“Self-Reflexivity” & Parody in

Postmodern Popular Culture

Outline

Parody and Metafiction defined; Examples from painting and photography. Self-Reflexivity in Ads

Why parody and metafiction?1. Both are dominant postmodern genres which mo

ve beyond their textual boundaries to show that a text is a group of “texts” and holds intertextual relations to its society.

2. Both serve to illustrate how postmodernism challenges/deconstructs author-ities.

3. In poststructuralist terms, • text = construction, • author = signs in a text or discourses in societ

y.

4. They are both “self-reflexive.” self = author, text and language/construction.

What is “meta-”?

Fr. Greek meta-, “beside, after”; or “above, upon, or about” (in other words, both referring to and transforming/transcending at the same time). 後設

What is metafiction?

Easy signs

story within the story; frame within the frame;

TV within TV Historical figures

juxtaposed with fictional ones;

Digression, discussion of plot, exposure of typographical signs… whatever stops you from being immersed in the story.

Self-Reflexive Arts: general definitionArt which expose its own artificiality (and that of

its target), e.g. artistic medium(stage, language, camera),

creative process; artistic frames, story,

by 1) denying the author’s power; 2) bringing its context into the text; 3) making narrative intrusion, speaking to

the audience/reader; 4) refusing to tell the whole story or

revealing its untruthfulness.

Challenging or Undermining “Reality” & Realism

Some metafictional methods: 1. Discuss/expose novelistic elements or frames; 2. Undermining the “Author’s” abilities to control meanings; 3. Parody or pastiche

Different kinds of “reality”: Belief/stereotype, History, Memory, Life, Identity

Realist conventions: omniscient narrator (author-god), progressive & linear history, characters with depth. • Fourth wall in theatre

Self = masterpiece or kitsch Masterpiece, 1962 (137,2x137,2)

Mr & Mrs Melvin Hirsch,

Metafiction: e.g. (1) --

In what ways is this painting

Self-reflexive?

Parody: Definitions

Comic and/or critical imitation + revision. (comic parody; critical parody, metafictional parody.)

Jameson: parody: critique of a classical norm; pastiche: meaningless combination of fragments without a sense of norm.

Parodies in Popular Culture

電視模仿風 & parodies of politicians ：李祖惜（侯冠群﹚；附總統（倪敏然﹚；張俊熊（高凌風﹚

Sesame Streets’ parodies: Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run“ “Born to Add”  

Beatles’ “Let it Be” “Letter B” music & music videos: by 豬頭皮， "Weird Al"

YankovicFilms: Mel Brook’s films (Young Frankenstein, etc.)

Woody Allen’s films.

Parodies in Arts

Paintings: e.g. “The Last Supper”, “Scream” etc.Photography:

(left: Big Bad Chinese Mama right: Cindy Sherman)

Parody: Related Issues

critical parody or playful imitation? The issue of copyright. e.g. a 1992 U.S. case, Rogers v. Koons; Mattel v. Walking Mountain Productions (Tom Forysthe’s products );

parody or pastiche? Loss of history, meaning? Schizophrenic lack of depth?Challenging originality, author & author-ities.

parody or pastiche?

1) Richard Hamilton

Just What Is It That Makes Today's Home So Different, So Appealing? (1956)

How is ‘Today’s home’ critiqued?

--example of pastiche:

Challenging Human Boundaries Self = Body or Clothes?

between the Human and the Plant

Self-Reflexivity in Ads and a Film

Parody, Imitation or Self-Aggrandizement -- without undermining the “reality” it sells

Parodies or Imitation of Benetton

Persistence of the “Self”

One More Example for analysis: gender & identity. 國際 VISA 組織 -VISA 在手盡其在我 - 羅拉

( 完整 ) 篇1. Signs? Connotations? Distortion?

2. Is the woman all powerful?

Two More Examples for analysis: gender & identity

. 國際VISA組織-VISA在手盡其在我-羅拉(完整)篇1. Signs: frame within the frame1) of the Gothic: woman in a cape; old mansion/computer game

parlor; a secret pass;2) of electronic game -- virtual reality with a woman presented in

double;3) sci-fi: strong woman in black tight-fit dress, 1. Is the woman all powerful?

Apparently, the two women empower each other; Actually, the visa card is power.

2. Distortion: money = power; game = reality3. Symptom Revealed: everything is construction, but the powe

r of money and electronic game is stronger than anything else.

Examples for analysis: gender & identity

TOYOTA-VIOS 1.6-目光吸引篇 1. Signs? Objectification of the Woman?

2. Myth vs. Reality?

Two More Examples for analysis: gender & identity

TOYOTA-VIOS 1.6-目光吸引篇 1. Main idea: “What do you want?” “Vios, it’s everything.”2. Signs: Glass Building and Ads1) the car: Silver gray colors, in a clean but empty city with glass buil

dings; easy, fast and smooth driving luxury and power (The whole city is emptied out.)

2) Objectification of the Woman? A woman larger than life (with the power of T.V. wall+glass building) the woman’s flowing hair, gaze and smile are signs of the man’s self-projection of power, ease and desirability.

1. Distorted: city, the woman an ad and its interpellation( 召喚 ) in disguise

2. Symptom Revealed: spectacle/image society; “The TV is watching us.” “The TV spectacle desires by us.”

Film: Ferris Beuler’s Day Off

Breaking the Fourth Wall Illusion

MTV channel

Film: Ferris Bueler’s Day Off

Breaking the filmic boundaries by Starting and ending the film beyond the opening

and closing credits; Direct address to the audience; Putting captions on his instructions.