Postmodernism in music video:

 

Media Magazine Theory Drop - Postmodernism

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

Postmodernism is a cultural movement that questions traditional beliefs and ideas. It often experiments with form and style, breaking the usual rules and challenging established conventions of the medium it uses

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

Barthes believed that after a work is created, the author's interpretation is no more important than anyone else's. He argued that the meaning of a text should be shaped by the audience, not controlled by the creator.

3) What is metatextuality?

 Metatextuality is when a media text is self-aware and draws attention to the fact that it is a constructed work. It often breaks the illusion of reality by referencing its own creation, format, or storytelling techniques.

4) What is the repeated phrase in 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 often makes it hard to tell the difference between reality and media. It challenges the idea of what’s real or authentic by remixing, parodying, and referencing other media, showing how our sense of reality can be shaped or even created by what we see in the media.

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 video uses different styles and genres with a combination of hybridity and intertextuality throughout.

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

Ghost Town links to horror and dystopian genres. The empty streets of London, eerie lighting, and slow camera movements are similar to horror films. The claustrophobic shots of the band in a car evoke the aesthetics of road movies and noir. 

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

Lil Nas X’s "Old Town Road" is full of postmodern features: hybridity (country and rap), intertextual references (Western films), and parody. 

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

The video reflects technological convergence through its viral production and distribution. The song itself gained recognition on TikTok before becoming a global hit, showing the power of digital platforms.

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 Lil Nas X is showing how traditional American ideas—like cowboys and the Wild West—are being reimagined by a new generation of diverse artists. By mixing old and new, country and hip-hop, and using humour and parody, Old Town Road reflects how identity and culture today are flexible and constantly changing.