Postmodernism

Postmodernism Definition: A complex theory with connected deffinitions 'post' mean after- 'modern'- after modernism- after the modernism movement. Style in the arts characterized by theories, this is done by the creations of attention to conventions. Postmodernists believe in a media saturated world we are immersed in a variety of forms of media in our everyday life till the line between media and reality has disappeared. Media has begun to corrupt reality, separating the two has become difficult.
Modernism: Another theory or world view. Postmodernism is reaction against modernism in all definitions.





24/09/2012

Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” and the postmodernism

After watching the now-famous video twice. I’m convinced that it is indicative of postmodernism in every sense of the term.

Pastiche: The video has it in spades. It references other forms of media (Tarantino exploitation films, Thelma and Louise) left and right, while parodying none of them. This is because parody relies in an underlying normative standard, which postmodernism categorical rejects. Instead it merely shows the audience a barrage of media, almost a celebration of how clever the director is for cramming so many references into a single video.

Consumerism: the product placement is obvious, but it is not portrayed as humorous. The camera lingers too long on each product, and the video knows it but it still manages to avoid parody. Rather, the video uses these consumer images as an integral part of its aesthetic without any comment on their social context.

Self-reference: The blatant product placement shows a self—awareness in the video. But this particular brand of ironic detachment harms the video’s ability to make any sort of overall message on its own. Instead it implies that celebrating consumer culture is fine as long as we’re appropriately ironic about it, but this is a largely unintended consequence of the video’s aesthetic.

Appropriation of Identity-based struggle: Lady Gaga is interesting for turning a male gaze back on men, and for portraying women as subjects rather than objects in her videos (albelt still scantily-clad subjects). However, the resistance to power Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s part is purely individual and brief (it’s very telling that Lady Gaga is bailed out of prison rather than escaping) behind this initial layer of feminism there is still an individuated desire to become rich. Given that Lady Gaga was saved from prison by money. She maintains her glamorous image inside and outside the prison’s walls, an implicit message that excessive materialism is empowering to women, somehow, as Alyx Vesey observed. Therefore her kind of feminism is integrated nearly into the agenda of neoliberals, who love to talk about glass ceilings being shattered while heaping disdain on poor women.

Incredulity towards metanarratives: Lytoad’s famous description of the postmodern condition applies even here, as it’s difficult to find an overall message or narrative in the video. There is a sequence of events interspersed with pop culture references and product placement, but little else.

How are music videos Postmodern?

Lady Gaga ‘Marry the Night’

Meta-analysis, pastiche, intertexuality, postmodernity

    The postmodernist movement was created in reaction to the ideals of the modernist, ways which have changed to form society. Due to this postmodernism music is defined in opposition to modernist music the work could be postmodern or modernism.

    The meaning of her song refers to Lady Gaga going back to New York and her gaining the courage to say “I hate Hollywood” wanting to live in Brooklyn and make music.

    The video was inspired by the worst day of Lady Gaga’s life. As Gaga lies on a bed a voice over is used to put the audience inside her head, she tells of her past being an unfinished painting this refers to her previous statement of how she loathes reality. She makes points about her surroundings as a more beautiful view such as the nurses having their gauze caps tipped like Parisian berets to which she finds romantic, Gaga then comments on the colour mint being big in the next spring fashion this is referred to throughout the clip as Lady Gaga wears a mint shade of lipstick.

    She continues her dialogue by mentioning the other patients within the hospital setting she states a girl ordered some gummy bears and a knife but only received the gummy bears Gaga wishes they only gave Gaga the gummy bears this can imply self harm the reason why Gaga is in hospital.

Lady Gaga turns on the bed to reveal the wounds on her back these wounds could be emotional and physical representing Gaga’s strive to be perfect this can be referred to the film ‘Black Swan’ this reference is then supported as a ballerina goes through this struggle in the shot of the dancers rehearsing.  The ballerina stands out more in comparison to the other dancers, also as the ballerina falls during a routine Gaga is the only one to help her to her feet this could represent the ballerina a symbol of Gaga’s dark past, on the other hand shows a the reality of Hollywood. Another character reference is used as Gaga dances in the night with the other performers she wears black leather similar to the character Sandy from the film ‘Grease’.

     Gaga speaks of her memories in an artistic way the events of her past helped her towards her future, the fast sequence represents Gaga’s artistic past, her memories of  her breakdown in her apartment and her keyboard going down the stairs then leave her being reborn in the bathtub a symbol of religion.

21/11/12  Run Lola Run



 

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