Postmodernism

“A late 20th-century style and concept in the arts, architecture, and criticism, which represents a departure from modernism and is characterised by the self-conscious use of earlier styles and conventions, a mixing of different artistic styles and media, and a general distrust of theories.” - So this is the definition, but what does it actually mean?

  Postmodernism is a concept that is hard to lay down principles too. It's so broad - which means that many pieces of art (whether it is a painting, a piece of architecture, design etc.) can be defined as being 'Postmodern'. The idea dwells a lot around the creative side, and links consistently to the method of thinking 'outside-the-box'. From looking at many Postmodern media texts over my lifetime, I have come to the conclusion that compared to the arts beforehand, implicit meanings and in-depth connotations is the key to a good piece of artwork. Of course it has to look visually-appealing but it's what is behind the picture that has the most impact.

Terms to describe 

Postmodernism

Pastiche "Is a work of visual art, literature, or music that imitates the style or character of the work of one or more other artists. Unlike parody, pastiche celebrates, rather than mocks, the work it imitates."

   Pastiche and Parody are two terms that mean very similar things, but have one very un-subtle difference. If a media text is seen as a Pastiche then it means that it's trying to imitate another media text that is already in existence; but in a way that is honouring and appreciating it. There are many media texts that do this, but a TV series that has been running for decades shows a vast amount of examples throughout, and it's called 'The Simpsons'.

The Shining

   The picture above clearly shows the direct imitation/relationship with the 'Treehouse of Horror V ' episode from 'The Simpsons' and the movie 'The Shining' based on the novel by Stephen King. Matt Groening's The Simpson often uses intertextual references in order to try and create something kind-of new and interesting. That is what Postmodernism in the form of Pastiche is about. Being creative becomes even harder as every new day comes - because of the amount of media texts already out there. Trying to be innovative, creative and of course unique has always been the key, but this concept takes another route that works as well. 

   This particular media text from The Simpsons has given a new lease of life from the story by Stephen King. It has developed it into a more child-friendly version, with the use of animation and of course it's a little more toned-down on the Creepy side. Thus showing us exactly what Pastiche is, and to a certain extent you could argue that 're-makes' are forms of Pastiches. This comparison though isn't as direct as some re-makes which is probably why it is seen as a strong Pastiche.

Parody "In current use, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on or trivialize an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of satiric or ironic imitation. As the literary theorist Linda Hutcheon puts it, "parody … is imitation, not always at the expense of the parodied text."

Wrecking Ball

  The picture above is full of imitative screenshots from both (the original) Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball (Left) and the Radio 1's Parodic version with DJ/Radio Presenter Greg James (Right). I think the screenshots speak for themselves but I'll state it more clearly: the main difference between a Pastiche media text and a Parody is the amount of mocking involved in the Parodic text. Linda Hutcheon puts it that a parody is not 'always at the expense of the parodied text', however in this case it is, and that is probably the general consensus view and possibly the way in which a Parody is most easily seen. The reason for Parodies (mostly) is because of the original text's first affect on the audience and how it has somehow triggered (to an extent) a taboo.
    This video from Miley Cyrus has stirred up a lot of media attention because of the general shock for it. For many, the song is actual quite good, but because it's known for the video it has a bad reputation - which has caused these types of parodies. As you can tell from the screenshots a Parody is just like a Pastiche - there is a direct imitation between the two texts. However the Parody is purposely made to look ridiculous in order to make it humorous and mock the original. In this case Greg James has dressed up as Miley Cyrus and has even gone to the extent of plastering makeup all over. This is ridiculous enough but when he starts to imitate Miley naked on the wrecking ball, the sever hilarity of the video really hits the mark. One of Wrecking Ball's intentions, apart from gaining mass publicity, was to show Miley Cyrus in a voyeuristic way in order to gin an audience. Therefore when Greg James tries to imitate what is supposed to be sexy & promiscuous the whole video instantly becomes cringeworthy, and yet immensely funny. The video is also an attempt to put Wrecking Ball in its place and to bring it back to earth. The video seems a bit too much of a 'Fantasy', but if the licking of the sledgehammer from Miley didn't seem odd than Greg James certainly does make the audience see that.