Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog tasks

Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog tasks

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

The classic media representations of the Cold War was East and West Germany in a binary opposition e.g. good vs bad.

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

Deutschland 83 is good for postmodern analysis as it is set in the past and mixes historical styles and blends fact and fiction.

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

A woman in Bonn watches Reagan's 'Evil Empire' speech which he urges to 'pray' for those in 'totalitarian darkness'. The next scene is an interrogation of two young people in East Berlin who bought Shakespeare plays on the black market. 

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

Martin is warmly welcomed by his family in a sunny garden and young people, including his girlfriend Annett. They enjoy themselves with beer, dancing, and singing to the protest song '99 Luftballoons'. This scene shows a different side of East Germany. Highlighting the more caring and affectionate side of everyday people. It contrasts with Lenora who represents the cold and manipulative officials often associated with East Germany.

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

Elements of postmodernism in West Germany for instance could be something like they have a chandelier and lavish, popular and expensive paintings such as Gustav Klimt’s painting ‘The Kiss’. In Martin steps foot inside of a western supermarket for the first time we can hear ‘Sweet Dreams are Made of This’ by the Eurythmics as Martin wonders around.

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

"Ultimately though, the fact that our protagonist is a communist who is being manipulated by his own side indicates that this text is appealing to a post-unification audience". The article says that Jean Baudrillard theory of Simulacra depict things that have no original. We cannot know for certain how Eastern and Western Europeans behaved during this time what we are seeing is only an imagining and one that is influenced by the present. There is no fixed truth.

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 holds the power to either elevate or doom a company's success. An inferior product can achieve commercial success through effective advertising, whereas a remarkable product might not succeed without good marketing. In the past, the actual quality of a product decided if it would succeed or fail. Now, how well a product is advertised in the media is very important for its success.

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

Fredric Jameson suggests that as media becomes more prominent. In Deutschland 83 we can it depict some actual events. The show exaggerates drama and spy thriller elements, which can make its historical aspects feel less important. 

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

Many people spend more for logos which a trend where style downplays talent. Another example can be seen with celebrities from reality shows like Big Brother, who are famous for their notoriety rather than skills.

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?

High art was once separate from popular culture, with opera and ballet for the wealthy, while pop music was accessible to all. In Deutschland 83 The East Germans enjoy pop music at Martin's party however The West German garden party has only a classical songs sung by the General's daughter. This shows high culture and elegance.

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

Bricolage is when old and new texts or things are blended to create new meanings. Some people say that mixing high and low art is able to reach more people, while others believe it devalues high art. In Deutschland 83 the contrast is shown through the General's daughter in West Germany singing classical music while East German youth sing pop music.

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.

Meta-narratives are broad concepts that explain the universe often found in religions and political theories. Deutschland 83 shows  hyperreality. Media seems more real than reality. This could lead to people believing the media over reality because they may not know any better.

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

New texts are against postmodernism by reintroducing organised ideas and traditional concepts. Martin's spy story both entertains and educates viewers about the Cold War through authentic moments such as Ronald Reagan's speech and real documents.

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

The supermarket scene shows postmodernism by contrasting the food abundance in West Germany's capitalism with the limited rescuers such as medicine in East Germany.