Postmodernism

 

Postmodernism


Starter

What do you understand about the game 'Chinese Whispers'?


'Chinese whispers' demonstrates the idea of simulation; a message repeated across time and space that changes each time but is always accepted as truth.

"We blindly accept simulations as fact...The scariest aspects of our new culture is the likes of Instagram and Tik Tok, which bombard us with simulations of the real, which we blindly accept as true..."



Task 1 - Explore the article

We are going to work our way through a Media Magazine article on Postmodernism and answer some questions as we go.

Intro
  • How do we define Modernism as a period of history?
  • How does Postmodernism as another period of history build upon Modernism?
  • What do we mean by 'death of the author'?
Metatextuality
  • What is metatextuality?
  • Provide an example
The Nature of Reality
  • How does a mistrust of authority relate to the media?
  • What does Baudrillard say about the distinction between the real and the imagined?




Task 2 - Key terms for Postmodernism

While postmodernism might be difficult to understand, there are key terms that we can look out for in order to identify whether or not a media text could be considered 'postmodern'.

Watch the Mrs Fisher video below and write down the definitions for each of the following terms:
  • Irony
  • Parody
  • Homage
  • Bricolage
  • Intertextual reference
  • Fragmented Narrative
  • Self-reflexivity
  • List the common themes
  • Loss of Reality

Finally, which of these terms might we be able to apply to either of our music video
case studies?






Task 3 - Hyper-reality

Now we have another article to read which continues our exploration of Postmodernism into the notions of simulacrum (a simulation), and hyper-reality. Answer the following questions:

  • What is the definition of the ‘simulacrum’?

  • Why does the relationship between New Zealand and the Pelennor Fields provide an example of the ‘simulacrum’?

  • What is the definition of hyper-reality?

  • Why has the simulacrum become so dominant, and how does this impact our perception of reality?












Further Resources





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