2nd Mock B1

How do post-modern media texts challenge traditional text readers in relations and concepts of representation?

Lyotard believed in his theory that post modernism has a lack of belief in progress, this is because of the collapsing of boundaries between modernism and postmodernism, such as grand narratives being turned into meta narratives. This is clearly seen in media texts such as gaming and social networking sites. This is because without the audience the texts would not work as the audience controls the media; media has become very interactive. Through these texts the audience is able to create new identities which they get addicted to and end up forgetting their original, real identity. There is a lack of trust in traditional ideas as in modernism improvements made in technology and science would be highly looked upon whereas in postmodernism people care more about technology and not the science behind it.

Due to the breaking of boundaries in postmodernism, people are living in a hyper-real state where nothing has a specific meaning and portrays style over substance. An example of this is Niki Manaj appealing to her target audience to be a Barbie styled character. She chooses to represent herself in this way because she wants to attract a specific audience. Therefore she has fluid identities as she chooses how she wants to act around various people. This takes place in their marketing campaigns to create hyper real versions of themselves for the consumers to buy into. This then breaks the structure of reality and hyper reality to be the persona she wants to be by merging the two together this is so that they are able to make more money, which could lead to no progress for the future.

Representation focuses on the way people, ideas and events are presented to us. Fluid identities and flow and immersion relate to one another. Fluid identities is when someone has multiple identities. The audience feels safer hiding behind these identities, however it is a temporary construction. They adapt an idea that can show who they are without the social constraints of the real world. In Black Mirror, 15 Million Merits the protagonist controls the avatar to gain points, however this takes over his life. This is due to lack of belief in progress. Whereas flow and immersion refers to when gamers become so engrossed in a game that they believe its reality and not hyper-reality.

Baudrillard theory is the breaking of structures between real and hyper real and the simulated. This is because they adopt a screen persona with juxtaposes their real life. The audience believe they are the game and these games react and rebel against modernism. Modernism has no progression and so people adopt a virtual life to be able to live their dreams though the avatar of them, which breaks the boundaries between real and hyper real and also the boundaries between who you are and how you chose to represent yourself. They can chose how they want to appear online. Gaming and social networking is addictive for some people and begins to be all that they spend their time doing, which portrays a dystopian future, as in Black Mirror 15 Millions Merits. Wreck it Ralph media text collapses the boundaries and breaks the flow of modernist games which consequently breaks the immersion.

Video games are simulacra. If you are not skilled enough in a game then you cannot reach a higher level, this is postmodern as it is a polar opposite to modernism as this is interactive media. With books you are able to read them over and over whereas games you cannot have the same experience. Gaming revolves around the building of a character, without human interaction, like social networking it will not work. There are no consequences in gaming whereas in the real world there are laws set in place in society. This is different to modernism as films will continue to play regardless of human interaction. This challenges modernism because of the high level of interaction that the audience need to keep their concentration.

In 15 Million Merits, they need to play a game to be able to gain points to live. Whereas in reality if a game is not played it will not affect the persons life and their real life will continue. People playing the game are more focused on the game screen when cycling and do not have the need to interact with anyone else or form a relationship with them. 15 Million Merits can be argued to be extremely postmodern and a great representation of the future of our society. It has characteristics of postmodernism including having a dystopian future. Post modernism is looked upon in a negative way which is why there is a dystopian outlook on our future shown through Black Mirror, 15 million Merits displays this very well, as it references intertexually to current trends such as social networking sites, facebook. Also gaming with the avatars in the programme and even references to the show X-factor, with the show known as 'Hot Shots'. This shows an interactive culture which is dependent of technology.

Baudrillard believed that, "we live in a world where there is more and more information, and less and less meaning". This relates strongly in 15 million merits where people live as a virtual avatar, similar to what you would find on Facebook and Twitter. This highlights the hyperreal/simulated human and whether the avatar even holds a meaning for us anymore. People are not uncomfortable with the idea of talking to pictures and not having real conversations but merely through a electronic device. The need for the audience to be so interactive is because they would be bored as everything has already been created and done once, whereas technology is continuously changing and the audience feel involved in this postmodern change and approach within society. They are able to chose the way in which they want to be to immerse themselves into the hyper real life style as their existing one is not as interesting, which blurs the boundaries of real and hyper real.

Both of these media texts contain aspects of postmodernism whereas Ralph is more similar to modernism and 15 Million Merits has a very clear message and a deeper meaning that it wants to send thorough the postmodern drama about the audiences futures. From these texts I can give my own prediction for the future for this culture will be that consumers turn into prosumers, nothing will be created originally because of the lack of belief in progress and collapsing of boundaries between the real and hyper real and everything will be a bricolage. People will become fully dependable on technology and never have to do a hard day's work in their lives again, but this is not a healthy future.

Early version of postmodernism - 80's video games? Pacman - very structures gameplay

How has the structure become less defined with GTA and Sims?

E/A/A 15

Ex 15 (historical reference)

T 8