Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog tasks

 Media Magazine - A Postmodern Reimagining of the Past

Media Magazine 73 has a feature exploring Deutschland 83 as a postmodern media product. Read ‘Deutschland 83 - A Postmodern Reimagining of the Past’ in MM73  (p18). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here - remember you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. Answer the following questions:

1) What were the classic media representations of the Cold War?

representations of Cold War-era Germany often fit a stereotypical binary ‘good vs evil’ The Cold War – the state of tension and hostility between the Soviet bloc countries and the West from 1945 to 1990 – has inspired a series of film and media texts within the spy genre.

2) Why does Deutschland 83 provide a particularly good example for postmodern analysis? 

Despite adhering to many of the conventions of the cold-war era spy genre, Deutschland 83 offers a refreshing and postmodern re-imagining of East and West German stereotypes. Chris Harris explains. All postmodern texts create a relationship with the past and the first episode of Deutschland 83, ‘Quantum Jump’, does this with inter titles that frame its historical context.

3) Pick out some of the aspects of the opening of episode 1 and explain why they are significant.

Ones aspect is that it opens with Reagan talking of the ‘quiet men’ who conceive and order this ‘greatest evil’ in ‘carpeted well-lit offices on television in which this shows the historical context and significance as it shows an actual clip of Reagan.

4) How does the party scene at Martin's mum's house subvert stereotypes of East Germany in the Cold War?

The party clip subverts stereotypes as East Germany was stereo-typically known to be less vibrant and almost duller whilst at the party, there was music and a positive atmosphere created as East Germans would be expected to be worrying about food rather less partying.

5) What aspects of the episode set in West Germany offer postmodern elements?

1. The use of music from both East and West Germany: The soundtrack of the series combines music from both East and West Germany, highlighting the divide between the two countries and emphasising the postmodern theme of cultural hybridity. 2. The use of multiple languages: Throughout the series, characters speak in English, German, and Russian, reflecting the multi-cultural society of West Germany and highlighting the postmodern concept of a globalized world. 3. The blending of past and present: Throughout the series, there are references to the past, such as the Cold War, while also incorporating more modern elements, like cell phones and computers, creating a unique blend of both past and present. This reflects the postmodern concept of a hybridized culture.

6) Finally, how does the article apply postmodern theory to Deutschland 83 and link it to the potential target audience?

Postmodernism Factsheet

Go to our Media Factsheet archive on the Media Shared drive and open Factsheet #54: Introduction to Postmodernism. Our Media Factsheet archive is on the Media Shared drive: M:\Resources\A Level\Media Factsheets. If you need to access this from home you can find our factsheet archive here (you'll need to use your Greenford login).

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)?

* Advertising can make or break a company irrespective of the quality of the product they are selling, a poor quality product can be commercially successful if it has great advertising whilst an excellent product can fail without it. Where once the reality of the product would create its success or failure (e.g. how well it worked), now the media reality of advertising determines the success of products.

* The characters Bruno and Borat have more ‘reality’ for film audiences than their creator Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen’s films rely on the fact that the characters he creates are seen as ‘real’ people and he is able to get away with saying and doing things that a ‘real’ person could not. Cohen is only ever interviewed ‘in character’ so his creations have a voice but he does not.

2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?

According to Jameson, is the idea of historical deafness. He argues that as mediaization increases so the culture

finds itself losing a sense of historical context. History is now reduced to ‘talking heads’ documentaries and historical knowledge is often based on media representations.

3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?

• 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.

• 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.

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?



5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83?

Bricolage is a French term used to describe the creative reuse of existing materials or ideas in order to solve a problem or create something new. Examples of bricolage can be seen throughout Deutschland 83, particularly in the way the characters use their knowledge and skills to adapt to their environment and create new solutions.

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.

Deutschland 83 can be linked to postmodernism in a few ways. Firstly, the show plays with narrative structure by utilizing a non-linear timeline and a complex, interweaving plot. This element of postmodernism is often seen in many contemporary television shows, and it allows the audience to piece together the story and make connections between different plot points. Additionally, the show challenges traditional ideologies and values, which is another common element of postmodernism. Deutschland 83 offers a unique, nuanced look at the Cold War, which challenges the traditional view of the period and introduces new perspectives. Finally, the show also takes advantage of nostalgia, which is a key component of postmodernism. It utilizes 80s music, fashion, and culture to evoke a sense of nostalgia in viewers, which allows them to reconnect with the past and experience a heightened level of pleasure.

7) Now look at page 4 of the factsheet. How does Deutschland 83 demonstrate aspects of the postmodern in its construction and ideological positioning?

8) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?

The Opening Scene: The opening scene of Deutschland 83 is a perfect example of postmodernism, as it draws upon multiple elements of popular culture and art to create a unique and visually arresting introduction. The scene features a montage of archival footage, music, and visuals that combine to create a sense of tension and disorientation.

There is a lot of challenging work here - you will have plenty of time to complete it so take it slowly, read around the subject and re-watch the scenes from the first episode on All4 to help develop impressive academic answers to these questions.