Yasmin FrancisWhy are some media products described as postmodern?

Postmodernism is a late 20th century concept in architecture and media which rejects the more functional, strategic modernist approach. It does this through the intentional use of mixing different styles and genres as well as opposing the idea of grand narratives such as love, politics and religion. PoMo media often disregards conventions such as time and space to create a deliberate distortion of what is regarded as reality to create hyper reality which is made up of referential techniques such as intertextual references, bricolage self reflexivity and parody. The intended use of these things to make a construction of reality makes a product postmodern.

Romantic comedies, such as Disneys Aladdin or Sharon Maguires Bridget Jones Diary have a structure which are generally kept to as the audience expect it and therefore enjoy it. This normally follows that idea that a good looking, popular male meets a shy, sometimes geeky girl who fall in love, fall out and cant be together and then get back together at the end living happily ever after. This follows a strict, expected structure which would please the intended audience. Her (2013), a romantic comedy directed by Spike Jones set in futuristic LA where Joaquin Phoenixs character Theodore develops a relationship and falls in love with a computer operating system with a female voice and personality (Scarlett Johansson), is considered postmodern due to the fact that it opposes the concept grand narrative love. It does this by rejecting the stereotypical aspects of a romantic comedy which the audience would expect to see due to the many postmodern elements of the film. An example of this include the fact that the characters who fall in love are a fairly geeky, isolated male and a computer who don't meet in a stereotypically romantic way as he is created for him through answering various questions on what he wants in an operating system. This shows to the audience that the text is just a text as it isn't like what a romantic comedy should be like.

Her uses a red flash for when Samantha calls Theodore on his hand held device which is typical of technological items in films. This references other texts such as Michael Andersons 1976 science fiction film Logans Run where the renewed characters have a red, blinking life clock in their palms. As well as this, it references Stanley Kubricks science fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey where operating system HAL flashes red when he speaks. Another intertextual reference to the 2001: A Space Odyssey is when HAL has a breakdown due to the fact he is programmed to not tell the crew the real reason for their mission and, due to him growing and gaining personal feelings, kills them to prevent his conscious from feeling as though he is lying to them. Samantha, Theodores operating system, has a breakdown due to the fact she feels as though she isn't real and runs away. This shows a bricolage as the romantic comedy follows a similar structure to a science fiction film which shows the audience that the film isn't real and is just a construction. Using famous actress Scarlett Johanssons voice for the operating system who doesn't have a body/face that we would be able to recognise her voice which gives an image of her in the audiences head. This also shows the audience that the film isn't real because they recognise her voice and know who she is making it clear that she is a person and not an operating system.

Her also continues to use bricolage, a common convention used in postmodernism. This is apparent by the vintage style of 60s and 70s clothing which lead character Theodore wears even though the film is set in a 2025 futuristic version of Los Angeles. The exterior film shots were filmed in Shanghai which looks very futuristic, and was Jones vision of what LA will look like in a decades time. This futuristic setting contrasts to the old fashioned style which looks very out of place, especially considering the context of technological advancements giving the impression that Theodore is still stuck in the past even in this incredibly modern world and makes the audience consider if this is real which shows them that it is a text and not reality, which is the point of postmodern texts.

The film also uses self-reflexivity which continues to make it obvious to the audience that the film is a film and isn't actual reality. One example of this is when writer and director Spike Jones appears in the film as the voice of the 3D alien charter in the game which Theodore plays on. For audience members who are interested in films and Spike Jones, they would know this was him and would be able to see that the film isn't real. Also at the beginning of the film, character Theodore is seen as being alone, reflecting on the breakdown of his marriage to his childhood sweetheart Catherine and then at the end of the film, he if left alone again reflecting on Samanthas disappearance. This unhappy ending reflects the unhappy beginning which led Theodore to purchase the OS and makes it clear to the audience that the film is somebody's construction of what they believe could happen in the future and isn't reality yet.

A modernist criticism of Her would be that the point of postmodern films is to be different and be appealing to a niche market and refuses to be considered cool and mainstream (Rosenau, 1993), however it ended up being nominated for 5 Oscars and 3 Golden Globes, suggesting that it is appealing to a mass market and considered generically good by everyone, defeating the point of postmodernism.

Steve Coogan/Alan Partridge is the prime example of a postmodern character/product. This is because Steve Coogan who plays Alan Partridge is an actor and impressionist who has done comedy series such as The Trip alongside fellow impressionist Rob Brydon and in films such as The Night at the Museum series and multi award nominated Philomena. However, even though he has a career as an actor, he has created the hyper real character Alan Partridge, a radio show host who originally aired on BBC Radio 4 and has gained a whole career which has included radio shows, television shows, web-episodes, documentaries, an audiobook (voiced by Alan Partridge) and a biography even though he doesn't exist and is actually a construction of what a stereotypical sports radio host would be like.

From this, a mockumentary spin-off film Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, directed by Declan Lowney was released in 2013. The comedy heist-action film follows Alan as the radio station he works for is taken over and rebranded as Shape when his fellow DJ Pat (played by Colm Meaney) is sacked. Pat then takes hostage in the studios during a party and will only negotiate with the police through Alan who escaped and went to the police station after being shot at by Pat. Alan Partridge as a character blurs the lines between reality and hyperreality through various different situations. The premier of the film was held in Norfolk and actor Steve Coogan went in the character of Alan Partrige, in promotion for the film and by having Alan Partridge do interviews as Alan Partridge on entertainment chat shows such as Jonathan Ross. The film itself also uses many postmodern elements including hyper reality and simulacrum caused by Alan being a construction of a made up character, as well as self reflexivity, intertextual references and parody.

The film is self is self reflexive of the previous television series which have either included or been hosted by Alan Partridge. The characters included in shows such as his personal assistant Lynn have also appeared in other series which he has done as Alan Partridge, including ImAlan Partridge!. For members of the audience who are familiar with the character and his other programmes, they will know that the text is not real, even though the lines are being blurred, which is the point of postmodern texts. As well as referencing itself, the film uses intertextual references from action films- the genre which the film is pastiching- which are a prominent feature of most postmodern films. The prominent story line of the office heist is an intertextual reference to one of the highest grossing action films, Die Hard starring Bruce Willis as the hero where there is a heist in the Nakatomi Plaza. However, this is not done with the same seriousness which Die Hard adopts, yet shows that the film follows the typical structure of a good action film. Towards the end of the film, Alan and Pat are involved in a police vs bus chase which references the 1994 action film Speed where Keanu Reaves and Sandra Bullock are involved in a bus chase by the police. Again, this shows the film is following conventions of good, well known action films however, due to it being Alan Partridge, doesn't have the same effect on the audience. Another intertextual reference is shown on scene set on Cromer Pier where there is a shoot out, as it references the crime drama film Falling Down where there is a shoot out on Venice Pier, LA. Again, this has been done to show how the film conforms to stereotypical conventions of the genre it is pastiching, however has also been done to highlight the ridiculous nature of character Alan Partridge being involved in an action film/heist and shows the audience that it is a text and isn't real.

The film also parodies pre existing action films by making Alan the protagonist of the film. This is unusual as in normally in action films, the hero is normally quite cool and played by a cool actor, such as Casino Royale where James Bond is played by Daniel Craig. The fact that Alan Partridge, a Norwich radio DJ in is late 40s/early 50s is the hero who saves everyone being held hostage makes fun of typical action films by showing that anyone can be heroic, not just cool spies like Bond. As well as this, the film parodies typical local radio stations which has stereotypically rubbish phone in topics. In one scene near the beginning of the film, Alan is hosting his slot and want people to phone in and provide their thoughts on which is the worst monger; iron, fish, rumour..or war?. This makes fun of local radio topics as it is depthless and has no impact on anyones life, which is how some people view postmodernism. As well as this, making the movie soundtrack typical of bad music which Alan would listen to makes the reader feel like they are in Alans world- a simulacrum- however the fact it is deliberately bad shows that it is a parody of a film and, again, a construction showing it isn't really real and therefore exposing itself as a text. The idea of pastiching genres and radio station shows then shows that it is a construction of a situation and that it is not real, making the film postmodern.

Mockumentary W1A, a television series created by the BBC about the goings on at the BBC to mock the work of the BBC, is also considered to be a postmodern series. This is because it includes many postmodern conventions such as simulacrum and parody as well as including typical conventions of a documentary series including non fluency features, such as pauses and silences to create a disjuncture and voice overs.

The name W1A is self reflexive of the BBC, the channel which commissioned, created and broadcasted the show, as it is the postcode of the BBC studios where the show is set. This shows the audience how this relates to the show itself and creates a simulacrum, drawing them into the sense that the characters, including Ian Fletcher, Head of Values for the BBC (played by Hugh Bonneville) are all real. Because it has been set in the actual BBC studios, this continues to make the audience believe that it is reality as the people who work at the BBC are all included in the show, including Claire Balding who is a well known for her work on the BBC, yet she is presented to be very moody and snappy whilst waiting to go to a meeting which isn't how Claire Balding is presented when actually working on BBC programmes. This then allows the audience to know that this is fake and is there to mock the BBC, showing it is a hyperreal text and therefore presenting itself as postmodern. It also parodies itself by making its characters do things which the audience expect them to do. An example of which being having meetings to discuss important issues- such as employee dissatisfaction due to the fact a newsreader is being discriminated for being Cornish despite not being from Cornwall (also ironic considering Sarah Parish who plays Anna Rampton, Head of Output is from Somerset)- and getting absolutely nowhere. As well as this, the constant no, well, no, wellyes attitude adopted by all major characters when dealing with huge problems before pushing it onto main character Ian. This conforms to the stereotypes though of by the British population regarding the BBC taking no responsibility.

Having a voice over makes the audience believe that it is real and that it has been filmed without them knowing which isn't the case. Also, by using David Tennant as the voice over, someone who is famously involved in BBC programmes such as Doctor Who. This adds reliability to the programme and makes it seem more real, regardless of it being scripted. The programme has also used actors and actresses who feature in other BBC programmes such as Jason Watkins who has also appeared in Life on Mars and Sarah Parish who appeared in Mistresses and Atlantis. The long pauses and silences included in the show creates a disjuncture which makes it seem deliberately created which shows the audience that it isn't real and is just a construction of what we believe to be reality.

Postmodernism products are mainly film and television and are counted as postmodern due to fact they make it obvious to the audience that it is a construction. The future of postmodern film and television is fairly intermediate. The use of bricolage and pastiche within movies may decrease due to laws surrounding copyright. For example, as more and more products begin to reference one another, people may become less willing to allow their text to be mimicked or placed in a different context. If this occurs then it is likely that the future of postmodern media is quite bleak and the pressure to create original material is only heightened by the introduction of patent sharks. It is also significant to consider that as more films intentionally become eclectic, combining influences from varying media, it could become difficult to distinguish whether a film is doing this on purpose or merely by accident and characters such as Alan Partridge will continue to confuse audiences and blur the line between reality and hyperreality to the point where we may not even know; meaning that it will be challenging to set post modern films and characters apart.