What is Post-Modernism?
Post-Modernism is a phase that comes after Modernism, Where the choices in a modernism layout and structure are questioned and challenged. Modernism is where buildings and strategies were created just for the use, and no other means. For example, an aircraft tower, an army bunker, a council house, and more. These were constructed for a specific purpose; the aircraft tower to control air traffic had to be tall, and ugly. The army bunker would have had a priority task of protection and attack, and the council houses would be cheap, nasty interiors for people to live in.
An example of a Post-Modern building would be the Sony building in New York (formerly the AT&T tower); this has roots of a modernistic building, a skyscraper fit for office purpose, but has been played around with at the top, resembling a grandfather clock, with a slight part of the building below to signify roman architecture. Post-Modernism plays around with the ideas of the Modernistic approach, and challenges them. This could apply to art, architecture, media, films, and other forms of Modernistic media. Essentially it is a mix of many different styles. Some examples of post-modern TV programmes are Family Guy, Simpsons, American Dad, Mighty Boosh, The Community. These are post modern because they constantly make reference to other TV shows, celebrities, films, books etc and so they’re constantly feeding off non reality. So we are constantly living in a virtual world where the divide between real life and reality is less defined.
Post-Modernism has been used in buildings and films so that when the target audience views the structure of the piece, whether it is a building or a film, they can have many different reactions. Most of these reactions would be something like if you viewed ‘Quantum Leap’ up close. A very good interpretation of Post-Modernism, but you wonder why on earth the council would ask for that made entirely out of concrete. Or you may find funny references in films such as ‘Hot Fuzz’, and a few more. You may be left entirely in the dark while people laugh at a funny reference, but you haven’t seen the film, or read the book. Post-Modernism to an extent actually relies on the vast amount of media that has been viewed by the target audience. A Post-Modern film itself has no originality. Yes, it acts like a normal film, but most of the ‘good ideas’ in the film will have been based on another film. For example, the part where Officer Angel (Simon Pegg) walks into the hotel, there is a creepy old woman behind the desk. He says he’s here to check in, and she says without looking up “but you’ve always been here.” This is a reference to the film ‘The Shining’, where ‘Johnny’s wife says that to him. This is reinforced by the lady looking up at Officer Angel, and saying “Oh sorry, I thought you were my husband!”. There is also a ‘He-Man’ reference where Officer Angel and ‘Danny’ find a farmer with a massive stash of guns. They exclaim “By the power of Greyskull!” twice. Another interesting reference would be the supermarket used for ‘Hot Fuzz”. Seem like ordinary Somerfields? It was actually a mainstream play on ‘Summerisles’ where Police ‘Sergeant Howie’ visits to save a girl from a horrible sacrifice in ‘The Wicker Man’. Above all, the film parodies slasher films like ‘Scream’.
The point to Post-Modernism then, is no point. It is just a parody of life. Like someone deciding they don’t want to build a beach hut. They’d rather scribble all over the drawing and scrawl Jack Sparrow’s hat in the corner.
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