Postmodernism

Postmodernism, like the majority of theories is very difficult to define. Therefore to get a sufficient definition, we must consider the descriptions of postmodernism by several theorists. In some ways, Postmodernism is described as a movement in the arts and in culture and is generally associated with the era that followed modernism. It started around the 1870s but was then revived in the 1920s to describe new forms of art and culture and is still present today. For decades, postmodernism has been known as the way in which things have altered or deterred from tradition. A recent example of a form of Postmodernism would be pop icon Lady Gaga. By creating her own unique identity, she differs from other conventional artists within her era and genre, therefore making her postmodern. Postmodernist writers such as Baudrillard and Jameson state that the changes in society and the economy have resulted in a cultural logic which means that (mainly due to technological advancements) we now live in a three minute culture whereby we want everything to be brand new, to the highest quality, of the highest efficiency and as quickly as possible, before moving on to even better things. A good example of this would be the Apple software as soon as the newest IOS comes out, customers are updating their phones and ipads, and if the newest software isnt available on their iphones, then they buy the newer iphone instead etc. As a result of researching various definitions of postmodernism, I have started to form my own definition of the word. I believe that postmodernism was used after modernist movement to describe a drastic change from what was known to be modern to something that surpassed those conventions. I believe that postmodernism lives in terms of media and culture however it is no longer relevant when it comes to describing things such as architecture or economics/politics etc. Some postmodernist writers have said: Women's liberation is one thing, but the permeation of anti-male sentiment in postmodern popular culture - from our mocking sitcom plots to degrading commercial story lines - stands testament to the ignorance of society. Fair or not, as the lead gender that never requested such a role, the historical male reputation is quite balanced Tiffany Madison is postmodernity the pastime of an old man who scrounges in the garbage -heap of finality looking for leftovers, who brandishes unconsciousnesses, lapses, limits, confines, goulags, parataxes, non-senses, or paradoxes, and who turns this into the glory of his novelty, into his promise of change? - Jean-Franois Lyotard

"We are becoming like cats, slyly parasitic, enjoying an indifferent domesticity. Nice and snug in the social, our historic passions have withdrawn into the glow of an artificial coziness, and our half-closed eyes now seek little other than the peaceful parade of television pictures." Jean Baudrillard