Features of Postmodern Media

Key Terms: subjectivity, self reflexive/self aware, intertextuality (pastiche & parody), non linear narrative, high art /low art, rebellious (subversive).

  • Postmodern Media can be defined as a rejection(revolt) against authority and representations.
  • It is a rejection of all-encompassing ‘truths’ about the world.
  • Postmodern media is retro and playful, often taking ideas from previous texts and remixing them as parody or pastiche.
  • Postmodern media also has a different (challenging) relationship with audience and draws on their cultural competence in order to bring them in on the joke.
  • Finally, postmodern media draws attention to it’s own contrived (constructed) nature; it knows it’s a text and often reminds the audience of this fact through self-reflexivity.

Definitions of postmodern media is a common exam style question. Here’s a list:

Subjectivity

From the opening credits of Anna (Netflix).

Postmodernism insists that ‘truth’ is subjective. I have my ‘truth’ and you have yours; both are valid, as neither of us can say, with certainty, that our version of ‘the truth’ has more legitimacy.

So, if there is no all encompassing truth between individuals we can’t pretend that media texts are exempt and can be considered truthful, accurate or realistic. Postmodernism enjoys reminding us of this ‘fact’.

Self reflexivity or Self-awareness

Postmodern media texts don’t pretend that they are anything other than fabrications. They relish in drawing the audience’s attention to the fact that media texts are contrived products. Watch one of our key texts, the Warburtons Pride and Breadjudice ad. Watch from 2:30, as the lead actor abandons the pretence and walks through the production crew.

This text is so important as a case study, because not only is it self aware, but it also relies heavily on intertextual references and mixes up high and low culture. Moreover, it is a rejection of the romantic grand narrative perpetuated through previous films and books. It is also a story within a story (a non-linear narrative). It’s also helpful to bring in Barthes ideas about ‘myth.’

Intertextuality (Pastiche & Parody)

Inter (between) textuality (films, books, star images, music, ads, news…).

So, postmodern uses lots of links/references to other pre-existing texts, usually to point out the absurd nature of those texts and the ‘truths’ the pretend to tell.

Discussion: How many Instagram tropes and memes does Bo Burnham reference in this song ‘White Woman’s Instagram?’

Non-linear Narratives

Not only does postmodern media draw attention to the constructed nature of media through parodying their conventions (memes and tropes), but it also deconstructs chronological narratives, by playing with the chronological order.

I agree that films should have a beginning, middle and end, just not necessarily in that order.’ Jean-Luc Goddard.

Some ways in which narratives are non-linear in films:

  • Start at the end and flashback to the event leading up to the ending is one option. (Fight Club)
  • Play out multiple versions of the same narrative. (Run Lola Run)
  • Place a story within a story. (The Princess Bride)
  • Skip back and forth between different version of the same story. (Sliding Doors)
  • Jump back and forward in time through narrative events (500 Days of Summer)

There are several options for postmodern media texts to play with time and space through the ordering of their narrative. They do this in order to undermine the concept of one objective ‘truth.’

Watch this video: Ur Mum (2022) Wet Leg

How does the video fragment the narrative and use a huge range of intertextual references?

How does it draw attention to it’s constructed nature as a media text?

Discussion. Is this is an extension of the self reflexive (self-awareness) point?

High Culture vs Low Culture

A urinal in an art gallery? Pretentious or just tres postmodern?

For postmodernism truth and value judgements are subjective. This also applies to art.

For the postmodernism there is no qualitative difference between pop culture and high art. No difference between opera or the theatre and soap opera or advertising.

So postmodern artists play with this idea by reworking seemingly mundane ideas and re-contextualising them as high art.

A rejection of authority and signification / representation.

Postmodernism is rebellious, irreverent and iconoclastic (good word that…look it up).

You may have noticed a distinctly rebellious streak in the examples above of where postmodernism recontextualises art, plays with narrative order, parodies existing texts and even draws attention to it’s own constructed (absurd) nature. It is instinctively rebellious because it wants to challenge our pre conceived notions of ‘truth’ and point out that the notion of ‘reality’ is somewhat absurd as are our futile attempts to bring coherent meaning and order to life, the universe and everything.

Have you looked up ‘iconoclastic’ yet? Well here is some from one of our case studies, Bo Burham Inside (2021).

What Exam / Essay can I use this in?

  • The Music Industry – Often content produced by the music industry is wilfully rebellious and subversive and draws the audience into a complex artist/fan relationship using intertextuality.
  • Postmodern Media – Obviously
  • Media Ecology – Could be very helpful in any discussion about changing nature of audiences and industries and how that relationship is becoming increasingly hyperreal.

KEY QUOTES – IN A NUTSHELL

Nothing new, nothing true and nothing certain. 

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