Postmodernism and fight club

What is this film saying about American Society and Culture – How do post modern ideas helps us to work this out

Critical Approach – Social/ Cultural/ Political

Strinati Breakdown of distinction between culture and

society (mediaization) – art’s purpose used to be to reflect reality; now we refer to media texts to portray reality

Confusion of time and space – instantaneity of travel, communication and media; content can become incoherent due to speed and ease

Decline of meta-narratives – universal ideas and ‘answers’ abandoned in favour of personal and individual ideas and opinion

Style at the expense of substance and content – culture places value on appearances over function; cult of celebrity; advertising wins over product quality

Breakdown of distinction between high art and pop culture – high art is no longer just for the elite but is being combined with pop culture to appeal to the masses; bricolage

How does Stinati apply to Fight Club?

What does this tell us about American society and culture?

Baudrillard

Hyper-reality The copy (or media representation of the original) is

more real than the original and this fake is more readily accepted by society

Simulacrum (sg), simulacra (pl) These media representations are simulacra of reality

– a copy of an idea or concept that is more successful than the original

Within culture meaning is lost and all that is left is the surface representation, nothing is real.

Truth no longer exists and we are not interested in the truth

Applying Baudrillard

What does this tell us about American society and culture?

Jameson

Historical deafness As mediaization increases so culture

finds itself losing a sense of historical context – we live in the ‘now’; instantaneity

Cultural depthlessness Meaning is lost and all that is left is

surface representation

Applying Jameson

What does this tell us about American society and culture?

Lyotard

Decline of meta-narratives (or grand narratives) There is no single truth, there are

multiple truths Interpretation of meaning lies with the

audience; not inherent in text or dictated by the author

This makes a postmodern society less stable than a modern society because meta-narratives are challenged and there is no single unifying truth; fragmented society.

Applying Lyotard

What does this tell us about American society and culture?

Self Reflective

To reflect and comment on society, attitudes, social practices, ways of doing things

Acknowledging the social/culture background in which the text is produced

Often making ‘fun’ of that context Can make serious comment on the

issues in society Talks about current issues Often negative

What is Fight Club saying about modern man (and his society)?

Self Aware

Drawing attention to the fact that it is a constructed text

Direct Address to camera Seeing the means of construction

(cameras, obtuse editing, jump cuts,) Characters drawing attention to plot

holes Referencing the media itself

How is Fight Club Self Aware

Challenging the traditional approach to Key Media Concepts

Media Language Ideology Narrative Representation The Audience

Essay Question

Relate “Fight Club” to Lyotard’s theory of the decline of the grand narrative. Explain the different narratives “truths” presented within the film.

Tip: Think about each of the key characters and their representation. How might varied audiences view them – uses and gratifications.