rewrite of essay

How does postmodern text differ from regular media texts? Rewrite.

Post modernism is a style or concept developed from modernism and a style or concept in the arts that is characterised by a distrust of theories, grand narratives and ideologies. They differ from regular media texts as they can be playful and nostalgic. Furthermore a postmodern text focuses on the idea that value and meaning can be subjective and accept that things can be fragmented.

Regular media texts are generic and clear cut which means that things can be categorised easily into its specific genres. The Mighty Boosh differs from regular television shows due to its extreme blurring of the boundaries. In all the episodes Vince is constantly mixing fashions from different time periods and cultures. For example in one episode he styles his hair in a green punk rock moeikan and wears a pink feather boa and pearls from a burlesque culture. The blend of styles burs the boundaries between high and low art and also represents his fragmented and hyper identity. Vince’s style also comments on the distrust of grand narratives as his fragmented identity shows how society is defined by media cultures and everything is media simulated.

The show is also different from regular media due to its intertextual references. It relies on its audience to recognise and understand the references to enhance the comedic effect. In one episode Vince gets on stage and begins dancing in a costume that Mick Jagger once wore. The audience needs to be aware of the star’s personality to understand the humorous gesture and to view the scene nostalgically which also makes them part of the joke and making them a media literate audience.

Postmodern texts also differ from regular media in music videos. Lady Gaga’s telephone music video is highly cinematic and lengthy, which leans itself as a short film; however it has a sole purpose to promote itself and being a music video. This it is postmodern as it rejects rigid genre description. The video also features lots of intertexuality and has a high influence to Quinten Tarritino, this is postmodern as it does not come up with something completely original but borrows the best parts and makes it her own to make a purposeful point, pastiche. Influence from Kill Bill is evident with the ‘Pussy Wagon’ in many shots as well as the homicide narrative; the message is to take revenge on people who have wronged her. The intertexuality of Diet Coke, Beats by Dre and Wonderbread also hints to the mass consumer culture which our society is emerged in, a hyperreal society.

This references a distrust of a grand narrative which is also featured in films such as the Matrix by Andy Whacowski 1999. The narrative follows a relationship between a man and a machine and how its existence is virtual which masks the real reality. It differs from regular films that are realistic and believable, on the basis of science and religion, as there many scenes in the film such as ‘Bullet Time’. The scene is CGI constructed and Andy is able to control the uncontrollable, such as slowing down bullets and controlling space and time with his mind, this creates a hyper real situation as it is not possible in reality.

There is also intertextual references to Baudrillard’s book, ‘ Simulacra and Simulation’, it is featured as the book is pulled out with a huge metal front and bind and has dust all over the book, signifying that the book is important. Neo also references the book, “the real world no longer exists because everything is virtual”. This differs from regular texts as it pays homage to the book and the film recognises that everything is simulated and the movie itself is simulation. 

Regular media also like to embrace knowledge and use it to explain situations, post modern texts like to play with irony and accept that there can be no truths. Blade Runner by Ridley Scott makes it hard for the audience to identify the main protagonist. The supposed main protagonist Deckard is portrayed as senseless to violence and kills innocent people. The artificial clones are filled with emotion and passion as there are scenes where the clones are hysterically crying over the death of someone. The questions what it means to be human and the audience are unable to use their knowledge to understand and the film offers no answer either.

Grand Theft Auto is classed as postmodern is due to that fact the gamer imagination is immersed into the gamer world and there are no rules or ‘norms’ There is also a flow within the game where the tasks are harder but achievable and when achieved there is feedback which allows the gamer to feel pleasurable. Within the flow and immersion the gamer is put into a state where being ‘lost’ in the game world leads to an enhanced state of hyper reality. Blurring the boundaries of reality and the gamer could become confused with the right and wrong in reality / society. Especially when all the games are based on real cities, for example Vice City is base din New York, Los Santos is based in Los Angeles. All the locations that they are base in are all conventional locations for gangster films. There is a also a homage paid to these gangster films and the conventions as in GTA the narrative where you survive based on your own intelligence, strength and skill to escalate through the rankings of gangsters.

Postmodern media differs from the regular texts due to its ambiguous views and ability to reference and focus on differences. I believe that postmodern media will continue to use intertextually references to pay homage and to create new meanings and question grand narratives until the point where audience have to question themselves and their own beliefs and values. The media will also make it complicated to decipher between different genres and classification will be impossible.