Essay

Consider the ways in which postmodern media challenge conventional relations between audience and text. Refer to at least two media forms in your answer.

Pulp fiction is a post modern media text, it challenges the usual conventions of films throughout the film itself. A usual convention is that it usually is plain and simple for the audience to quickly realise and to be able to establish what genre the particular product is, however throughout the film ‘Pulp Fiction’ we see a number of genres being brought together for example, action with the fighting and then romance in the way two characters are running away together. This particular feature is not a normal convention between the text and the audience as usually there is one set theme that the audience are supposed to grasp. We also see this post moder feature within the Lady Gaga music video ‘paparazzi’ where we see a hodgepodge of ideas being thrown into one text, for example how the genre is like a short movie, then a advert and then a music video. Eclecticism is a key feature in post modern texts.

Another convention that is challenged within the movie ‘pulp fiction’ and then points toward the text being a post modern one is the way in which the whole narrative is almost a jumble, it is not the usual linear narrative that we are used to. It is a very important convention between the text and the audience as like a post modernist view it creates questions for the audience as they don't know whose story within the film to study the most and take to, seeing the events in different people's eyes creates many questions for the audience to answer in the way which they decide.

Both Lady Gaga's music video and the movie pulp fiction have a blur between high and low culture within the music video we see a blur between high and low culture in the manner that it is set out like a short film yet it is actually a music video. We see a blur between high and low culture within the movie pulp fiction because we have the storyline from the one character with a deep religious meaning then also we have the low culture sexual references and scenes which would be viewed as low culture.

The characters within the movie show elements of quirky fun without, each and everyone of the characters are quirky in their own way, for example the use of cocaine, the way in which some are gangsters. There are quirky elements such as these throughout the movie which keeps the audience entertained and enjoying the movie. This is similar to lady gaga's music video in that manner as that video goes from serious to non serious frequently throughout for example the quirky spiral appearing out of the blue. Also Lady Gaga herself is a quirky artist and her dress sense is quirky throughout. Quirky features are integral in post modern texts.

Another post modernist feature that i noticed was the dialogue, a large amount of the dialogue used within pulp fiction was small talk and not relevant at all to the plot, this is not a usual convention for a movie.

Lady Gaga Essay

Lady Gaga - Paparazzi

Homage-

The Lady Gaga - Paparazzi includes the post modernist feature of homage, the way in which homage is used is the way the video is very similar to the 1950’s film Sunset Boulevard, both have similar narratives in the way celebrities have moved away into big mansions up a hill out of the way. Both also feature a death/murder. With the video featuring huge similarities to the movie it seems as if it is paying homage to the earlier movie.

Eclecticism-

Within the video, eclecticism is used throughout there is a range of genres combining within the video such as detective drama where we see pictures being taken of the body in a detective manner. Then we have a romantic film feel at the start where the couple seem to be deeply in love and happy together. We also get the sense of a advert feeling at the start almost like a fragrance advert, also to fit in with this we see the ‘Dior’ ring on her finger once again fitting in with the fragrance advert feel. Another genre feel that we gather is the action movie genre almost like a james bond reference within.

Elements of quirky fun-

The whole Paparazzi music video by lady gaga includes elements of quirky fun as that is almost what lady gaga is represented as always. She is represented as quirky due to the different and unusual dress sense that is adopted within this music video and always. Also when she is seen to be falling off the balcony we see the spiral appear and this is a quirky feature that is in the music video as before this point we are experiencing a very serious almost film like video then this quirky feature appears. One more quirky feature that is used is when she is dressed as a robot, i feel that this is quirky because it breaks the usual binary that people with a modernist view would believe of there is either human or machine not inbetween.

Pastiche -

Within the Lady Gaga music video there is elements of pastiche from lady gaga herself in the manner that her dress sense is very similar to that of madonnas, it looks as if she has styled herself on madonna. Along with the element of references back to previous movies which could be classed as pastiche.

Blurred boundary between high and low culture -

I think the only reference i see that could be classed as a blurred boundary between high and low culture is in the manner that the music video is actually set out as a short film, as it has a clear linear narrative therefore this could mean it is closer to high culture. However on the other hand it is actually made to be a music video therefore this is what could be classed as low culture.#

Camp -

The whole video includes the element of camp as it is largely extravagant and exaggerated throughout. The performance and dancing of Lady Gaga herself and her dancers are very exaggerated and camp. The rock band glam that is chosen at some points in the video is also a very exaggerated style. This is also the same ways in which a spectacle is created within the music video.

Sense of risk by practitioner -

Due to the large amount of extravagant actions and the unusual hodgepodge used there is the potential of ridiculing being involved therefore there is a matter of risk for Lady Gaga. This is an element to post modernism as usually post modern ideas go against stereotypical theories therefore there is the potential of ridicule.

Bricolage -

The only element of bricolage in Lady Gagas music video that i noticed would be the rock band glam we see in  a few parts this style almost looks to be a jumble of clothes been put on.

Exhaustion-

Exhaustion is evident within the music video because everything we see in the video is something we have seen before from someone else, it is not really knew materials and ideas that we are seeing. The only thing that we are seeing that is different is the way in which they are presented to the audience, the order and amount of things that we are seeing in one video.

Post Modern

Post Modernism Essay

Post Modernism

Post Modernism is an idea, theory and set of principles, it challenges the normal structure or idea of something. A modernist would create something that just gets the job done, does not play around with idea’s to create something different or unusual. Examples of this could be a block of flats being built just so people can live in them, every room the same size, every window the same the whole building would be the same, this would be modernism. However an example of post modernism could be the A T and T building where it is plays around with ideas and looks different to the building we are mainly used to. However within this building half does look modernist. Another example that could be used could be the comedy genre, a modernist comedy would be the standard slapstick humour that we see then a post modernist comedy could be the mighty boosh for example where it uses many different ideas to make it more interesting. A post modernist idea is very playful and brings many ideas into one product it often uses intertextuality. There are many post modernist ideas another example could be how they would take an already made text and make it different, they would then call it their own. Whereas a modernist would call this copying, a post modernist would call this appropriation.

Post modernism is different to modernism in the manner that it challenges ideas and is willing to play with ideas to be successful. It almost doesn't need the perfect materials to make something it will make the most of what it has. Also i would say that it is not optimistic it challenges and questions all ideas does not believe that they are corrects. If there was a grand narrative a post modernist would question it and look for weaknesses within it. Post modernism lack belief in the human knowledge and is much more pessimistic.

The ideas of post-modernism have emerged because people are starting to challenge modernist ideas as they are running out, people want to be original with things such as tv shows. It has emerged so that people can stand out and be different to entertain or make things look better. The confidence within modernism has disappeared so we have entered a post modernist era that is much more pessimistic and lacking belief. Therefore the point is that post modernists almost believe they have to create everything themselves, you create your own truth there is no grand story to believe, you just believe what works for you.

There are various characteristic that we expect to see in post modern texts such as, intertextuality which is referencing other products or people that the audience will recognize to make it more interesting for them. Examples of this could the pacman in the mighty boosh or the rolls Royce look on the a t and t tower. Another characteristic that is commonly used is appropriation where something is taken, then adapted by the post modernist with them claiming it then as there own. Parody we would also expect to see within post modern texts this is when a text very cleverly mocks another one.