In Storey’s discussion of postmodernism, he gives an overview of the many understandings and applications of the concept. Just the very fact that there is not one understood meaning of postmodernism, shows that we utilize this way of thinking. It is a concept that closely resembles poststructuralism and is used to explain the complicated world we are living in. It diverges from modernism and critiques the idea that the world can be explained through science and logic. Rather than trying to be high art as modernism did, it takes a different course. This led several theorists to describe postmodernism as an economic activity.
As Storey explains, the concept of postmodernism can be applied to many of the TV shows we watch. One fitting example is the British show, Doctor Who. At first glance, one might consider the scientific aspects and attempted explanation of our world as a modernist view, but there are many aspects that refute this idea.
First, the Doctor does not try to explain the occurrences in time and doesn’t describe them as simplistic or linear. The events throughout the show occur in a manner much more complicated. He explains, “People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but *actually* from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint - it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly... time-y wimey... stuff.” This understanding of the world accepts the postmodern viewpoint that we cannot understand the progression of time. It is too complicated and is always changing. The show does describe some fixed points in time, but most are able to be altered.
Another example is much like the Collins’ explanation of the multiple viewpoints in Twin Peaks. Doctor Who also does not stray from this. It would be easy to describe The Doctor as the protagonist and hero, but like most things in a postmodern world, it is much more complex than that. In the episode “The Pandorica Opens,” our view of The Doctor is turned on its head when all of his enemies throughout space and time work together to defeat him. The catch is that unlike most villains, they don’t consider themselves to be wrong. In many superheroes movies, the villain realizes that it is their role and embraces it. These characters actually consider The Doctor to be causing harm to the universe, which then forces the viewer to question their ideas about him and his actions. This can also be seen throughout the series in episodes like “Doomsday,” in which two of The Doctor’s enemies, the Daleks and the Cyberman, declare war on one another. Typically we view battle as black and white, with a good side and bad. This episode challenges that sort of perception.
Another way that Doctor Who can be considered postmodern, is in the economic sense. The classic series, created in 1963 during the rise of postmodernism, was much more underground than the newer reboot. In 2005, BBC intentionally cast Christopher Eccleston, a well-known English actor in the role of the ninth doctor. They wanted the show to become more widely known, and it is not difficult to say they have achieved this goal. As Johnson explains, “[culture] is itself an economic activity, perhaps the most important economic activity of all.” It would be difficult to describe Doctor Who as without economic intentions and I am proving this theory right now: I am writing this while wearing a Doctor Who t-shirt and taking notes on Doctor Who post-its.
Through its economic success, impossibly complicated storyline, and its twisting of our expectations of good and evil, Doctor Who is an excellent representation of postmodernism.
0 comments:
Post a Comment