Postmodernism & Deutschland 83: blog tasks

 

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?

They showed a binary ‘good vs evil’ view.
The East was “grey and stark,” with “strict limitations,” while the West had “department stores, restaurants and cars.”
Spy dramas were “pro-West” and showed “a hero that represents alpha western individualism.”

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

It challenges the established views of the Cold War. It uses “pastiche, parody and irony” and has a young officer as its main protagonist.

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

Reagan’s  speech plays on TV in a West German office, creates ambiguity and displays intertextuality . The interrogation scene with Shakespeare books is a parody which ends comedically, an example of bricolage  Martin’s finger is broken with an extreme closeup, which is common in postmodern texts, graphic details.

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

It shows family, fun, music, and friends. People are dancing and singing. This is different from usual media that shows the East as cold and boring, rejecting meta-narratives of the cold war.

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

The supermarket scene is full of colour and choice, and a pop song plays in the background, while the setting replicates Andy Warhole (Intertextuality) Martin’s spy training includes quick editing, jokes, and gadgets. It feels fun and isn't too serious.

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

Most of the audience interact with the Cold War purely through the media, and media curated meta-narratives. Deustchland 83 toys with this idea and blurs the binaries of east Vs. west , showing both sides.

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)?

Strinati says media has become a central part of how we understand the world, blurring the line between real life and media representations. In Deutschland 83, the Cold War is shown through media curated profilesc, like Ronald Reagan's speeches on TV, the use of propaganda, and how characters react more to what they see in the media than what’s actually happening. 

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

Jameson talks about how postmodern media often borrows from the past without understanding its context. In Deutschland 83, the 1980s are reconstructed with music, fashion, and political events, but the show is made for a modern audience, which may cause a lack in complexity of the full cold war political atmosphere/fears.

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

Postmodern texts often focus on how things look rather than deep meaning. Deutschland 83 uses fast editing, music montages, and 80s representations. Some scenes are more about it's visual impact on the audience rather than depth. This leads to Baudrillard’s idea of simulation: simulacra, where we are experiencing the 80s through pop culture, etc, rather than memories.

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?

The show mixes classical compositions (high art) with 80s pop hits (popular culture). The show mixes classical paintings such as the Mona Lisa, with low art such as Andy Warhol

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

Bricolage means taking bits from different texts and reusing them in a new way. Deutschland 83 does this with 80s fashion, Cold War fears, spy film conventions, and German history. It borrows from Bond-style thrillers, coming-of-age dramas, and real news footage.

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.

Postmodernism says there are no big truths. Deutschland 83 doesn’t say who’s right whether it is East or West. It just shows Martin’s story. People watch it for the 80s look and spy action, not politics.

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

The show mixes fact and fiction, through the use of intertextuality (references to Reagan, Gorbachev, NATO, etc.), and plays with genre. Ideologically, it doesn’t present a clear good or bad East and West are both shown as flawed in their own rights. The rejection of meta-narratives of good vs bad is very post modern.

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

Reagan’s speech on TV – real footage used within fiction, blurring fact and fiction.

Montages set to 80s music– style over substance, prioritising style over plot depth. These scenes show simulacra (Baudrilliard), nostalgia, bricolage , and a focus on style, all postmodern traits.

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