1) Read the section on Strinati's five ways to define postmodernity. What examples are provided of the breakdown of the distinction between culture and society (media-isation)?
Bruno and Borat have more ‘reality’ for film audiences than their creator Sacha Baron Cohen.
The modern rise of celebrities launched through reality television programmes such as Big Brother can be seen as the culture celebrating style over substance. Many celebrities are now famous for being famous rather than for an identifiable talent or ability.
In postmodern culture Andy Warhol created multi-coloured prints of the Mona Lisa (high art) and Campbell’s soup cans
Communism, Fascism, Liberalism and Socialism are some examples of grand narratives that have been
applied in various contexts in the last 100 years. In post modern society it is argued that people no longer believe there are absolute ways to explain reality. Perhaps high profile failures of some grand narratives (like the fall of the Soviet version of Communism in 1989)have led people to question whether it is possible to find an all encompassing ‘answer’ to social and economic problems.
2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?
The media coverage of the Cold War was mainly done through the American (the winning side). There is also loads of the coverage of the actual documents of Able Archer which was used for filming, again done by America.
3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?
Many celebs are famous for being famous rather than having any distinguishable talent such as Reality Shows like Big Brother and Love Island.
People are strongly influenced by branding when buying products. The label sometimes becomes more important than the product itself and packaging more important than the contents. People will pay high prices for products which bear the logo of a fashionable label regardless of the actual quality of the product.
4) What examples from music are provided for the breakdown of the distinction between art and popular culture? Can this be applied to Deutschland 83?
Pop music can be considered to be both high and low brow so putting this in the supermarket scene is a clear example of blurred lines between high and popular culture.
5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83?
Bricolage is when old and new texts are juxtaposed.
The title scene is an example of bricolage as it is a mixture of new pop art and historic events.
6) How can the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 be linked to postmodernism? Read 'The decline of meta-narratives' and 'Media texts and the postmodern' to help answer this.
The title scene is an example of bricolage as it is a mixture of new pop art and historic events.
6) How can the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 be linked to postmodernism? Read 'The decline of meta-narratives' and 'Media texts and the postmodern' to help answer this.
7) Read the analysis of media concepts and postmodern approaches on page 3 of the factsheet. Choose three of the concepts and write an example from Deutschland 83. Clue: genre, representation, ideology and audience would all be good options for this task.
Representation: In West Germany, the public rejects traditional German values as they become more 'Americanised' whereas the East is very traditional and mundane.
The spy montage could be a hint at the genre.
Ideology: Evil acts may be undertaken for a good motive - The scene where Martin was breaking into the General's briefcase can be seen as primarily negative due to the connotations of stealing however it was for the best interest for East-Germany
8) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning?
It reinforces both left and right wing ideologies which is a bit postmodern but the main thing is that it's a costume drama. This makes it susceptible to postmodern twists as it is a period drama which documents a fictionalised version of a real event.
9) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?
The bench scene with Martin and Tischbier shows just how different the West is to the East and how there are new concepts such as pop and neon art - as shown by the capitalist placement of Martin wearing a Nike shirt when he wakes up in Bonn.
The supermarket scene also provides a sense of postmodernism with a nod to Andy Warhol's tin soup-like shelf design.
10) Why might audiences enjoy the postmodern aspects of Deutschland 83? What audience pleasures might elements of bricolage or pastiche provide viewers?
The viewers might enjoy pastiche as it could provide nostalgia and good memories which might be a reason to watch D83 - this is a personal identity connection as they remember themselves in that specific era. Historians might enjoy this as they think that the hyperreality and bricolage with the documents and title scene will provide a sense of enjoyment as they most of the time accurately represent the 80s in a positive light.
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