Postmodernism in music video:

Media Magazine Theory Drop - Postmodernism

Read ‘The Theory Drop: Postmodernism’ in MM66  (p26). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here - remember you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. Answer the following questions:

1) How does the article define postmodernism in the first page of the article?

If modernism is beginning to question authority, then postmodernism is making fun of authority to its face. Postmodernism takes this concept of questioning traditional structures, representations and expectations and pushes things a step further.

2) What did media theorist and Semiotician Roland Barthes suggest in his essay 'The Death of the Author'?

In it, he challenged tradition when he said that a writer’s opinions, intentions or interpretation of their own work are no more valid than anyone else’s.

3) What is metatextuality?

Metatextuality is where a text draws attention to the fact that it is a text. It points to the process of its own creation. Metatextuality forces the audience to examine, and in some cases question the very form of filmmaking and the assumptions it brings with it.

4) What is the repeated phrase on the cartoon on postmodernism on page 28?

'Postmodernism is a movement that distrusts all established philosophies and frequently experiments with the medium that it is presented within'

5) How does postmodernism link to media representations and reality?

The Nature of Reality This is a frequent preoccupation in the content of postmodern narratives. As stated earlier, postmodernism tends to reject most aspects of authority,‘ the grand narrative has lost its credibility’. It is easy to see how some institutions are being questioned. Religion, specifically ‘the church’, as an institution has lost followers over the last few centuries. Additionally, secular ideologies such as Marxism have been seen to fail when put into practice, while capitalism in the form of ‘The American Dream’ and its promise of a land of opportunity for everyone has been shown to let people down on countless occasions.

Music video CSPs and postmodernism

Now apply postmodern ideas to our music video CSPs by answering the following questions:

1) How does the music video for Ghost Town incorporate elements of postmodernism?

The hybrid mix of references and music video forms – an experimental combination of narrative (the journey), performance and concept – means that the video can be read through a postmodern approach with reference to intertextuality and hybridity.

2) What film genres are alluded to in the music video for Ghost Town? Which scenes in particular created these links?

It could be argued that the combination of an arthouse film-style with a popular genre of music (the song reached #1 in the British chart) provides an example of Strinati’s definition of postmodernism as a blurring of art and popular culture. For example when they were on stage and they were dancing. As well as Hammer horror, Road movie, Social realism genres. 

3) How does Old Town Road use postmodern elements in its music video?

The initial release of the song attached itself to the then emerging Yeehaw movement that was reclaiming the cowboy aesthetic for Black fashion and culture. This could be viewed as a combination of bricolage and pastiche.

4) How does the Old Town Road music video reflect technological convergence and modern digital culture?  

It reflects technological convergence as the video is an official movie that can be split up in order to be consumed separately on platforms such as tiktok as it can be split in to many parts throughtout the video as its an official musics video and has different scenes. 

5) What do YOU think Lil Nas X was trying to say about reality and American culture in the music video for Old Town Road?

I think he was trying to further educate and spread more about the yeehaw agenda and further spotlighting the black community and that cultures do not matter anyone can be anywhere and everywhere and can do anything as well as mixing with american white culture. 

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