Postmodernism

Postmodernism

Claire Dillard, Dieu Doan, Anna Leger, Tyler Wales

            Postmodernism encompasses ideologies in art, literature, architecture, philosophy, and many other fields.  In essence, postmodernism is “post” modernism, or simply the rejection of modernism and its ideals.  Modernism is a broad framework that arose in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Beginning around 1812, the Industrial Revolution was a major force in the modernistic beliefs of rationalism and human potential.  At that time, Western society was experiencing rapid growth of cities, scientific progress, fixed moral code, and strict social rules.  Then, the onset of two world wars brought about a complete change in society’s psyche and beliefs.  Government and authority began to be heavily questioned, while the discovery of the atomic bomb and its horror caused society to question science, research, and physical proof.  Combined with the Holocaust occurring in Europe, these events caused society to lose hope and confidence in human progress.  All of this said, postmodernism is skeptic towards scientific and philosophical truth and cynical towards human experience and knowledge.  Postmodernism denies the existence of any ultimate, overarching principles, focusing on the relative truths of each individual (“Postmodernism.”).

            As stated earlier, there are many different fields in which postmodernism is apparent, and there are many different characteristics that distinguish it from modernism and other ideologies.  Modernists are deep, linear thinkers, whereas postmodernists are on-the-surface, circular thinkers.  Modernism places emphasis on the rational, scientific, and universal truth, while postmodernism is distrustful of these ideas (Irvine). 

            In the realm of media, society has experienced a loosening of what we define it as; media is up for our own personal interpretation.  No longer are there social principles or moral codes to operate by, so both producers and consumers of media are free to define it relative to themselves.  To different people, “one person’s trash is another person’s treasure.”  In today’s society, the strict social rules of old do not define us; we are free to define ourselves, as is apparent in our radical dress, behavior, and expression.

            In art, we see a clear distinction between the famous works of the early and middle 1900s.  In the former, we see universality in subject matter, style, and themes, whereas in the latter part of the century, we observe distinct differences relative to each artist.  Postmodernism is apparent in recent artworks through the vivid colors, personal expression, and lack of an overarching, central theme.  Andy Warhol is a postmodern artist, as he believes in style over substance, placing his personal taste in his artwork.  In his depiction of Marilyn Monroe, we see his personal emphasis on color and shape.

            In Cultural Theory and Popular Culture, John Storey writes about Jean Baudrillard, a French cultural theorist who claimed that a postmodern society is a culture of the simulacrum, the hyperreal.  Within these ideas, “the distinction between simulation and the ‘real’ implodes, . . . the result is that reality and simulation are experienced as without difference” (187).  We can easily observe these postmodern ideas in television.  Millions of viewers are captured by the stories of individuals on “reality” TV shows when, in “reality,” the viewers have substituted these virtual lives for their own.  The hyperreal even occurs in the real world; for example, many actors that portray doctors on television have been approached in real life for medical advice, a clear violation of social rules and the ostensible divide between real and simulation.

            Appealing to the flavor of our class, postmodernism has also had its presence felt in technology.  Postmodernism has shifted the center of knowledge from modernistic books and libraries to the Internet.  The cloud is postmodernism at its best in the digital world, as it is “user-motivated, individualized, . . . and networked” (Irvine).  Again drawing upon the blending of reality and simulation, The Kindle pulls text out of books and places them on a virtual screen.  This technology—and postmodernism as a whole—transcends the physical limits of print media (Irvine).  Also, the Peel is postmodern because it is very individualized; it provides a more meaningful and simulated television experience relative to each user.

            Postmodernism has left its impact on our society and its life can be traced through history, from one major ideology to the next.  Some philosophers argue that postmodernism is over and that the ideology society now lives by—like postmodernism—cannot be defined until we have a history to relate it to.  Though a trait of postmodernism is the capacity to forget our past, we hope that you have learned and will remember the many meanings, characteristics, and facets of postmodernism.

Works Cited

Irvine, Martin. "The Po-Mo Page: Postmodern to Post-postmodern." Communication, Culture & Technology Program. Georgetown University, 23 Jan 2012. Web. 30 Apr 2012. <http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/irvinem/theory/pomo.html>.

"Postmodernism." PBS. n.p., n.d. Web. 30 Apr 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/faithandreason/gengloss/postm-body.html>.

Storey, John. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture. 5th ed. Harlow: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print.