Abstract
I really enjoyed reading this thesis. I could understand the different concepts the author was speaking about and I loved how he related it to the Simpson's since it is such a widely recognised television cartoon. I could relate to the different themes and understand the connection between the characters and post-modernism.
This was an extremely long reading and I think I would have understood it better if I didn't rush through it. It had a few words and phrases I didn't completely understand but that will hopefully get cleared up.
- Postmodernism is a term used to encompass a wide range of attitudes in the fields of aesthetic production and cultural criticism emerging in the 1980s.
- Art, music, dance, film, theatre, philosophy, criticism, historiography, theology and culture are all different forms of modernism.
- Postmodernism aims to deconstruct or rewrite modernism in order to open it's closed systems.
- Postmodernism has reacted to the authoritarian hiearchization of culture by subverting conventions, blurring previously distinct boundaries and rejecting traditional aesthetic values.
- "More real than the real" - This relates specifically to the hyper-reality of situations. For example Disneyland. It differs between the theme park and the country of America.
- He described postmodernism as a cultural dominant driven primarily by the forces of consumer multinational capitalism.
- Simpson's is a TV program dedicated to portraying contemporary society in all it's multifaceted glory.
- Manages to reflect the pluralism of postmodern society in a parodying yet symbolic manner. Does not limit it's subject matter to particular age groups, ethnicity or social classes. It merge all of the society together to form the chaotic and diversified town.
- The Simpson's are very historically and politically based. Whenever a situation arises in the real world. The cartoon will create an episode based solely around this. For example terrorist attacks, presidential elections and/or celebrities/iconic figures passing away.
- The cartoon uses dim lighting and dull colours to portray the 1950s period in time. It is supposed to recognise the differences between the 50's and us in the present.
- The thesis talks about Homer (the father figure in the Simpson's) and his attachment to technology. He is beyond obsessed with the television and this portrays some people in the real world who are lazy and attached to objects. It 'makes fun of' these kinds of people and makes you realise that they have a problem. The TV series doesn't promote exercise or 'health' in any way. It shows Homer pigging out on junk food especially his love for doughnuts at work.
- This can either give off a positive or negative connotation towards the viewers. Many parents don't let their children watch the Simpson's because of this. But watching the Simpson's as a 10 year old and then watching it as a 20 year old you realise a huge change and you begin to watch the cartoon from a different point of view. You start to understand the political and historical side more and it actually becomes an education source not so much a comical cartoon.
- I personally found it extremely interesting as to the comment about the Simpson's being shown in the 1998 Time Magazine. This is a great achievement and very surprising.
- The Simpson's are a pop culture icon of it's own, the cartoon is very influential and so are the meanings behind the scenes.
VOCABULARY
- Intertextuality: The text within the text. Eg. Parody and Pastiche
- Hyperreality: Inability of consciousness to distinguish reality from a simulation of reality
- Metanarratives: Abstract idea that is thought to be a comprehensive explanation of historical experience of knowledge
- Pastiche: Work of art that combines themes and styles from various sources in such a way as to appear obviously derivative.
- Fragmentation: Absense or the underdevelopment of connections between the society and the groupings of some members of that society on the lines of common culture.
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