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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.