Postmodernism in music video: Blog tasks

 Media Magazine Theory Drop - Postmodernism

Create a new blog post called 'Postmodernism in music video: blog tasks'. 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?

Postmodernism is a cultural movement that distrusts all established philosophies and frequently experiments with the medium it is presented in. 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'?

He suggests that a writer's opinions, intentions or interpretation of their own work are no more valid than anyone else's, suggesting that the audiences or the viewer doesn't have to think about what the writer's intentions are. 

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.

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

"Postmodernism is a cultural movement that distrusts all established philosophies and frequently experiments with the medium it is presented in. 

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

Postmodernism link to media representations and reality through the idea that it can be used to ground-breaking and traditional at the same time, which allows media texts to change the representations of how traditional presentation could be. 

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?

Ghost Town incorporates elements of postmodernism through the use of intertextuality where we see from the shadow scene how it links to Fritz Lang and his media texts, highlighting German/neo-expression. This was also reinforced through the lighting techniques where we notice the torch at the bottom, highlighting the elongated shadows in the car. Also, linking to Strinati’s definition of post modernism about art and popular culture the video was produced a Art house music video, where they used a popular genre of music as well as the idea that there’s blurring of art and popular culture. 

Post modernism was also reinforced through the use of the genre of road movie but there’s no narrative resolution which is unconventional. Furthermore, the use of bricolage that links to entertainment and politics, where we see other people's lives in the music video which was seen through the media text. Also, there's a hybrid mix of references and music video forms such as the combination of narrative (journey), performance and concept. Lastly, the merging of British films such as social realism, Art house and hammer horror which creates something new.

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

The film genres that are alluded in 'Ghost Town' are British social realism. There's was mostly highlighted through the lyrics where the music describes the riots that was happening such as the use of the lyrics, "youth fight against themselves", "government leaving the youth on the shelf" and "people getting angry". This further links to the idea of social realism which portrays meanings that are more authentic and down to earth. This was seen in the use of the low-key lighting and the use of a range of handheld cameras as well as the use of montage which links to hammer house, which is a low-budget film. 

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

Old Town Road use postmodern elements through the use of intertextual reference from western culture which was reinforced by their costumes such as the cowboy hats as well as the horses which are iconographies. In addition, the use of high-end brands in the lyrics such as "Gucci", "Wrangler", "Porsche" and "Marlboro Man". Also, the use of celebrity cameos like Chris Rock and Billy Ray Cyrus links to intertextuality. Furthermore, there's a use of bricolage of the old and new culture such as Western and hiphop, and the Horse and Porsche, which also links to binary opposition. Linking to this idea we see Strinati's confusion over time and space where we see a shift of past and present and Lil Nas's time travel.

Furthermore, the use of pastiche which imitates the style of Western through the costumes but changed to modernised design to show how Western is now open to more impressions and design. This was shown at the end where there was a performance and we see pink Western costumes with jewelleries. This was also linked to Strinati's idea of 'media-isation', where the production of the music video as well as to gain audience was through the use of social media. This is through the Yeehaw Agenda where people create memes and trends, which helped Western mythologise the past and the idea of style over substance. In addition, the there was also a sense of hyperreality from Baudrillard and Jameson's "historic deafness". This is where audiences just believes what they see in the media but not what actaully happened in the past. 

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

Old Town Road refelct technological convergence and modern digital culture through the idea of the use of social media to gain audiences. Where the video was able to reach the mainstream audience through the Yeehaw Agenda, where people creates memes and trends, leading the video to be top of the charts. This shows how social media can be used to spread media texts as well as meanings to other audiences, gaining more listeners and fans. Also, the fact that audiences are now active which could be helpful to spread their media products. 

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 thinks what Lil Nas X was trying to portray about reality and American culture was the idea the American culture may be rigid when it comes to Western culture as we see after the video how it was top of the charts for Western Billboard but was taken off when the Billboard suggested that it didn't have enough conventions of Western music video. He may also be suggesting that the world in the modern generation portrays meanings where identity and art are defined by self-expression, remixing and virality. 

A/A* extension reading: Medium article

Read this Medium article on the Postmodern Pop Artist. Do any of the ideas in this article apply to Old Town Road or Ghost Town? How? 

Some ideas such as the idea of "questionning the metanarratives". In 'Old Town Road' we see how they used Western culture in an unconventional way. This is where we see a Black cowboy where in the West we would normally see a White cowboy, linking to this Lil Nas X is also gay which subverts the traditional masculinity of cowboys. There's also a link to 'Ghost Town', where their lyrics was linked to the riots in Britian as it said that there's "incredible implications on philosophical, social, political and historical knowledge".