PARODY AND PASTICHEHallmarks of a Postmodern Text.

Pastiche and parody are both examples of INTERTEXTUALITY.

Intertextuality is the defining of a work’s meaning through the understanding of other texts.

Look at this example from Family Guy. The image of Peter running from a plane mirrors the image next to it, a classic scene from North by Northwest by Alfred Hitchcock.

Intertextuality is like a short cut to meaning, it relies on the audience’s understanding of media texts and pop culture to make new meanings.                                                                                          

• A literary or artistic work that imitates the characteristic style of an author or a work for comic effect or ridicule.

PARODY

PARODY IN FINE ART

OTHERS?

• A text that is made up of elements borrowed from other texts.

• Pastiche differs from parody in using imitation as a form of flattery rather than mockery, and from plagiarism in its lack of deceptive intent.

PASTICHE

PASTICHE IN MUSIC VIDEOS

OTHERS?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-6YhRZowgc

PARODY OR PASTICHE?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdNn5TZu6R8

PARODY OR PASTICHE?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFNeD3wkz78

PARODY OR PASTICHE?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clrXtzYb5Zo

PARODY OR PASTICHE?

• “For Linda Hutcheon, the postmodern is much more an artistic style, recognisable by its self-reflexivity and irony, especially in its relations to the practices and objects of the surrounding culture and the cultural past. Postmodern work often takes the form of parody or pastiche, which has a highly divided and ambivalent relation to its objects of imitation” - M Fortier

• Hutcheon sees much to value in postmodern texts use of Parody and Pastiche as it offers political critique shows historical awareness.

LINDA HUTCHEON ON PARODY/PASTICHE

• Jameson characterises postmodern parody/pastiche as "blank parody" without any political bite. According to Jameson, parody has, in the postmodern age, been replaced by pastiche: "Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language. But it is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody's ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter" (Postmodernism 17).

• It does not offer up common on society and it’s history (historical deafness) as it is simply done because it is ‘stylish’

FRIEDRICH JAMESON ON PARODY/PASTICHE

• What examples of intertextuality in The Simpsons, Family Guy and other animated sitcoms can you think of?

• Why is intertextuality more popular than ever?

• Why does intertextuality depend on its audience?

• Why, in your opinion, do critics of postmodernism dislike parodies and pastiches compared to more traditional film genres/narratives?

QUESTIONS