Video Game Case Study: Essay Form

Postmodernism is quintessentially the rejection of modernist beliefs. Postmodernism tackles the notion of absolute truth claims and shows a scepticism of all things considered as art, believing that anything can indeed be considered as art. Postmodernists believe that irrational thought is key because perception is the answer to all; referencing Roland Barthes thesis of the author being dead. Ultimately this further entails the idea that definitive truth claims cannot be feasible, as each person has a different perception as to what the truth is. Postmodernism is primarily expressed in text through the use of pastiche, bricolage, inter-textual referencing, simulacra, incredulity towards meta-narratives, hyper- and relativism to which could all be considered as the typical conventions of Postmodernist texts.. It is pertinent to note that Postmodernism is often presented in text with a certain degree of playfulness, as this would in itself oppose certain modernist traits.

Modernism on the other hand very much believes in specificity and categorisation of all things considered art or other mediated forms. Modernists often dispel postmodernism as it is suggested that it is an ironic if not hypocritical belief because in order to decipher as to whether a text can be postmodernist it will need to be categorised; a notion strongly opposed by postmodernists. As aforementioned Roland Barthes thesis of the author being dead, would be considered irrelevant to modernists because art is specific and therefore the 'author' holds the greater power.

The best way to define postmodernism is to look at a case study and analyse exactly what attributes result in the text being considered postmodern. One particularly postmodern medium is video games so this essay will focus on this genre, specifically Call of Duty: Black Ops III and how this could be considered postmodern. Being a video game it is inevitable that simulation or Baudrillard's theory of simulacra is relative to this case study. However the very fact that this particular instalment of the popular franchise is set in 2065 some 49 years in the future and thus simulates a war torn Singapore and Zurich, the latter being particularly intriguing considering Switzerland's reputation for being a 'neutral' country the  game throws real world conventions and expectations entirely out of the proverbial window and creates a future world based entirely on assumptions and potential and this causes the player to buy into the scenarios created because they know no difference because the game is set in the future, whereas previous Call of Duty's have focused on either past or present events and so the storyline became predictable.  Roland Barthes proposed the thesis of the author being dead and this most definitely relative to this game notably because of its genre as a whole. Being a first person shooter, although a generic storyline is evident, the way in which the ending is reached is entirely dependent on the players actions during each respective mission during the campaign. Furthermore the player has the ability to select their own weapons for each respective mission and decide to oppose the generic pre-sets therefore it suggests that no matter the creators intended outcomes ultimately the impotence is placed on the player. Being a military based game there are numerous inter-textual references to new technologies, software's and indeed organizations to further appeal to the players immersion into the game because this helps to suggest a world outside of the game. These include the use of; CIA, DNI (Direct Neural Interface), NRC (The tyrannical enemy), 54 Immortals (Singapore Criminal Organization). As it is a first person shooter, COD would be considered an immersive medium and so the boundary between text and audience is significantly blurred. What is particularly unique about COD is the online set-up with players able to almost create their own armies to fight against others, a particularly postmodern trait because it could relate to the rejection of meta-narratives because although the end occurs after one of the teams accumulates a certain amount of kills for example, the way in which this is achieved and indubitably the time in which this is achieved is entirely dependent on the player and so the player becomes immersed.

Conclusively therefore it is possible to determine a text such as a video game like Call of Duty: Black Ops III as being postmodern through evidence of postmodern theories such as simulacra, the ‘author is dead’, intertextual references and immersion as has been aforementioned.

TV Case Study and Pomo Song

GTA V Video Game Postmodern Case Study

Postmodernism in GTA V from BrettMooreG321

Postmodernism Essay Re-Write

Postmodernism is quintessentially the rejection of modernist beliefs. Postmodernism tackles the notion of absolute truth claims and shows a scepticism of all things considered as art, believing that anything can indeed be considered as art. Postmodernists believe that irrational thought is key because perception is the answer to all; referencing Roland Barthes thesis of the author being dead. Ultimately this further entails the idea that definitive truth claims cannot be feasible, as each person has a different perception as to what the truth is. Postmodernism is primarily expressed in text through the use of pastiche, bricolage, inter-textual referencing, simulacra, incredulity towards meta-narratives, hyper- and relativism to which could all be considered as the typical conventions of Postmodernist texts.. It is pertinent to note that Postmodernism is often presented in text with a certain degree of playfulness, as this would in itself oppose certain modernist traits.




Modernism on the other hand very much believes in specificity and categorisation of all things considered art or other mediated forms. Modernists often dispel postmodernism as it is suggested that it is an ironic if not hypocritical belief because in order to decipher as to whether a text can be postmodernist it will need to be categorised; a notion strongly opposed by postmodernists. As aforementioned Roland Barthes thesis of the author being dead, would be considered irrelevant to modernists because art is specific and therefore the 'author' holds the greater power.




Both my case studies exhibit the notion of postmodernity in many key ways. Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World deals heavily in Jameson's theory of pastiche, and also constantly references biblical characters and seems to contest the purity of GOD in particular. Bad Neighbours (Stoller, 2014) also exhibits pastiche, but not only this throughout the text inter textual references are clear to see and the idea of simulacra is also prevalent, notably in the scene where the main protagonist is referred to as being a good actor.




My case study; Steel Panther’s ‘Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World’ exhibits Baudrillards theory of Simulacra expertly, with the notion of ‘Performance over product’ being the most influential reason. This is because in the video, the band are picture around a pool, equipment to bode, performing the song whilst the mayhem and havoc surrounds them. Furthermore, as has been aforementioned, Baudrillards suggested that it is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication nor even parody but substituting the signs of real for the real. To me this transpires perfectly into my case study as, although it may be conceived that as a band they are mocking the hair metal scene of the 1980’s but instead they are a protest band, fighting to keep a genre they love going strong within the current industry.




Additionally Bad Neighbours (Stoller, 2014) further exhibits examples of Baudrillards theory. The film expresses the notion of hyper reality throughout the film, however it is most prevalent in two main scenes. The first of which is a fancy dress party scene to which known celebrities and characters are imitated to which suggests an understanding or acknowledgement that these characters exist and that therefore seeing as said characters are acknowledged as being fictional that the events occurring within this film are in fact real. The second is in a dialogue between two key protagonists (Dave Franco & Zac Effron) to which Pete (Franco) tells Teddy (Effron) that he is a ‘really good actor’ with a fained look towards the camera, therefore conforming to stage 3 of Baudrillards order of simulacra thesis as this blurs the distinction between reality and its representation.


Postmodernism is also relatable to other media platforms including video games and television. Grand Theft Auto V is a prime example of a postmodern game. Inevitably being a game simulacra and the idea of simulation is the most prominent postmodern feature of this particular text. This also conforms to Castells notion of real virtuality because the lines and boundaries of life and virtuality have become seemingly blurred. Although this is relatable to the whole franchise it is particularly notable in the latest instalment, GTA V because of the inclusion of the online feature to which allows players to create their own character and fight against other players characters in an entirely virtual world. Incredulity towards the meta narrative (Lyotard) is also key in this case study because the game is entirely dependent on the way the player plays the game and so there is no chronology to the way the game is played. The rejection of binary opposites would also suggest this is a postmodern text because this opposes the general norms of story based texts such as games and films that often have a generic hero, villain and damsel in distress based narrative however in GTA the villain is represented as the hero. As such the lack of a distinction between good and bad conforms to postmodern conventions. There are strong intertextual references and parodies through out the 5th instalment, with reference to social media site ‘Bleeter’ depicting an animal logo as a clear parody of twitter; an entire wheel of radio stations playing a wide variety of real songs (also blurring the lines between virtuality and reality) as well as the name of certain boats and jet ski’s being ‘Speedophile’ a clear mocking of the aqua brand ‘Speedo’. Other means of postmodernity include Roland Barthes notion of the author being dead, presented in the way that the outcome of the game is entirely in the hands of the player most notably at the end of GTA V where the player is given the option of killing 1 of the 3 main characters or killing government officials in order to save the players virtual allies. This may also be an example of immersion therefore to which is a key theme throughout the game because the game is set up to maker the player of the game the most important component compared to other games which are seemingly out of the players control such as the Call Of Duty franchise for example to which the outcome is pre-planned.

Community on the other hand is a great example of how a television show can be postmodern.  It could easily be argued that the sitcom as a TV genre is inherently postmodern; there are many common conventions which constantly remind the audience that what they are watching isn’t ‘real’. There are the obvious cues to this in many ‘normal’ sitcom texts; unrealistic sets, ‘canned’ audience laughter and the use of non-diegetic music are only the most obvious breaks in ‘reality’. Friends is not a documentary about life among white middle-class New Yorkers on the Upper East Side, but a simulacrum of that life, presented using the codes and signifiers which we as an audience have come to accept. Community does something similar with life at ‘Greendale Community College’, set in a typical Mid-American city. This epitomises one of the key ideas defining postmodernism – that contemporary media texts are no longer original, but simply ‘copies’ of texts that came before them; many of which were copies of something else to begin with.
Amongst the most common forms of postmodernism in contemporary media are parody and pastiche – using imitation of existing texts, a form of intertextuality, as a way of communicating ideas with audiences. In its use of pastiche and homage, Community shares a fair amount of DNA with Spaced, a British sitcom broadcast around the start of the Noughties. The shows both use an abundance of pop-cultural referencing to suggest that their characters' (and by proxy their audience's) experience and view the world through a lens in which all events are presented as if they were in films and on television. Community is not the first US sitcom to explore the artifice within its own narrative. 30 Rock uses postmodern techniques such as direct address, non-continuity editing systems and meta-textual referencing, while How I Met Your Mother invites viewers to engage in different levels of interaction with the show’s world by engaging with paratexts (websites, blogs, viral videos) originated within the diegesis. In this way, viewers of the show are encouraged both to ‘interact’ with the narrative and similarly to question the ‘reality’ of their own surroundings, and the extent to which their own consumption is of ‘simulacra’ rather than of reality.The Community College Chronicles exists within the diegesis, shot and edited by one of the characters. Presenting a ‘fictionalised’ version of the show, each of the characters in the show is played by a different, minor character from within the world of Greendale. Furthermore, several scenes of the episode actually show the filming of scenes from the web series, direct reconstructions of scenes the audience have already seen. The series can also be watched online as part of ‘Greendale’s Official Website’ – a paratext which also functions within the diegesis of the show.

Postmodernism in Community

Postmodernism in community (dan harmon, 2009) from BrettMooreG321

Marshall McLuhan

'The Medium is the Message'

Essentially this postmodernist belief suggest how the text itself is the message as opposed to the storyline itself. This therefore incurs the way certain aspects are shot to provide different connotations and such like therefore creating a  subliminal message through cinematography as opposed to their being an obvious unparalleled meaning behind texts, similar to Roland Barthes.

This theory is most prevalent in my music video case study PLTITEOTW as in this video the message is portrayed by the performers and the jump cuts between performers and action to which subliminally suggest how every shot within the video are interlinked to show the pastiche ideologies between the hair metal genre to which include sex drugs and rock and roll to which are highly notable throughout the video with constant cuts exhibiting either of the aforementioned notions.

Roland Barthes Theory

'The Author is Dead!'

This theory suggests that in postmodernist theory the initial ideology and thoughts between the producer and the product  are obsolete and the perception of the text is in the preverbal eye of the beholder, thus meaning that audience perception is everything to which therefore conforms to one particular definition of postmodernity that claims that there is a strong opposition to the thesis of absolute truth.

In terms of my case studies; in PLTITEOTW by Steel Panther this is very relevant as it could be decided that the band are mocking the bygone hair metal era, however to others they may be seen as a band simply reinvigorated what is considered as a dying genre. The video itself also has a non-coherent structure and is fragmented to which therefore suggests that the meaning behind the video is blurred and very much dependent on individual interpretations. In Bad Neighbours (Stoller, 2014) this notion is also exhibited through the fragmented structure of the film as well as multiple inter-textual references including the 'hootie hoot' and 'Robert De Niro' scene to which loosely suggest that there can be no distinction between reality and fiction within the text.

Postmodernity in Bad Neighbours

Bad Neighbours, directed by Ben Stoller in 2014 tells the tale of a young couple who have just had a child. Coinciding with the birth of the child, was the moving in of a university fraternity to the previously unoccupied house next door. Throughout the year the fraternity cause havoc and a rivalry ensues between the two groups of protagonists, in a typical slapstick satirical comedy, starring the likes of Zac Effron, Dave Franco and Seth Rogan.

Bad Neighbours (Stoller, 2014) exhibits postmodernism in many key ways including inter-textual referencing, pastiche, hyper-reality, simulacra and the lack of a meta-narrative. The latter is less so prominent in the following clip however it is pertinent to note the presence of the other four factors of postmodernity.

This clip showed the two main groups of protagonists engaging in dialogue as a Robert De Niro themed party ensues in both the foreground and the background. This therefore is a prime example of not only the obvious intertextual referencing of the aforementioned characters, but also Fredric Jameson's’ theory of pastiche, as although the protagonist seem to be mocking or imitating De Niro’s past characters, it could be conceived that this is more of an appreciation of his work and to show how his life's work can have such a huge impact on later films.

On the other hand the clip also depicts Jean Baudrillard’s theory of hyper-reality and simulacra. Note how Robert De Niro and also Al Pacino are held as significant and existential phenomena’s as opposed to just being the names of other characters within the fictional world created in the film, therefore hyper-reality is created because although as the audience we understand that this is a fictional storyline the referencing blurs such a distinction and is therefore a prime example of Baudrillard’s quote that ‘it is no longer a question of imitation but just substituting signs of the real for the real.

This is a recurring theme throughout the film as is shown in this clip to which further intertextual referencing is notable to which then further implies this notion of hyper-reality.

Finally it is pertinent to note how the film as a whole is fragmented and shows a clear disregard for a meta-narrative, as despite the chronology of the opening and ending of the film the bulk of the film follows different protagonists in different adventures. Saying this even the ending opposes what is expected as the two protagonists become friends and end up working together. This therefore conforms to Lyotard’s description of postmodernism.

Conclusively therefore the incessant inter-textual referencing and the subsequent hyper-reality created in the film alongside other key features of postmodernity, ultimately creates a quintessential postmodernist film, placing it with famous postmodern predecessors pulp fiction and the matrix.

I shot Marvin in the face! - Pulp Fiction

Pulp Fiction is Postmodernist.

Pulp fiction postmodernism from BrettMooreG321

What is Postmodernism?

This clip essentially states that postmodernism is a rejection of absolute truth as a phenomenon, suggesting that we are essentially apart of a new world that is ignorant and blind to modernist views, as they are considered to be nearing becoming obsolete, with the way the modern world has progressed. One person suggests that there can be no definition of what postmodernism really is because this would infer a modernist attitude, as it would indubitably resemble and absolute truth. It is believed in the clip that spreads of cultures, media and technologies has ultimately resulted in the modernist lines being somewhat blurred in that rational thought is of a bygone era and no two groups of people can conform to one absolute truth, due to the aforementioned cultures. One major point mentioned is the notion that modernism beliefs are essentially just big stories about such things as Christ and religions, and how humans know all, ultimately meaning  that in the irrational thought of a postmodernist, modernist beliefs and ideologies are fabricated and postmodernism reflects reality.

Postmodernism vs Modernism

Modernism vs Postmodernism from BrettMooreG321

Postmodernism Screen Grabs.

Postmodernism screen grabs from BrettMooreG321

Post-Modernism Definition.

Postmodernism is a late-20th-century movement in the arts, architecture, and criticism that was a departure from modernism. Postmodernism includes skeptical interpretations of culture, literature, art, philosophy, history, economics, architecture, fiction, and literary criticism. (Wikipedia).

Postmodernism Case Study - Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World (Steel Panther)