Genre: categories media texts and have them placed in particular groups due to the codes and conventions which beings out this ‘identity’ of different mediums, furthermore the implied audience and the producer can also affect a media text being put into genre.

Genre theories that relate to my music video;

Narrative: The way events are put together to be presented to an audience. Moving Image products such as a music videos and short films are able to utilise many interesting methods in presenting the narrative to the audience.

Representation: a complex notion that deals not only with how factors (e.g. people, places) are represented, but also why certain representations exist and the effect of those representations on the mass audience. It explores the ideologies behind the representation.

Audience: Active producers of meaning, rather than as merely consumers of media meanings. They make sense of media texts accord­ing to their social position (in terms of their identity) – and their gender, race, class etc.

Media Language: the methods of communication that exist within all media products. All media texts are rich with meaning whether it be structural, symbolic or ideological. Producers rely on a generally agreed set of interpretations of the language by the audience in order to communicate their message.

What is wrong with postmodernism?

Many theorists have been very critical of postmodernism and what it says about society. For example many people have said it does nothing to help society: Noam Chomsky claiming that postmodernism is "meaningless because it adds nothing to analytical knowledge." Richard Dawkins also says that it has "nothing to say". I believe that some of these statements could be true because postmodernism is mostly used to critise the origonality of many texts, not to add anymore analysis of it.

There are also many theories that say postmodernism is very pessimistic, Timothy Bewes saying it's a "cynical reaction". I also believe that this idea could also be considered truthful because it claims that there are no more origional ideas anymore and that every media yext has been influenced by another. However, whether this is entirely a bad thing is another case because each media text inspiring one another could benefit some texts.

Another criticism of post modernism could be it's lack of set rules and structure as it is a very broad subject and can be hard to define. One critic argues that the "theory will always fail on it's claim to make good on it's claim to provide a set of rules...it therefore, by definition, can have no consequence."

Though I agree with many of these statements, I believe that postmodernism as a theory isn't "a load of rubbish" and can be a good theory to apply to a lot of recent media texts. For example, it applies very well to the film "24 Hour Party People."

Criticisms

Dominic Strinati - "Fetishised Hyperreality" where the simulation has lost all connection or objective with reality.

"Postmodernism tries to come to terms with and understand a media-saturated society. The mass media, for example, were once thought of as holding up a mirror to, and thereby reflecting, a wider social reality. Now that reality is only definable in terms of surface reflection of the mirror." - meaning society has become subsumed within the mass media, the term implies that there is a reality outside the surface simulation of the media which can be distored. This is the issue that postmodernist point out - how can we tell what is right if we no longer know what is real?

"Postmodernism is sceptical of any absolute, universal and all-embracing claim to knowledge and argues that theories or doctrines which make such claims are increasingly open to criticism, contestation and doubt." (Strinati) This links to Jean-Francois Lyotard's theory of Micro-Narratives where narratives are unpredictable which can often leave the audience open to interpret the reasoning or purpose of the text.

"Media images encourage superficiality rather than substance, cynicism rather than belief, the thirst for constant change rather than security of stable traditions, the desires of the moment rather than the truths of history." - meaning postmodern TV & film have become dominated by surface style and imagery rather than deeper underlying themes, which might relate to the "realities" of society.

Carla Kaplan (1987) identifies that music videos abandon narrative structure, they make no attempt to tell a story instead the power of a music video lies in the collage of images mixed with music - there is no deeper meaning or purpose it.

Frederic Jameson agrees with this calling it "Depthlessness" of contemporary cultural production - sees it as superficial cutting & pasting of ready-made images and styles which are abstracted from their true origins and reused in meaningless new combinations in the trivial commercialized space created by mass culture which will wear out with time. "The writers and artists of the present day will no longer be able to invent new styles and worlds... only a limited number of combinations are possible, the most unique ones have been thought of already."

Another criticism of postmodernism is that to what extent is using intertextual references copying what has already been done? A good example of this is Dan Black's Symphonies who used the theory of Addition, Deletion, Substitution and Transposition to create his music video taking everything bar the lyrics from previous texts. He makes it very clear that he is using intertextual references which are easy to spot to make a point that nothing is original, which brings up the question to what extent is this his own work. Some people are concerned that originality will become completely lost and through postmodernism we will be reusing the same references and jokes over and over again. 

Why are people not convinced by the idea of postmodernism?

Postmodernism is a response to and rejection of modernism. Modernists wanted to look to the future and ignore the mistakes of the past, Postmodernists argue that it is not possible to only look to the future and not look to the past because you'd be repeating the mistakes which stops progress. Postmodernists often create texts by chance for fun rather than design them for a purpose. All the text will often go against media conventions, mixing genre, breaking down boundaries "there is no genre less text" and ignoring traditional narrative structures, like Jean Francois Lyotard's Grand Narratives. By using work from previous media texts Postmodernists are able to create something new either to respectfully pay homage to it or to mock it for comedy as a Pastiche. However a criticism of their use of intertextual references is that the audience have to know the source or understand the issue otherwise they won't understand the context of the joke. For example comedy programmes like The Simpsons and Family Guy are constantly making intertextual references to other texts. The criticism is that this makes it less accessible as a movement because it won't connect to the people who don't understand the reference. This is why some people are not convinced by postmodernism. 

To add to this the use of hyper-reality in everyday is making things less meaningful. For example, video games take something that could be real but isn't and make it real for a computerised version of ourselves which is then exaggerated but still seems realistic. Call of Duty, for example, takes an ordinary person and turns them into a solider who has an unlimited amount of lives and can choose the battleground and difficulty level. Thepostmodern game Desert Bus points out the ridiculousness of "realistic" video games because it is actually realistic; in real time a bus journey to Las Vegas and back with the possibility of breaking down which results in having to be towed back in real time, the game can't be paused just like reality can't be paused. Although this highlights the lack of reality in other video games some people would argue that it is pointless because the whole point of hyper-reality in games is to escape reality and become someone else who can do things that an "ordinary" person can't e.g. a solider, play in a rock band, manage a football team.

Why are postmodern texts controversial?

One of the most controversial media texts at the moment is videogames. With games and gaming consoles becoming much more advanced, the graphics becoming better and more detailed. The art work becoming more realistic. To the real world.

Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, its not the Not the content in the game which is considered postmodern, but the playing experience what is postmodern whether the player/reader of the text/game is immersed in a set of practices. It immerses the player in a convincing, intricate and believable world, but the reality it represents is the stuff of films and other media. Taking on the character of the individual and live in a real city, is a profoundly hyper real experience. The Grandtheft

It was in the gameplay itself where Grand Theft Auto managed to break the mould in many ways. Grand Theft Auto contained free- from 'go anywhere you please' gameplay that saw you tied to a over-arching plot that contained various missions to complete but also left you free to explore the huge world in your own time, finding hidden packages and rampage icons, exploring the world and doing what you wanted. Decisions moral or not to wander around enacting acts of violence on pedestrians for no strategic purpose is made on the basis of prior experience (being a GTA game) learning and practising the skills you will need to progress in the game. But also this demonstrates a metalanguage about ways of being in the game. The mere fact that the game apparently gives you moral decisions to decide what you do in the game is criticised that the only way to progress in the game, to complete levels is to kill, do criminal activity and to take on the police. Thus these moral decision are taken away, and it is infact the game what is leading the gamer in what to do in levels.

The value of women in the game, have also been of hot topic. That it promotes sexism and degrades women in real society, that they are sex objects and that men are hierarchy. Those gamers may take these values and use them in reality, and treat girls the same way.