POSTMODERNISM AND DEUTSCHLND 83

 

POSTMODERNISM AND DEUTSCHLND 83

Media Magazine - A Postmodern Re-imagining of the Past

1) What were the classic media representations of the Cold War?

- Representations often fit a stereotypical binary "good vs evil".

2) Why does Deutschland 83 provide a particularly good example for postmodern analysis? 

- The communist East is presented as grey and stark with no billboards, culture or entertainment, whereas the capitalist West is a world of department stores, restaurants and cars.

3) Pick out some of the aspects of the opening of episode 1 and explain why they are significant.

- A woman is listening to US president Ronald Reagan talks "Evil Empire" speech on television set. This intertextual footage with it's message to "pray" for those who live in "totalitarian darkness" creates ambiguity. 

4) How does the party scene at Martin's mum's house subvert stereotypes of East Germany in the Cold War?

Martin arrives and embraces family members in a bright, sunlit garden setting. In the living room, young people (including his girlfriend, Annett) are drinking beers and dancing and singing to the Cold War era protest song ‘99 Luftballoons’ that is later played in the West German barracks too. This scene reimagines the representation of the East beyond the operators of the restrictive state to the humanity, care and affection of everyday family and friends.

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5) What aspects of the episode set in West Germany offer postmodern elements?

The idea of breaking down distinctions between high and low art and incorporating elements of popular culture is key to a postmodern treatment. Martin’s first glimpse of West Germany connotes western opulence – a chandelier, the lavishly colourful images of Gustav Klimt’s painting ‘The Kiss’ strategically placed within the wide shot.

6) Finally, how does the article apply postmodern theory to Deutschland 83 and link it to the potential target audience?

Deutschland '83 used postmodernism because some of their target audience are  younger people, therefore using postmodernism helped to blur high and low culture/art and popular culture. 

Postmodernism Factsheet

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?

- He argues that as mediaization increases so the culture finds itself losing a sense of historical context.

3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?

- Paris Hilton and John and Edward.

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?

- Da Vinci's The Last Supper in Lego.

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.

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.

Meta-narratives are the ideas and concepts that have been used to attempt to explain the way the world is and the way it should be. Human history is full of these grand narratives from religion to political/ economical theories. Deutschland 83 is full of grand narratives including the historical, political and economical contexts that occurred during The Cold War.

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

Modern texts may react against the postmodern in an attempt to reintegrate more structured ideas - these texts can be seen to be creating more conventional and reassuring ideas in their construction. Deutschland 83 uses standard narrative arcs, follows generic codes and conventions and their narrative conclusions focus on more traditional values and ideologies than is usual in the postmodern.

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

The opening scene is a great example for post modernism because it shows actual documents belonging to the US president about The Cold War.