of interpretingculture that embraces eclecticism and rejects the idea that culturalforms develop through the linear progression of history iepostmodernism rejects the idea that the latest fashion in culture is

necessarily the best. Consider how post-modernist art is theblending of fashions, both current and from the recent past. Youmight support this idea by referring to Jencks definition ofpostmodernism. Link this eclecticism to bricolage. Discuss brieflyhow Baudrillard developed the idea of bricolage into his theory ofsimulation (texts that exist only as the result of many layers ofintertextuality and clich) leading to simulacra. Define many layeredintertextuality as hyperreality. (Depending on the title in the exam,it may be useful to develop Baudrillards theory to his claims thatcertain commonly accepted concepts have ceased to exist except as

hyperreal constructs eg 9/11,

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Explain briefly the historical approach to post-modernism thatrejects the great movements artistic, political or religiousmovements that claimed to provide the answer to particular needsin society. You might refer to what Lyotard means by grandnarratives or meta-narratives here. Note that postmodernist artistsalso reject structural functionalism as a means of controlling

behaviour through traditional roles (eg gender roles in the home orworkplace, racial stereotypes based on outdated Western capitalist

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economic domination or on empire).

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Give some of the characteristics of postmodernist works that most

interest you for example (choose those that will be most relevantto your texts), various uses of intertextuality (mention at least oneof Genettes definitions); rejection of boundaries (particularly in themixing of established genres); self-reflexivity and ironic self-awareness; uses of irony and humour; rejecting the vaule placed onhigh over low (popular) culture; rejection of constructs such asgender, race, nation, sexuality.

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Discuss a film text that illustrates at least two of the aspects ofpostmodernism given in paragraph 4. Choose two aspects ofpostmodernism and give an example moment from the film toillustrate each one. Make sure you link that aspect ofpostmodernism to a theorist if in doubt, go for Kramer (but notfor every example!)

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Discuss a TV text with similar postmodern features to the film text

in para 5. Choose two p/m aspects and link to theorists one orboth could be the same aspect, just treated in a different way.

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Choose another film text and link it to two more aspects ofpostmodernism and link to a theorist.

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Discuss a TV text as you did in paragraph 6 and either link it to yourfilm text in paragraph 7 or show how it is different again from thethree texts you have already covered.

Conclusion:

Postmodernism is complex and has many definitions.The texts you have identified do fit with the characteristics of p/ asidentified by your chosen theorists.Consider the extent to which your texts have been deliberately

designed as postmodern eg. David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino andGary Ross. Other texts may not have been designed exclusively to

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fit the postmodern gospel LA Confidential, Enchanted, Dead MenDont Wear Plaid but do fit certain aspects of it.

Choice of texts

Good basic choices for a What is Postmodernism? type question asabove are the most obviously postmodern ones eg Twin Peaks,Chris Morriss work, Pleasantville.

Other styles of question may skew the basic question towardscomparison with another aspect of media:

What are the different versions of post-modernism(historical period, style, theoretical approach)?

Choose the three above but also consider LA Confidential and theway it uses intertextuality and bricolage as well as lighting stylesand freedom from regulation to create a revisionist interpretation of1950s Los Angeles.Does the influence of postmodernism on media producersbring with it the death of realism?Use The Day Today, LA Confidential, Pleasantville and Twin Peaks Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes also good.

What are the arguments for and against understanding someforms of media as post-modern?Contrast pure postmodernist texts eg Pleasantville, Twin Peakswith more mainstream output eg Enchanted and Ashes to Ashes

How do post-modern media texts challenge traditional text-reader relations and the concept of representation?Use the more obviously postmodern texts. LA confidential could alsobe useful to consider how the world of the film contrasts with theworld constructed by contemporary police procedurals like Dragnet

(Badge of Honor).

In what ways do media audiences and industries operatedifferently in a post-modern world?Use any text where the audience is required to understand theironies and intertextualities. Use the obviously postmodern texts butadd Enchanted as it shows how postmodernism is working into themainstream and suggests a view of the audience a multi-layered the film can be understood in different ways by the younger andolder audiences, for example.