Module 10 Example: Postmodernism...It's Complicated!

PROMPT

This week's video tackled the subject of postmodernism and it did so on the same week in which we tackled radio.  One could argue that a device like the radio could be seen as being a bit postmodern in that, for the first time in history, people could have these ominous and strange noises enter into their houses from far away and thus, the world is made smaller and stranger--information exchange took on new and potentially more ambiguous forms (what are the "airwaves" over which news traveled?).  

Anyways, postmodernism is a tricky subject and much has been written about it.  The video for this week addresses some of its attributes but I'd like students to get some more substantive understanding of postmodernism.  So to that end, for this week's prompt, students will select 1 video from this playlist to watch and learn about postmodernism.  Your blog post should consist of:

1. Linking/embedding the video that you watched into the blog post.
2. Providing a substantial explanation of what the video is about (1 paragraph).
3. A discussion of what you learned about postmodernism and popular culture (1 paragraph).
4.  Identifying some idea within the video that you then can identify or apply within popular culture  (1 paragraph).

(Keep in mind, with #4--if the video is "Postmodernism and Pulp Fiction" or the like, you need to identify something different than Pulp Fiction.)

If you have trouble understanding the specific video that you choose, I recommend first re-watching it.  If that doesn't help, then try another video. However, avoid posting to the blog a post that says you didn't understand the video.  This is why I included many different videos on the playlist.

 
Relevant Labels/Tags:  postmodernism, [specific popular culture you are identifying], [if your video addresses a specific form or aspect of postmodernism]

EXAMPLE

This video focuses mostly on the where postmodernism comes from and its response to modernism.  Postmodernism comes from a place of criticizing the modern world and modernism and its inability to actually solve the problems of the world and rather only amplifies them (more death, war, disease, etc).  Postmodernists move away from the focus on conquering a rational world and admit to a highly irrational world and draw attention to the ways in which traditional knowledge and structures have only reinforced the elites, rather than empowered everyone.  Thus, with any concept of "progress", postmodernists identify the ways in which such progress is still perpetuating inequalities and marginalizing people. 

In applying it to popular culture, I think of the many commercials out there that seemingly have no real connection to their product.  For instance, in the video below, we have Paris Hilton somehow washing and making love to an expensive car all while eating a Carls Jr burger.  The connections are incoherent as one generally doesn't associate food with lovemaking, car washing, or driving, but somehow the creators of this advertisement that this message would be worth the $100,000s it cost to make. It suggests that we are not by any means rational people and that we find nothing wrong with the irrational suggestion here and throughout the advertising world that encourages us to get excited about things that have little connection.