Flash Cards Vlog

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords'

Postmodern Pot Luck Peer Assessment

Analyse one of your coursework productions in relation to the concept of audience

            In terms of constructing a media text – in the case of my A2 coursework, a music video – considering audience is essential. When creating my music video for the song ‘Short Skirt Long Jacket’ by Cake, I thought extensively about the kind of people I was appealing to and how I would do this. The target audience for my video is mainly heterosexual males ages 16-25, due to the fact that all my models are girls that fall into this same age category, and the lyrics of the song describe an ideal woman. Throughout the process of making my music video, I asked members of my target audience to look at my ideas and work and give me feedback so that I could ensure that it was specifically tailored to the wants and needs of my audience. I did this through polls on my blog and regular feedback forms.

 We can apply Bulmer and Katz’ Uses and Gratifications theory to my music video, which has four reasons as to why audiences consume media texts: entertainment, which is for the purposes of escapism and diversion; surveillance, which is for the purpose of obtaining information; personal identity, which suggests that the audience relate to the characters and situations; personal relationships, which suggests that the audience look to the media text as a way of connecting with those around them. We can deduce that the audience would use my music video for primarily entertainment, as part of the purpose of music videos is pleasure, and also possibly personal relationships, as music videos are often talked about as much as television programmes or films, particularly those that are especially controversial, provocative, or innovative. However, the other two points of the theory – personal identity and information – do not really apply to music videos necessarily, although it could be argued that some female viewers may see the models in my video in an aspirational sense.

            Laura Mulvey’s theory of the male gaze can be applied to my music video as I used close-ups of the models’ eyes, lips, legs, and hair which act to eroticise and sexualise them. Mulvey identified two types of the male gaze: ‘voyeuristic’ and ‘fetishistic’. Voyeurism refers to seeing women as ‘whores’, whilst fetishism refers to seeing women as ‘madonnas’. My music video conforms more to the fetishistic interpretation of the male gaze as the lyrics of the song mean that the models are seen as fantasies and admired, rather than objectified.

            Another way of looking at how audiences consume media is reception theory, which is based on Stuart Hall’s encoding model. It argues that producers encode meaning into a media text and audience then in turn decode it. When creating my music video, I encoded meaning in many ways. For example, I shot the entire video in extreme close-up and used many different models so that the ideal woman that the song is about is never shown in full. This ensured that the audience saw her as a fantasy, and that she was represented as an unachievable perfect woman that is more an amalgamation of many different women rather than one real-life person. I used iconic signifiers of femininity to connect with the audience, for example: red lipstick, long eyelashes, jewellery, high heels, short skirts, lace, etc. This made sure the audience saw the models as beautiful and links to attracting a male audience and Mulvey’s concept of seeing women as ‘madonnas’. Although it could be argued that my music video conforms to the stereotype of women due to the way that the models are dressed and made-up and additionally some of the props that are used – for example a blender, typical domestic kitchenware that links directly to the traditional feminine role – it could also be said that there are aspects of both the lyrics and the accompanying video that contrast with this image. For example, I have one shot of a girl playing with model cars as the lyrics are, “she’s changing her MG for white Chrysler Le Baron”, which contradicts the stereotype of women.

            To conclude, I created my music video with a specific audience in mind, and ensured that they would be attracted to, understand and enjoy my music video through the process of research and feedback.

Postmodern Pot Luck: Scream

Postmodernism in 'Scream' on Prezi

(unfinished)

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords' Prezi

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords' on Prezi

'Bowie's in Space' - Flight of the Conchords

This is the song 'Bowie's in Space' taken from the episode 'Bowie' (series one episode six) of Flight of the Conchords, as referenced in the below essay

Postmodernism in 'Flight of the Conchords' Essay

Flight of the Conchords is an American television comedy series that premiered in 2007, though it began as a radio show two years earlier. It follows the attempts of the band Flight of the Conchords – “New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy-folk-duo" – to make it New York City. The band exist in real-life and the show features much of their award-winning music, with the characters Bret McClegnie and Jemaine Clemaine played by Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The rest of the main cast is made up of the band’s hopeless but enthusiastic manager Murray (Rhys Darby), their sole fan and stalker Mel (Kristen Schaal) and their best friend Dave (Arj Barker). The show was critically acclaimed and ran for two series but in 2009 the writers, directors and performers McKenzie and Clement announced that it would not be returning for a third series.

            One of the main ways in which Flight of the Conchords can be seen as postmodern is its sense of surrealism. Whilst the characters’ lives are relatively mundane and ordinary, the show contrasts this with bizarre surrealist comedy. From the opening sequence the sense of bizarre is established by the cut-and-paste animation and the use of animation of ordinary inanimate objects, such as dancing salt and pepper pots, trees, park benches, and mugs. This is enforced further by the mix of standard sitcom style and music video sequences used when the characters spontaneously break into song. For example, at the end of ‘Bowie’ (series one, episode six), Bret and Jemaine perform a song in the style of David Bowie accompanied by a music video set in space. Additionally throughout the episode Bret is plagued by vivid dreams where David Bowie (played by Jemaine Clement) visits him with bizarre advice: “oh the media monkeys and their junkie-junkies will invite you to the plastic pantomime, throw their invites away!” and “get an eyepatch, man.” The show can further be seen as a mix of styles through the hybrid of genres it falls into: it is at once comedy, structured reality, musical series, etc. The overt surrealism and contrast in styles are characteristic of postmodern media.

            Another way the text features postmodern themes is through self-referentiality. This is most obvious in the fact that the band in the TV show exist in real life, and Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement play these fictionalised versions of themselves. Moreover within the music video scenes of the show, the characters use direct address when talking to the camera, something which can also be seen in the ‘Bowie’s in Space’ song from the episode ‘Bowie’. In fact when David Bowie – who is actually just Jemaine in a Bowie costume – first appears to Bret in a dream, there is more self-referencing evident in his reaction: “Bret: Jemaine? What are you doing? / ‘David Bowie’: It’s not Jemaine. It’s 1972 David Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust tour. / Bret: Wow. You look a lot like Jemaine.” This comment, along with the tongue-in-cheek comedy and music video scenes, create a sense of self-awareness that runs through both series of the show.

            As well as referencing themselves, the characters often make references to other media, with episodes sometimes focusing on one particular celebrity or style of music, for example the references to Yoko Ono through the character of Coco in ‘Yoko’ (series one episode four), Daft Punk in ‘Sally’ (series one episode one), the rap/hip-hop style of music in ‘Mugged’ (series one episode three). This use of pastiche also connotes the idea of celebrity culture, which is further evoked in the character of Mel, who although married follows Bret and Jemaine regularly and sometimes describes sexual fantasies involving the two of them. The adoption of different musical styles from episode to episode allows the band to play with the conventions of different musical genres, which is another feature of postmodern texts. For example, in the episode ‘Sally’, Jemaine sings the song ‘The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)’, which parodies love songs by taking a more realistic approach to the lyrics: “you’re so beautiful, you could be a part-time model... but you’d probably still have to keep your normal job,” describing Sally as “the most beautiful girl I have ever seen with a kebab.” Throughout the episode ‘Bowie’, both Bret and Jemaine make references to different points in David Bowie’s career, including: Jemaine appearing as “1972 David Bowie from the Ziggy Stardust tour”, “1982 David Bowie from the music video Ashes to Ashes”, and “1986 David Bowie from the movie Labyrinth”; the Space Oddity style video and lyrics to ‘Bowie’s in Space’; the mention of Changes in ‘Bowie’s in Space’ when Bret says, “hey Bowie, do you have one really funky sequined spacesuit or do you have several ch-changes?”

The pastiche used also suggests more of a concern for style than substance, which is reflected in the simple plot lines of the show. For example in ‘Bowie’, Bret becomes image conscious after a band photoshoot, but gains his confidence in time to mess up an interview for a musical greetings card. Although the narrative may not be complex, the visual style of the episode, particularly the dream sequences and music video scene, are where most of the focus is. Furthermore the fact that Bret becomes so concerned with the way he looks also conforms with the ‘style over substance’ aspect of postmodernism, and this is a theme which reoccurs throughout the programme: in ‘Bret Gives Up the Dream’ (series one episode two) the band are upstaged by a flashier Australian stall at a gig at a travel expo; the band try to get a rockstar image in both ‘What Goes on Tour’ (series one episode nine) and ‘New Fans’ (series one episode ten); they become addicted to hair gel when trying to look cool in ‘New Zealand Town’ (series two episode eight).

            The comedy in Flight of the Conchords overall is very dry and tongue-in-cheek, with parts that could be interpreted as ironic, such as the mocking of the band’s homeland New Zealand through the posters in Murray’s office, and Australian stereotypes in the episode ‘Unnatural Love’ (series two episode five). This ironic, playful sense of humour conforms to the style of comedy usually associated with postmodern media. Additionally it has some elements of dark humour, which is characteristic of postmodernism. For example, in ‘Bowie’, when Bret becomes body conscious, Jemaine and Murray both repeatedly insist that he is bulimic much to Bret’s annoyance, and at the end of the episode when Bret has apparently resolved his issues, he gives his biscuit to Jemaine, stating “yeah, help yourself – I’m not eating anymore, I’m a bit too fat”. As well as this, in the episode ‘Drive By’, the band watch a cartoon featuring ‘Albi the Racist Dragon’. This lighthearted approach to serious issues such as eating disorders and racism could be interpreted as offensive, but like postmodernism the intention is to be playful and provocative.

            To conclude, although it may not display every aspect of the theory, there are many conventions of postmodernism to be found throughout both series of Flight of the Conchords, with most exhibited in the episode ‘Bowie’. These features include surrealism, pastiche, parody, self-referentiality, intertextuality, ironic/black humour, and playfulness.

Postmodernism in Lady Gaga’s 'Telephone' and Tom Tykwer’s 'Run Lola Run'

            Due to the often contradictory, very broad definition of the word, there are many things which allow a text to be described as postmodern. Both Lady Gaga’s music video for the song Telephone (Jonas Åkerlund, 2010) and German crime thriller Run Lola Run (Tom Tykwer, 1998) exhibit many of the features of a postmodern text.

One way in which Lady Gaga’s Telephone music video could be interpreted as postmodern is through the use of self-referencing. The video continues the narrative from Gaga’s last video for Paparazzi, which shows a sense of self-awareness. Additionally the costume choices, particularly Beyonce’s glasses in the diner scene, and the use of the same director and visual style make a clear link to the Paparazzi video. Gaga also self-references by addressing the then-recent hermaphrodite rumours in the press by conforming in several ways to the stereotypical view of masculinity. Another aspect of the video that could be self-referencing is the repeated product placement of Diet Coke, Chevrolet, Wonderbread, Virgin Mobile, and Gaga’s own HeartBeats. The way in which this placement is done is not intended to be humorous, but rather to connote the theme of consumerism, which is also another important element of postmodernism.

            Run Lola Run can be seen as postmodern due to the style of the film; it looks distinctly like a video game. Critic Roger Ebert said Lola is “like the avatar in a video game – Lara Croft made flesh,” which is shown through her eccentric unmatching outfit and vivid red hair. As well as this, the pressure of the time limit throughout the film is reminiscent of a video game, where the player must complete a certain task in a restricted amount of time – in this case, gaining 100,000 marks in 20 minutes. The narrative is also reflective of a video game, due to the way in which Lola and Manni come back to life, giving Lola a chance to ‘try the level again’ in the second and third run.

            A technique which both Telephone and Run Lola Run employ is intertextual referencing, which is another aspect of postmodernism. Telephone makes references to many things, using Beyonce and Lady Gaga’s ‘Thelma and Louise’ style relationship, Beyonce’s Wonder Woman-esque costume, the American flag outfits in the dance sequence, the imitation of Michael Jackson’s trademark shuffle as Gaga breaks out from prison, and the Madonna-style look she uses at the start of the video. However, the most commonly referenced texts in the video are those of director Quentin Tarantino: the use of the ‘Pussy Wagon’ truck, as loaned by Tarantino, is a direct reference to Kill Bill; by using the nickname ‘Honey Bee’, Gaga connotes the character of ‘Honey Bunny’ in Pulp Fiction; the red and yellow font used for the titles is reminiscent of the titles from Jackie Brown. Alternatively, Run Lola Run uses intertextual referencing through the ‘Spiral’ bar behind Manni when he is in the phonebox, the spiral staircase that Lola runs down three times, and the painting in the background of the casino, as they are all references to Hitchcock’s Vertigo.

            Run Lola Run can be interpreted as postmodern again as it avoids realism and uses the concept of ‘hyperreality’ instead. Overall the film is very surreal, for example: the way in which Lola and Manni come back to life; the fact that her ‘father’ the bank manager admits to not being her birth father and it is revealed that the security guard actually is; the casino scene in the last run where she wins 100,000 marks. Additionally, the frequent switching from live action to cartoon animation and back again create a sense of detachment from reality. Telephone also presents a sense of incredulity towards metanarratives because, although the video does consist of a sequence of events, it is difficult to find an overall message to it, mostly due to the constant pop-culture references and produced placement interspersed in the storyline, which leave little else. This all-surface, no-substance approach to a text is in itself very postmodern, and is something which is also present in Run Lola Run: the storyline for the film is very basic and it does not claim to present a moral message, it is more about the pure fun of it.

            Another postmodern aspect of Telephone is appropriation of an identity-based struggle or feminism. In some ways, the video could be criticised for objectifying women, because of the revealing outfits worn by many of the female dancers and both Gaga and Beyonce throughout, the use of a close-up solely of Beyonce’s cleavage, and the representation of women as needing to be beautiful and image-conscious due to Gaga’s many costume changes and extravagant make-up. On the other hand, by placing herself in an entirely female world, it could be argued that she is empowering women and turning the ‘male gaze’ back on the men, opposing the idea of women as objects.

            Run Lola Run can also be seen as an example of a postmodern text because it uses The Chaos Theory or The Butterfly Effect, as well as the scepticism towards metanarratives. This can be seen when minor characters are given their own small sped-up narratives, which change when Lola does something different in the different runs (an example of The Butterfly Effect), for example the man on the stolen bike can become happily married or a homeless man. Additionally the narrative itself is an example of this as it has three different endings, due to the three different runs and sequences of events.

            To conclude, although it could be argued that almost any text can be described as postmodern because the definition of the theory itself is so vague, both Telephone and Run Lola Run are excellent examples of postmodern texts as they present many of the core concepts and ideas behind postmodernism.

Postmodernity in 'Run Lola Run'

Umm this was supposed to go on mine and Meg's Run Lola Run prezi but the file was too large, so I just made sure all the information was on the prezi itself and then thought I'd put the video on here instead :)

Modernism vs. Postmodernism

Postmodernism: A Very Succinct Definition

I found this whilst looking for some ways of defining postmodernism, and I thought it was the shortest description yet. Thank you, Moe from The Simpsons.

Fredric Jameson Speech

What are the arguments for saying that a text is postmodern or not?

             Postmodernism is a way of grouping styles of thought – and texts that present these styles – by offering a method of both constructing and deconstructing ideas, obscuring the sense of reality and playing with modernist conventions. Due to the somewhat vague and often contradictory nature of the definition of the word ‘postmodern’, one could argue that almost any text can be described as postmodern if viewed in the right way. However, there are certain characteristics that are vital in making a text postmodern, and there are also many things that mean a text cannot be described in that way.

            One argument for describing a text as postmodern is if it is self-referential or self-conscious. Postmodern texts often deliberately almost ‘make fun’ of themselves by exhibiting the fact that it is aware that it is a text, whilst modernist texts, or simply those that are not postmodern, tend to take themselves more seriously and not make references or self-parodies. For example, Lady Gaga’s music video for ‘Telephone’ can be described as postmodern as it is often self-referential: it makes references to her previous video for ‘Paparazzi’ by using similar costume choices, especially Beyonce’s glasses in the diner scene, and continuing the narrative; it makes blatant use of product placement, especially of Gaga’s own product HeartBeats; it addresses the haemaphrodite rumours about Gaga in the press. Another way that a text can be self-referential is by having the characters break the fourth wall and show that they are aware that they are in a text and that there is a world outside of it. For example, the characters Peter and Paul in the film Funny Games US often do this, such as when Paul turns to the camera and says, “You want a real ending, right, with plausible plot development, don’t you?”

Another argument for saying that a text is postmodern is through the use of pastiche and intertextual references, and the recycling of genres and styles. This means that unlike modernist ones, postmodern texts play with conventions and reverse the audience’s expectations. For example, Quentin Tarantino often uses pastiche in his films, e.g. in 1994’s Pulp Fiction, which makes constant homage to various different films and TV programmes and creates a heavy sense of nostalgia. As scholar Estella Tincknell says, the “diner setting seems to be a simulacrum of a 'fifties' restaurant...the twist contest is a musical sequence which evokes 'the sixties,' while Travolta's dance performance inevitably references 'the seventies' and his appearance in Saturday Night Fever.... The 'past' thus becomes a more general 'pastness' in which the stylistic signifiers of various decades are loaded in to a single moment." The postmodern theorist Fredric Jameson said that postmodern texts are “concerned with all surface, no substance,” which can certainly be applied to Pulp Fiction as it has been so heavily stylised and is very retro in its style.

Pulp Fiction in particular can also be described as a postmodernist text due to its incredulity towards metanarratives and the way in which the storyline of the film is made up of many smaller ones. Whilst conventional modernist texts tend to conform to the idea of metanarratives, meaning that the world is going somewhere and these stories do mean something, postmodernist texts oppose this, stating that there can be no great theories or ideas. Hence, rather than having one main simple storyline, Pulp Fiction makes use of different characters and creates many, seemingly unrelated, storylines until eventually they become intertwined. Whilst modernist films may traditionally follow an episodic narrative, postmodern ones such as Pulp Fiction often have a non-linear narrative, meaning plot events may not appear in chronological order, with the end at the beginning and the beginning at the end.

Arguably one of the simplest ways to say that a text is postmodern or not is through its humour. Postmodern texts are darkly funny, using black humour and irony extensively. An example of a black comedy film is Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, which satirised a nuclear scare. Rather than treating the subject of nuclear warfare with typical sensitivity, this film twists it into something funny. This links to a perverse sense of morality, something which is also commonly found in postmodern texts. Rather than conforming to the audience’s expectations and moral beliefs about nuclear warfare being wrong, the film toys with the idea of morality. Moreover, whilst modernist texts tend to show a very absolutist view of morality, meeting the audience’s expectations of what is right and wrong, postmodern texts often promote the idea of moral relativism, which suggests that morals can vary immensely, and that there is no objective truth as to what is right and wrong. Hence, postmodern texts show different viewpoints and perspectives rather than having a strong bias.

            Due to this warped sense of morality, often the heroes of postmodern texts are very different to the conventional heroes of modernist texts. Rather than presenting qualities that the audience considers as typically heroic or noble, postmodern characters are often anti-heroes. This means that they are flawed or unconventional, and sometimes not even likeable at all. A perfect example of an anti-hero is Alex DeLarge from Kubrick’s 1971 film A Clockwork Orange, based on the book of the same name by Anthony Burgess. In both book and film, Alex is a perverted young man that performs horrific acts of rape, murder, and “ultraviolence”, showing no remorse. Despite this, he is still the main focus of the narrative and often the audience are at times even encouraged to sympathise with him. These kinds of protagonists are yet another example of the postmodernist sense of humour and irony.

            In conclusion, there are several ways that one could argue that a text is postmodern or not, as there are many aspects of postmodernism that set it apart from the conventions of modernism. What underpins the entire postmodernist theory is the ability to recycle old ideas and make fun of not only others, but also itself. Without this sense of irony and satire, a text can hardly be described as postmodern.

Lady Gaga's 'Telephone' Video: A Postmodern Reading

There are several ways that the video for Lady Gaga's 2010 song 'Telephone' feat. Beyonce could be interpreted as postmodern...

Pastiche and intertextual references: References to Quentin Tarantino's 'Kill Bill' franchise by using the very same truck, the 'Pussy Wagon'; 'Pulp Fiction' through the use of the nickname 'Honey Bee', like 'Honey Bunny' is used in the film; the red and yellow font used is similar to that of 'Jackie Brown'; Gaga and Beyonce's 'Thelma and Louise' style relationship; Beyonce's Wonder Woman-esque outfit; the American flag outfits in the dance routine; imitation of Michael Jackson's shuffle as Gaga breaks out from jail; the Madonna-style look in the beginning of the video.

Consumerism: There is obvious product placement throughout, though it is not done in a humorous way. These include Virgin Mobile, HeartBeats, Chevrolet, Wonderbread, and Diet Coke.

Self-reference: Gaga shows self-awareness through not only the above product placement, but also by addressing the then-recent hermaphrodite rumours in the media, and by referring to her previous video for Paparazzi through the continuing narrative and similar costume choices, especially Beyonce's glasses in the diner scene.

Appropriation of identity-based struggle/Feminism: One the one hand, this video could be criticised as objectifying women, because of the revealing outfits worn by many of the females throughout, the use of close-ups solely on Beyonce's cleavage, the representation of women as needing to be beautiful and image-conscious due to Gaga's many costume changes and extravagant make-up, etc. However, by placing herself in an entirely female world, it could be argued that Gaga is empowering women and opposing the idea of the 'male gaze': "Lady Gaga is interesting for turning the male gaze back on men, and for portraying women as subjects rather than objects in her videos (albeit still scantily-clad subjects)."

Incredulity towards metanarratives: Although the video does consist of a sequence of events, it is difficult to find an overall message to it, mostly due to the many pop culture references and product placement interspersed with the storyline, which leaves little else.

Another Definition

Postmodernism

This one is a little harder to define simply, so i've collected a few pieces of information that i think best sum up the concept.

- It is used as a way of grouping and describing the styles of thought and culture attracting most critical attention during the final few decades of the twentieth century.
- Postmodernism offers a different way of both constructing and deconstructing ideas.
- Postmodern texts deliberately play with meaning.
- It resists and obscures the sense of modernism.
- It implies a complete knowledge of the modern which has been surpassed by a new age.

Taken from both http://www.mediaknowall.com/ and the book 'Introducing Postmodernism: A Graphic Guide'