OPINION - What you're going to write about - Grimes

and Deadpool. Modernism, what was it? PAST.

Modernism artists stick to the generic conventions of
the music of its own time e.g. Justin Bieber remains a
generic pop artist that appeals to a young audience
mainly taken up by girls. Postmodernism features the
likes of
sampling/bricolage/simulacrum/homage/intertextual
references e.t.c.

PRESENT - Examples from Deadpool (theory). Examples

of Grimes' songs/albums/videos/simulacrum e.t.c.
(Kramer)
Grimes
- samples (link to Butterfly/Know The Way)
- Intertextual references Kill V. Maim music
video (law and order/black swan

FUTURE - CGI actors - bringing them back from the

dead to feature in new movies. - Hologram singers
performing concerts even though they're dead.
Releasing albums but continuously changing their
structures/tracklisting etc (refer to Kanye West's "The
Life Of Pablo")

CONCLUDE
Explain how certain types of
media can be defined as
postmodern. by Niamh Sygrove
The idea of modernism was concerned with the contemporary or modern era,
and was interested in the likes of innovation and moving/looking forward within
its society. Postmodernism rebelled against this movement with the idea of a
complete knowledge of the modern which has then been surpassed by a new
age. It's considered to be a movement of the arts and philosophy which goes on
to obscure modernism into something completely unconventional by subverting
genres and becoming self-referential. Through postmodernism, from a film
perspective I have looked at the 2016 movie Deadpool directed by Tim Miller,
alongside a musical perspective where I researched with great depth into
producer and singer/songwriter Grimes.

Deadpool features a witty 'anti-hero' who's experimented on, leaving him with
intense healing powers, an ugly face and a quest for revenge on an evil British
man who turned him mutant. Throughout the film, postmodernism can be
applied towards its constructs based upon the likes of
homage/intertextuality/pastiche, parodies and non-linear narrative.

Deadpool can certainly be seen as a piece of homage to the sci-fi horror film
Bride of Frankenstein. During the plot, Deadpool encounters a blind woman
inside a launderette, where he then befriends her and eventually ends up living
with her too. This can be seen to shadow Frankenstein's bride, whom is
consistently there by Frankenstein's side in their movie. You can also link
Deadpool and Frankenstein themselves together as two characters with 'ugly'
faces, who overcome this issue, making it through both their films successfully
with their loved ones by their side. Deadpool's character can also be linked
similarly to Don Quixote, who was famously known for breaking the fourth wall
consistently in his film adaptation just like Deadpool does whenever he wants to
narrate something to the audience outside of the natural constructs of a film.

Deadpool as one can also be considered a parody film, as Ryan Reynolds'

character consistently makes fun of the medium he inhabits, which is unlike any
other stereotypical superhero movie you would go to see in cinemas or purchase
on DVD, Blu-Ray or digital download. Throughout the film, his love interest isn't
your stereotypical female either, with her persona appearing strong and
independent in terms of fighting and setting herself free when the antagonist
traps her, rather than being the weaker side character who needs to be saved by
her knight in shining armor whom you would normally see on the big screen.
She's also known for her occupation as a prostitute within the film, and appears
to be the more dominant character in one scene when it's national women's day,
role reversing what is considered to be the dominant and non-dominant
character in a superhero movie within the man and the woman.

Like Don Quixtoe, Deadpool also likes to break the fourth wall several times
in the film, which can be linked to other films like The Wolf of Wall Street and
TV shows like The Office, which can be seen to act as a case of pastiche as all
three creations include this feature successfully and in a similar manner of
comedic pleasure. The film can also be seen as a tribute to Ferris Bueller
during the post-credit scene when Deadpool talks to the audience in the
bathroom, breaking down the barriers between the audience watching the film
and the actual film constructs themselves. This however can be argued through
the criticism of postmodernism that Deadpool may not be considered a film"
because of the blurring of the barriers. By disrupting the plot to consistently talk
to his audience on the side, whilst also making references to other films
throughout his own film, this suggests that Deadpool alone cannot be
considered its own film as it's not 'wholly' its own creation.

In terms of structuring throughout the film, Deadpool is seen to have a non-

linear narrative, destroying the idea of a chronological structure and instead
containing elements of flashbacks and flashforwards to describe the plot. In
terms of postmodernism, Deadpool removes the element of
straightforwardness in an attempt to rebel against the generic stylings of film,
turning it into a completely different art form by the order in which it is presented
to the audience.

Grimes is a producer and singer/songwriter featuring in the likes of experimental

pop and ambient music. As a current artist, postmodernism can be applied
towards her stylistic motives based upon the likes of simulacrum, sampling,
intertextuality and consumption.

Grimes describes herself as a product of the music industry, a character created

by the innovation within Canadian musician Claire Boucher. In terms of
postmodernism, this can be seen as Boucher acting as a figure of simulacrum by
putting on the persona of another person when she performs music as Grimes.
It can also suggest in terms of postmodern music theorist Kramer that Boucher is
presenting multiple meanings through herself as she is able to act as a
completely different person in any way she chooses to when she takes on the
persona of Grimes.

Throughout multiple songs produced by Grimes, the use of sampling has been
featured from all kinds of musical time periods, for example, in her 2015 song
Butterfly she samples Penguin Dancer by Masayoshi Takanaka back in 2005,
and her 2012 song Know The Way samples 1888 classical piece First
Gymnopdie by Erik Satie. In terms of postmodernism and Kramer, Grimes can
be seen to show a sign of eclecticism within her character by sampling songs
from such a varied range of time and genres. It also suggests that she challenges
the barriers between 'high' and 'low' styles by combining styles like classical
music (which would be considered high) with elements of rock, pop and
electronic stylings (which would be considered low) to create something
completely new and innovative. Grimes includes references to music of many
traditions and cultures throughout her entire discography, greatly defining her of
postmodernist status.

Within Grimes music videos and artwork it is evident that there are signs of
intertextual references featured. For example, in her 2016 music video for Kill V.
Maim, Grimes is seen to be wearing black wings to represent her theme of Art
Angels, which intertextualizes Natalie Portmans character from the movie
Black Swan. Its also evident that in the same music video, Grimes has taken
inspiration from Law and Order through her introductory title, the Dark Souls
video game for the you died sequence and the movie Blade for the blood
bath scene at the end of the video. In terms of postmodernism, this can be seen
as Grimes presenting multiple meanings and temporalities within her art form
not just through her audio, but through her visuals as well, linking herself into
the relevancy of the cultural and social constructs of her time.

Through the use of consumption, Grimes is able to present her four albums, Geidi
Primes, Halfaxa, Visions and Art Angels to the world through platforms like CD,
digital download, vinyl and cassette tapes. In terms of postmodernism, this can
suggest that Grimes considers technology not only as a way to preserve and
transmit music but also as deeply implicated in the production and essence of
music, by allowing her audience to access her music in different forms through
multiple uses of technology. Alongside this, Grimes producing alone allows her
to experience and express her character greater through the use of technology,
by using the DAW Ableton to create her music alongside all the musical
equipment she has purchased along the way, for example, 3D microphones, MIDI
keyboards, loopers and samplers.

The future of postmodernism definitely seems like it can become a strong

movement of growth. For example, future films may begin to include the idea of
using CGI actors within real actors, placing a dead actor's face onto the face of a
stunt double's body to continue filming their production and make it appear as if
they are still there alive, featuring in the production. This would mean the movie
wouldnt lose any interaction from its audience who may have tuned out if that
actor was no longer being featured in the works. Genres may also be
experimented upon within film, mashing up multiple genres in one that you may
not have considered to be a straight forward, working movement, turning them
into something even greater and more unusual from a visual perspective. You
may also say that the idea of non-linear narratives can be emphasised as well in
the future of film, by breaking down the typical structure of a chronological film
structure and turning it into something mixed up through the likes of both
flashbacks and flash-forwards.

Alongside this, the future of postmodernism within music may feature the likes of
re-releasing and editing published albums. For example, when Kanye West
released his 2016 album The Life Of Pablo, he published his album with a
specific tracklist and number of tracks that were available to purchase on CD.
After this he then removed the CD, and messed around with his tracks, taking
some away, adding more in, and even changing verses in particular tracks, re-
releasing them continuously on social media for people to download digitally.
This could suggest a future movement of album creation for artists in the music
industry, as others may want to follow in his footsteps and disobey the generic
constructs of an album release by rearranging theirs whenever they please.
Music and its releases are an ever growing movement that can be taken in any
direction at any moment if it allows an artist to go on and create and distribute
as innovatively as they please.