Explain how certain media can be termed postmodern.
Postmodernism like modernism follows most of these same ideas rejecting boundaries between high and low forms of art rejecting right genre distinction emphasising pastiche, parody, bricolage, irony, and playfulness. Postmodernism and Modernism are very similar, but it differs in its attitude towards a lot of these characteristics. Modernisms view of fragmentation is that of something tragic, something with meaning. While Postmodernism in contrast, celebrates and encourages fragmentation, that the world is meaningless so why pretend that the art has meaning, when it should be celebrated for its just plain right nonsense! We are constantly immersed in a media, at school, at home out in the town - the distinction between reality and the media representation becomes blurred, we no longer have any sense of the difference between reality and the media. Texts are deliberately exposed to display to the audience that the texts aren't real. While others suggest that postmodern is just an alternative way, a new way of thinking about media, when it has always been this way.
Some of the main ideas of post modernism are that it rejects the idea that any media product is of any lesser or greater value than another, anything can be art anything can attract an audience. The distinction between media and reality has disappeared, we now live in a world where representations have been formed by the media.
There are many media examples of media products which postmodernism ideas are strongly emphasised throughout, for TV drama, I will be using case studies on the Inbetweeners, and I will also delve into the gaming world, using Call of duty.
The Inbetweeners (E4 2004) Is set around four male A Level students attending a local secondary school; however the focal point is Will who joins the school, when his wealthy parents divorce, thus ending his luxury all expenses paid education ride on the public school parade. The situation is ordinary enough. It's a daily occurrence for children to have to attend their first day at school, having to meet new friends and just trying to fit in. However this ordinariness, could also be considered postmodern.
In some respect it parodies previous school based dramas, such as Grange Hill (1978-2008) and Byker Grove (1989 - 2006). In the fact it sets the drama around characters at school, but makes the characters the complete opposite of these 2 older dramas, the inbetweeners characters frequently swear and make sexual references. None of which would of happened in Grange Hill or Byker grove, which were both more moral and focused on matters that faced there young children audiences in that era. This can also be said to be argued with BBC 1's Waterloo road. Although it could be considered that Byker grove and Grange hill were postmodern for their time.
In some respect it parodies previous school based dramas, such as Grange Hill (1978-2008) and Byker Grove (1989 - 2006). In the fact it sets the drama around characters at school, but makes the characters the complete opposite of these 2 older dramas, the inbetweeners characters frequently swear and make sexual references. None of which would of happened in Grange Hill or Byker grove, which were both more moral and focused on matters that faced there young children audiences in that era. This can also be said to be argued with BBC 1's Waterloo road. Although it could be considered that Byker grove and Grange hill were postmodern for their time.
Bricolage mixes up and uses different genres and styles. In the Inbetweeners it mixes up; Comedy, drama, romance, realistic issues and slapstick. Comedy – making jokes, to entertain the audience, such as making up names for Will, for his Brief case and large badge he had on his first day at school. Drama – by using realistic characters and following their lives. Romance – Following the romance of Simon and his love for Carli, with other romances regularly shown, With Simons persistent crush on Charlotte, and in series 2 episode 6, Jays change in romance style for a ‘real’ girl called Chloe, showing the importance romance plays in contemporary British boys lives. Realistic Issues – Will trying not to be in the unpopular crew, wanting to be accepted by his new school, in trying to buy a drink while underage. Slapstick – Will being thrown in to lake in his underpants by the mechanics at the garage where he is doing work experience in series 2 episode 2. Bricolage is also strongly shown in the film 'Brick' where it mixes us high school drama, with crime and mystery, it doesn't run in a linear sequence order of events, the use of Dutch camera shots, which show a conversation between head teacher and student, in an unconventional way, where the conversation wouldn't be considered normal between student and head teacher, which dialogue exchanged would be more relevant for a crime film than high school drama.
The blurring of boundary between text and audience is a characteristic of all videogame. The audience becomes an active participant in the game. Even in two dimensional arcade games of the 1980's, the player is involved in the text by using a controller to control a character in a game.
It is the level of immersion that characterises modern gaming. There are three main elements in Call of Duty that involve the player further with the game. The first person perspective, the gamer sees the environment of the game as if you are the character in the game (seeing the hands holding the gun). The level of immersion becomes even more compelling with missions where it demands your participation in the game, this is also shown in other first person shooters, such as resident evil, where missions require you to crack puzzles to get into a room and to get further into the game.
It is the level of immersion that characterises modern gaming. There are three main elements in Call of Duty that involve the player further with the game. The first person perspective, the gamer sees the environment of the game as if you are the character in the game (seeing the hands holding the gun). The level of immersion becomes even more compelling with missions where it demands your participation in the game, this is also shown in other first person shooters, such as resident evil, where missions require you to crack puzzles to get into a room and to get further into the game.
The detailed three-dimensional mise-en scene, in modern days, the advancements of technologies, allowing very high graphics to be displayed on screen, The Xbox 360 for example has a 500 MHz graphics card, which can show very high detailed images. Games are often being designed on real buildings and places. for example GTA vice city, the streets are actually based on street maps of vice city. Where people from that city, could know where to drive to places without using the satnav, as if they were driving there in real life. The incredible of amount of detail that goes into parts of the scenes what are just really background scene filling images, in one level on COD MW2, A winter tale, appears on a shelf on the shelves of a book shop, in this level the Moscow airport is also based on the real Moscow airport.
With the increasing ability to play games online against other people, has led game designers to spend alot more focus on the online play rather than the single player game. Being able to play against other people allows more freedom and blurring of boundaries are emphasised even more. As it feels like you are actually shooting at other people. With psychologists claiming that children playing games such as Call of Duty actually creates aggressive behaviour in real life from them, and this is why games have age ratings on them.
