Part 1:
What are two points from this week’s reading that stood out to you as particularly important and/ or interesting? Why so?
1/ Bricolage is the first point that I got impressed from reading the material. Apparently, bricolage describes how different styles are juxtaposed to create something new (Bainbridge 2011, p.476). The concept of bricolage is rather practical to me since it refers to creating new things using available materials, which shows a strong sense of improvisation and at the same time, encourages creativity on the spot. That is the reason why I fancy this point.
2/ The second point is that there is no reality, as demonstrated by hyperreality. It is said that there is no right or evil in the world, and that all perspectives are representations (Bainbridge 2011, p. 480). This, I believe, is an excellent feature of postmodernism since it allows all audiences to express themselves without fear of being judged or rejected. As a result, more and more compelling opinions may be heard and respected.
Reference:
Bainbridge, J 2011, Media and journalism: New approaches to theory and practice, 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, Ebook Central (ProQuest).
Part 2:
1/ Choose one of your favorite postmodern media texts and explain the way in which it is postmodern.
One of my favorite texts regarding postmodernity is a fat cat appearing in the famous painting “The creation of Adam”, which originally belonged to Michelangelo. This text initially comes from the Russian artist Svetlana Petrova and the 22-pound cat is her loving pet, named Zarathustra. Postmodern characteristics can be easily figured out from this picture. The scenario dates back to the 16th Century, but the orange fat cat reflects the 21st Century, which indicates a funny crossover between two disparate timestamps. Furthermore, given the original painting of Michelangelo in which Adam reaches out to God as God gives life to him, the text however demonstrates Zarathustra avoiding the touch of God and seems to crawl away. That action evokes irony and funny reactions from audiences, and personally makes me adore this edit. The texture of the cat can be different from the rest of the painting since Petrova drew her cat using digital devices. However, the picture still looks good and authentic so far.
2/ What are the reasons you like this text? Do these reasons include its postmodern characteristics? Why/Why not?
The main reasons I like this text are the ironic and hilarious elements that are involved as well as my affection for cats. One of the aforementioned reasons indeed include its postmodern features since it refers to Irony, which is one of the most publicized factors of postmodern textuality.
Bibliography:
Eley, A 2014, 22-pound feline appears in ‘Mona Lisa’ and other famous artworks, TODAY.com, viewed 25 November 2022, <https://www.today.com/health/fat-cat-22-pound-feline-appears-mona-lisa-other-famous-2d79759311>.
Meshberger, FL 1990, ‘An Interpretation of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam Based on Neuroanatomy’, JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, vol. 264, no. 14, p. 1837.
McRobbie, A, Mcrobbie, A 1994, Postmodernism and Popular Culture, Taylor & Francis Group, Central Ebook (ProQuest).
