Help with revision for Pomo

1. Post-modern Media
What will I study?
• What are the different versions of post-modernism (historical period, style, theoretical
approach)?
• What are the arguments for and against understanding some forms of media as post-
modern?
• How do post-modern media texts challenge traditional text-reader relations and the concept
of representation?
• In what ways do media audiences and industries operate differently in a post-modern
world?
You will explore combinations of: How post-modern media relate to genre and narrative across two
media, computer / video games, virtual worlds, augmented reality and new forms of representation,
post-modern cinema, interactive media, social media and social networking, reality TV, music video,
advertising, post-modern audience theories, aspects of globalisation, parody and pastiche in media
texts or a range of other applications of post-modern media theory.

2. So what is POSTMODERNISM?
The term postmodernism can be difficult to define but in its simplest form it means a time after
modernity.
The issue of when modernity took place is frequently debated by sociologists. Modernist times are
frequently referred to as Fordist times (named after Henry Ford the car manufacturer). This was a
heavily capitalist era all about mass production and standardisation. The large company owners held
the power and could produce a standardised and formulaic product which would saturate the mass
market. This filtered into Media with the large studios and production companies dominating the
market.
See timeline in extra information
Capitalism is still present in today’s society; however, consumers are looking for originality and
choice. This is reducing the strength of the large companies and giving the consumer more power.
The need to provide consumers with a unique product has been the catalyst for technological
developments.
Intertextuality and bricolage are key ideas in relation to postmodernism. Intertextuality is the way
that one text may make use of a different text, in order to add meaning e.g. a film about social
networks – yu would have to use or understand how social networks operate in order to get the
meaning within the film.
Bricolage takes this concept even further. It suggests that referentially has been taken one step
further and creates new meaning one example of this is the fusion of documentary, game show and
soap opera which became reality TV

3. Activity 1: Create a Mind Map - What media products would you link with Postmodernism and
why e.g. Reality TV: it is a false “reality” the cast is aware that they are being filmed. The viewer
recognises this and enjoys the product anyway.
Postmodern
media products

4. Theorists:
One of the key writers in relation to postmodernism was Jean Baudrillard (1929-2007). He was a
French philosopher and cultural analyst.
Baudrillard
Baudrillard studied Marxism in his early life but became dissatisfied with Marxist theory following
the World War 2 he felt we had moved from a production based society to a consumption based
society.
His most famous statement was that the ‘Gulf War never happened’ In his view society is made up of
simulations and originals. In this statement he referred to that fact we feel we are seeing reality
when watching news coverage when in fact we are only seeing a compressed and edited view of the
reality.
Fredric Jameson (1931 - )
An American literary critic and Marxist theorist. He is known for his analysis of contemporary
cultural trends.
Jameson identified the stages of capitalism which have led to the development of the postmodernist
cultural society.
1. Market capitalism: associated with particular technological developments. i.e the stream-
driven motor, and with a particular kind of aesthetics- realism
2. Monopoly capitalism, associated with technological developments especially electricity –
and modernism in art.
3. Multinational or consumer capitalism, associated with sophisticated nuclear and electronic
technologies, correlated with postmodernism.
Jean – Francois Lyotard
A French philosopher and sociologist – he commented on the society and literature.
Lyotard argues that society maintains stability through metanarratives, which are stories a culture
uses to structure its practices and beliefs (e.g. religion) every belief system or ideology has its own
metanarrative according to Lyotrad. One example of this is that in Marxism the metanarrative is that
capitalism will collapse and a socialist society will take over.
Post modernism constructs mini metanarratives which are relevant to small practices and events not
large scale mass culture.

5. NB. Metanarrative is a narrative about narratives (commentaries on practices and events)
Strinati
Some of Strinati’s key identifiers of a Postmodern text.
The breakdown of the distinction between culture and society – Mediatisation – showing
media and real life society are merged e.g in FOTC – characters as characters and real people –
using songs and media to show their emotions and feelings
Style of Substances – In Inception the architects create an almost “real” world in the dreams -
however there always some flaws. In FOTC’ Brett essentially has all the style of a business man but
once again there are flaws e.g. he hates coffee!
High Culture/ Popular Culture – The mixing of aspects typically associated with high culture with
more modern trends. In Inception classical music is played in a very modern setting. In FOTC they are
seen using older songs in new ways. The programme gained strong critical response which is rare for
a sitcom.
Confusions of time and space: In Inception there is confusion between time in the real word and
the dream world.
In Her - once again the timings are not clear and it is clear through the editing that key events have
been skipped
Activity: Try to give examples of each of the above from your case studies
Postmodern Feminist Theory:
The theory behind postmodernism is that feminism no longer fits with the two opposites; liberal and
radical feminism.
Mary Joe Frug – argues that “human experience is inescapably within language” and that language is
open to reinterpretation.
In effect, the views that people have of gender are delivered through media and language.
Some celebrities such as Madonna who frequently change their representation from “feminine” to
“masculine” through clothing and image are able to manipulate and challenge the stereotypes.

6. Activity 1: Research and create a small biography for one of the theorists – link to their views on
postmodern society
Activity 2: Exam question – How far do you concur with Baudrillard’s opinion that the news
programmes you watch are not reality?
Audience:
Common opinion is that in postmodern society audiences are looking for a unique experience. They
are able to understand that media is constructed and will either challenge the messages within or
accept that they are not seeing a full reality.
Media is used more a social identifier and status builder this is especially relevant in music and film
where it seen as more credible to watch independent films than the main stream films.
Social media has also had a large impact bringing media into people’s daily communication methods
and allowing advertisers a wider audience.
The way we use Media has become Postmodern we can play with time and space by accessing
Media where we want and on many platforms i.e the Internet
Activity:
Pick a category of media and list the products available to the consumer. Discuss how the meet the
needs of the postmodern consumer.

7. Parody:
• A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for
comic effect or ridicule.
This demonstrates an awareness of how the media product has been produced. The sense that we
should not take media products too seriously is clearly highlighted.
Some examples of parody are: Scary Movie and Superhero Movie. There are a number of
examples of parody in music videos - Blink 182 include a parody of a Backstreet Boys video in their
All the small things video.
Pastiche:
• A text that is made up of elements borrowed from other texts.
• Pastiche differs from parody in using imitation as a form of flattery rather than mockery,
and from plagiarism in its lack of deceptive intent.
Quentin Tarantino has often had his films described as pastiche. Kill Bill could be seen as paying
homage to a variety of genres including: pulp novels and Kung Fu films.
Postmodern Films
Once again the key identifier of a postmodern film is mixing textual references and images.
Read the material in section of the booklet for more detail
Task: A key postmodern auteur is Michael Winterbottom – study one of his films and comment on
the way that uses textual references and images to create messages:
The Killer inside Me

8. The Trip to Italy
The Face of an Angel
The Look of Love
Inception
Postmodernism in TV
Postmodernism in TV can present itself in a number of ways including Reality TV e.g. The Only Way is
Essex. It can also be seen in shows such as X factor where social media is frequently referred to.
The fusion of game show, news programme and talk show would also be seen as postmodern and
clear intertextuality.
FOTC: frequently references other Media and discusses the Music industry
Mrs Brown’s Boys shows elements of its construction e.g we often see cameras and cranes which fits
Strinati’s theory of construction. Obvious editing and camerawork would also fit with this.
Activity: Exam question: Discuss Baudrillard’s theory that media never shows reality just simulacra
in relation to Reality TV. Is it any more real than soap opera?

9. Statement: your opinion
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Reason One:
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Reason Two:
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Reason Three:
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Postmodernism in Music:
When considering postmodernism it can be easily seen the way in which the music industry
is postmodern, for example, many artists use images of newspapers or magazine articles to
enhance meanings in their videos. The development of the narrative music video which has
essential become like a short film would also be evidence of this

10. Activity; Research three artists you feel represent postmodernism in music: