Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog task

1) Read the section on Strinati's five ways to define postmodernity. What examples are provided of the breakdown of the distinction between culture and society (media-isation)?
'The characters Bruno and Borat have more ‘reality’ for film audiences than their creator Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen’s films rely on the fact that the characters he creates are seen as ‘real’ people and he is able to get away with saying and doing things that a ‘real’ person could not. Cohen is only ever interviewed ‘in character’ so his creations have a voice but he does not.'

2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?

3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?
'The modern rise of celebrities launched through reality television programmes such as Big Brother can be seen as the culture celebrating style over substance. Many celebrities are now famous for being famous rather than for an identifiable talent or ability.'
4) What examples from music are provided for the breakdown of the distinction between art and popular culture? Can this be applied to Deutschland 83?In postmodern culture Andy Warhol created multi-coloured prints of the Mona Lisa (high art) and Campbell’s soup cans (low art) 

• Pop music (low art) often samples classical music (high art) 

• Advertising (low art) often makes reference to visual art (high art) or uses classical music (high art) to help sell its products
5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83? Bricolage refers to the process of adapting and juxtaposing old and new texts, images, ideas or narratives to produce whole new meanings. We see this in the show during the montage of him being taught how to be a spy- we see different brands and logos.
6) How can the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 be linked to postmodernism? Read 'The decline of meta-narratives' and 'Media texts and the postmodern' to help answer this.
The audience pleasures can link to postmodernism because of the nostalgia that the show has. For example, the different styles of brands, the music, and the tech all allow the the audience to look at them from a modern perspective. Also, the irony from when the communists are assumed to win the war is another example of post modernism.
7) Read the analysis of media concepts and postmodern approaches on page 3 of the factsheet. Choose three of the concepts and write an example from Deutschland 83. Clue: genre, representation, ideology and audience would all be good options for this task.

Genre: The cinematography and music follows the spy genre as there are constant shots through windows, blinds, and cctv angles to create the idea that the characters are always being watched or are  watching. The music often reflects that, sometimes being fast paced in the more tense scenes or quieter in the crucial scenes.

Ideology: Each part of Germany is represented by colour and props. The east is shown with dull colours, less expensive clothes and houses that were cramped and dated.The west is shown with bright colours, more light and what seems like a  more expensive lifestyle.

Audience: The audience are shown different ways of viewing media and different ways of consuming the show. The montage and different types of editing aren't typical spy series conventions so this forces them to engage more  intellectually rather than consume what they expect to see and are used to seeing.

8) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning?

9) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?

10) Why might audiences enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83? What audience pleasures might elements of bricolage or pastiche provide viewers?

The audience might enjoy the show for surveillance purposes, as watching the cold war from a hindsight point of view allows a postmodern perspective on both eastern and western lifestyles. The bricolage makes the audience enjoy watching as they can associate other media texts with this one which makes it easier to understand and relate to.