Group items tagged

This website looks at the beginning of post modernity and how it has come to define a rather complex society. In order to show just how complex post modernity can be, the website tries to simplify it by first looking at how it was first applied in architecture. It also regards the importance of post modernity in art and how it had a fundamental impact on philosophy where it led to the development of new ideas. It tries to make clear distinctions, though a difficult task, between modernity and postmodernity. This site also emphasizes key components that define post modernity such as fragmentation, blurred boundaries between right and wrong, and complexity. It further goes on to discuss how this fragmentation is seen in the relationship between culture and media, and how that affects the society at large.

This video, most likely made by college students, is a very simple approach to postmodernism. Within the video concepts such as universal conflicts are brought up and then somewhat explained. This video is somewhat difficult to follow but that is part of what makes it so appropriate to represent the post modern era. This video is a satire, it is fragmented, ironic and the concepts are farsical. It simplifies the idea of postmodernity and shows what it means to be postmodern.

R.E.M. (2009, July 24). R.E.M - Orange Crush (Official Music Video) [Video file]. Retrieved from YouTube.com database. In 1989 and 1990 MTV awarded an artist with a Video Music Award for Best Post-Modern Video. R.E.M. won the award in 1989 for its "Orange Crush" video. The video is a very striking example of postmodernity because it depicts fragmentation, conflicting identities and a decentered self. This is in sharp contrast to the modern ideas of a unified identity and unified, centered self. The video shows two characters, one is a young boy and the other a young adult. The faces of the two are not shown until nearly the end of the video. The video is black and white. The scenes flash from one character to the other and it is unclear if the two characters are the same person, brothers or not related at all. It is very indistinct what the message of the video is, if there is one. Again, this is a perfect example of the fragmentation often apparent in postmodern works of art and the lack of explanation that often follows suit.

Steven Best and Douglas Kellner provide a concise explanation of just what postmodernity is in the introduction of their book. This section, appropriately titled, "Between the Modern and the Postmodern," explains how our culture has transitioned between the two. Cultural definitions, structures, and ideals are being transformed in all aspects of life. These changes are due largely in part to the growth of technology and the way it is presented and used. "Bombardment" and "fragmentation" are two poignant and descriptive words that accurately summarize how postmodern society experiences day-to-day life. The title of the book also clues the reader in to the authors' opinion of postmodernity. It is an adventure. One that has many more advancements ahead of it.

The Longest Poem in the World, written by everyone using the social networking service Twitter, is a project conceived by Andrei Gheorghe. The site "aggregat[es] real-time public twitter updates and selecting those that rhyme", even selecting for nontraditional spelling and dialectal rhyme. The emphasis on user-generated content, the fragmentation of a thousand users randomly (and unknowingly, and anonymously) taking part in a project, and the playful nature with which it addresses the traditional form of poetry are all strong evidence of its postmodern nature.

This video starts by beginning the modern movement in art. It shows images that are recognizable pieces of art such as works by Picasso. It moves on to discuss Marx and socialism, capitalism and Freud and psychoanalytic theory. The build up to postmodernism becomes obvious as the voice over becomes faster and louder. As the video discusses postmodernism, rather than flashing images and giving explanations, mouths say names of processes, concepts, images, etc. that are postmodern. The video is fragmented and difficult to define, much like most things in the postmodern era. This video not only discusses how things have become or are postmodern, but is a postmodern video within itself.

The article "Postmodernism in Poetry" starts off by giving you a little history of the idea of postmodernism as applied to poetry by saying that it began in the sixties, when there developed on both sides of the Atlantic a feeling that poetry had become too ossified, backward-looking and restrained. Next, the article delves into the 4 characteristics of postmodernism which the author feels are most relevant to poetry, iconoclasm, groundlessness, formlessness, and populism. Finally, a very detailed explanation as to why all four of these characteristics are important for poetry is given. At the very end, a list of about 15 authors who are considered to be postmodern poets is given. Personally, I feel that this is very important because it is hard to determine what is or isn't postmodern, so having a list of authors is helpful for someone who wants to be sure that they are reading postmodern poetry.

This article goes into detail regarding Post Modern thought in Poetry. Citing a backlash of the overly-processed, restrained poetry dating before the 1960s, Post Modern poetry was a backlash. Post Modernity has little to no boundaries, it makes sense to see it occur in Poetry, which also can come in many different forms. Poetry can be extremely structured or rambling and incoherent. It is described as "free-wheeling creations constructed of a language that largely points to itself." There are four aspects of Post Modern Poetry listed within. Iconoclasm, groundlessness, formlessness and populism. A sub-category under Iconoclasm would be "contradicts the expected, often deliberately alienating the reader." Nothing better than feeling alienated when one is reading what is written to be read. Also "subverts its sources by parody, irony and pastiche" and "denounces ethnic, gender and cultural repression." Groundlessness includes "regards both art and life as fictions, sometimes mixing the two in magic realism or multiple endings" and "argues that meaning is indeterminate, denying a final or preferred interpretation." Many scholars would love the idea of multiple endings, while getting headaches from the fact that there may not being one single interpretation. Formlessness includes aspects of poetry that have been seen many times lately, "fragments texts, turning them into collages or montages." Populism is what makes these forms appealing to the masses. These poems reject elite thoughts, and often focus on ideas that go across a wide spectrum. It "avoids the serious and responsible, promoting the arbitrary and playful."

Nagrant, M. (2006, October 3). Reflections in the Pond Back to "basics" with Bruce Sherman . Newcity Chicago. Retrieved from http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/5773.html A writer for Newcity Chicago discussed how postmodernity has changed the way food is made and presented in up-scale restaurants. He does not see the change as good by any means. He writes, "some of today's restaurant food feels a lot closer to industrial chewing gum than the farm." His belief is that the combination of postmodernism and culinary technique is threatening the association between food and comfort. The author makes his point in a sort of roundabout and slightly confusing way. However, what he is trying to say is that postmodernism and all of its fragmentation, conflicting identities and loss of order and control is destroying food. He explains that chefs are going the postmodern route and pairing things together that don't belong. This loss of control and rampant experimentation, where function (or taste) is not so much a concern, makes food lose its comfort factor. The wild and crazy experiments inherent in postmodern architecture and art do not create very good results in the kitchen.

BBC: Religion [Postmodernism]. (2009, October 27). Retrieved December 7, 2009,from BBC website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/atheism/types/postmodernism.shtml An article on the BBC's Web site discusses how postmodernity "does away with many of the very things that religious people regard as essential." Although there is only a small portion of this article that really speaks to the connection between postmodernity and religion, the little that is said is quite thought provoking. This article is not something to use as a source for a project, but would be a great jumping off point when brainstorming where to go with the religion and postmodern connection. The article brings up the postmodern rejection of the "grand theory" of religion. It examines the idea that religion may become fragmented because the unity once inherent between social and cultural values during modernism is gradually being readjusted. The article goes on to explain that by reexamining religion in the postmodern era, people are beginning to question its validity more so than ever before. They are thus beginning to reject past beliefs and turning to "new age" religions.