OUGD501 - Postmodern

Frederic Jameson 

What is this about? An analysis and critique of postmodernism as 'blank parody' without political bite. A mix match of history and culture. Constantly looking back through parody's. Parody is emphasised for style.

- De historical

- The past as code

- Modernism is king

- postmodernism is capitalist

What is Jameson's definitions of parody and pastiche? Quote? - 

Parody ---- 'Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language.' 

Pastiche ---- 'But is is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody's ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter and of any conviction that alongside the abnormal tongue you have momentarily borrowed, some healthy linguistic normality still exists.'

Examples?

Parody - "the Faulknerian long sentence, for example, with its breathless gerundives; Lawrentian nature imagery punctuated by testy colloquialism; Wallace Stevens's inveterate hypostasis of nonsubstantive parts of speech ('the intricate evasions of as')"

Pastiche - "randomly and without principle but with gusto cannibalizes all the architectural styles of the past and combines them in overstimulating ensembles"

Parody - This historical novel can no longer set out to represent the historical past; it can only 'represent' our ideas and stereotypes about that past (which thereby at once becomes 'pop history we are condemned to seek History by way of our own pop images and simulacra of that history, which itself remains forever out of reach"

Linda Hutcheon 

What is this about?

Parody is Pastiche in her view.

Re-reading of the past

The past incorporated

Post modernism is king

modernism is capitalist

 In the defense of postmodernism. 

What is her definition of parody? 

- Parody—"often called ironic quotation, pastiche, appropriation, or intertextuality—is usually considered central to postmodernism, both by its detractors and its defenders"

How does this relate to pastiche?

"an internalised investigation of the nature, the limits, and the possibilities of the language or discourse of art."

"takes the form of self-conscious, self-contradictory, self-undermining statement"

On the surface, postmodernism's main interest might seem to be in the processes of its own production and reception, as well as in its own parodic relation to the art of the past. But I want to argue that it is precisely parody - that seemingly introverted formalism - that paradoxically brings about a direct confrontation with the problem of the relation of the aesthetic to a world of significance external"

How does she criticise Jameson?

"the paradox of postmodernist parody is that it is not essentially depthless, trivial kitsch, as Eagleton and Jameson both believe."

In 'Postmodernism or the cultural logic of late capitalism' by Fredric Jameson he giving his views on postmodernism, parody and pastiche suggesting 'Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language.' and parody as 'B a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody's ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter and of any conviction that alongside the abnormal tongue you have momentarily borrowed, some healthy linguistic normality still exists.' In terms of postmoderist architecture Jamerson explains how through parody 'randomly and without principle but with gusto cannibalises all the architectural styles of the past and combines them in overstimulating ensembles'. Linda Hutchton however disagree with Jamerson's views on postmodernism and pastiche suggesting parody is the same as pastiche On the surface, postmodernism's main interest might seem to be in the processes of its own production and reception, as well as in its own parodic relation to the art of the past. But I want to argue that it is precisely parody - that seemingly introverted formalism - that paradoxically brings about a direct confrontation with the problem of the relation of the aesthetic to a world of significance external" . Hutchton also critiques Jamersons views on postmodern architecture explaining "the paradox of postmodernist parody is that it is not essentially depthless, trivial kitsch, as Eagleton and Jameson both believe." and that "On the surface, postmodernism's main interest might seem to be in the processes of its own production and reception, as well as in its own parodic relation to the art of the past. But I want to argue that it is precisely parody - that seemingly introverted formalism - that paradoxically brings about a direct confrontation with the problem of the relation of the aesthetic to a world of significance external".