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TheDeathofPostmodernismAnd
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AlanKirbysayspostmodernismisdeadandburied.Initsplacecomesa
newparadigmofauthorityandknowledgeformedunderthepressureof Discuss
Categories newtechnologiesandcontemporarysocialforces.
Share
Podcasts IhaveinfrontofmeamoduledescriptiondownloadedfromaBritishuniversity
Englishdepartmentswebsite.Itincludesdetailsofassignmentsandaweekbyweek

Forum readinglistfortheoptionalmodulePostmodernFictions,andiftheuniversityisto
remainnamelesshereitsnotbecausethemoduleisinanywayshamefulbutthatit
Events handilyrepresentsmodulesormodulepartswhichwillbetaughtinvirtuallyevery
Englishdepartmentinthelandthiscomingacademicyear.Itassumesthat
Links postmodernismisalive,thrivingandkicking:itsaysitwillintroducethegeneral
topicsofpostmodernismandpostmodernitybyexaminingtheirrelationshiptothe
contemporarywritingoffiction.Thismightsuggestthatpostmodernismis RelatedArticles
Award
contemporary,butthecomparisonactuallyshowsthatitisdeadandburied.
Challenging
DigitalEditions Postmodernism
Postmodernphilosophyemphasisestheelusivenessofmeaningandknowledge.This
isoftenexpressedinpostmodernartasaconcernwithrepresentationandanironic byDavidDetmer
FOLLOWUSON
selfawareness.Andtheargumentthatpostmodernismisoverhasalreadybeen
Modern
madephilosophically.Therearepeoplewhohaveessentiallyassertedthatforawhile
Communication,
webelievedinpostmodernideas,butnotanymore,andfromnowonweregoingto
Culture&
believeincriticalrealism.Theweaknessinthisanalysisisthatitcentresonthe
Philosophy
Most Most Most
academy,onthepracticesandsuppositionsofphilosopherswhomayormaynotbe
Read Discussed Emailed shiftinggroundorabouttoshiftandmanyacademicswillsimplydecidethat, AfterTheoryby
finally,theyprefertostaywithFoucault[archpostmodernist]thangooverto TerryEagleton
1.Astudentsguideto anythingelse.However,afarmorecompellingcasecanbemadethat
JeanPaulSartres postmodernismisdeadbylookingoutsidetheacademyatcurrentcultural Epicurus&Job
Existentialismand production.
Humanism Eruditionor
MostoftheundergraduateswhowilltakePostmodernFictionsthisyearwillhave Gobbledygook?
2.HuxleysAgnosticism beenbornin1985orafter,andallbutoneofthemodulesprimarytextswere
writtenbeforetheirlifetime.Farfrombeingcontemporary,thesetextswere TheAfterlivesof
3.TheDeathof publishedinanotherworld,beforethestudentswereborn:TheFrenchLieutenants Modernism
PostmodernismAnd Woman,NightsattheCircus,IfonaWintersNightaTraveller,DoAndroidsDream
Beyond ofElectricSheep?(andBladeRunner),WhiteNoise:thisisMumandDadsculture. BewareofTruth!
Someofthetexts(TheLibraryofBabel)werewrittenevenbeforetheirparents
4.WhatIsLife? wereborn.ReplacethiscachewithotherpostmodernstalwartsBeloved,Flauberts Postmodernism,
Parrot,Waterland,TheCryingofLot49,PaleFire,Slaughterhouse5,Lanark, PostStructuralism
5.TheRighttoBePoor Neuromancer,anythingbyB.S.Johnsonandthesameapplies.Itsallaboutas and
contemporaryasTheSmiths,ashipasshoulderpads,ashappeningasBetamax Enlightenment
videorecorders.Thesearetextswhicharejustcomingtogripswiththeexistenceof
Postmodernism
rockmusicandtelevisiontheymostlydonotdreamevenofthepossibilityofthe
technologyandcommunicationsmediamobilephones,email,theinternet, ShadowofSpirit
computersineveryhousepowerfulenoughtoputamanonthemoonwhich
todaysundergraduatestakeforgranted.

ThereasonwhytheprimaryreadingonBritishpostmodernismfictionsmodulesissoold,inrelativeterms,is
thatithasnotbeenrejuvenated.Justlookoutintotheculturalmarketplace:buynovelspublishedinthe
lastfiveyears,watchatwentyfirstcenturyfilm,listentothelatestmusicabovealljustsitandwatch
televisionforaweekandyouwillhardlycatchaglimpseofpostmodernism.Similarly,onecangoto
literaryconferences(asIdidinJuly)andsitthroughadozenpaperswhichmakenomentionofTheory,of
Derrida,Foucault,Baudrillard.Thesenseofsuperannuation,oftheimpotenceandtheirrelevanceofsomuch
Theoryamongacademics,alsobearstestimonytothepassingofpostmodernism.Thepeoplewhoproduce
Thissiteusescookiestorecognizeusersandallowustoanalysesiteusage.Bycontinuingtobrowsethesitewithcookiesenabledinyourbrowser,
theculturalmaterialwhichacademicsandnonacademicsread,watchandlistento,havesimplygivenupon
youconsenttotheuseofcookiesinaccordancewithourprivacypolicy.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/58/The_Death_of_Postmodernism_And_Beyond 1/4
// TheDeathofPostmodernismAndBeyond|Issue58|PhilosophyNow
postmodernism.Theoccasionalmetafictionalorselfconscioustextwillappear,to
widespreadindifferencelikeBretEastonEllisLunarParkbutthenmodernist
novels,nowlongforgotten,werestillbeingwrittenintothe1950sand60s.Theonly
placewherethepostmodernisextantisinchildrenscartoonslikeShrekandThe
Incredibles,asasoptoparentsobligedtositthroughthemwiththeirtoddlers.This
istheleveltowhichpostmodernismhassunkasourceofmarginalgagsinpop
cultureaimedattheundereights.

WhatsPostPostmodernism?
Ibelievethereismoretothisshiftthanasimplechangeinculturalfashion.The Morearticles
termsbywhichauthority,knowledge,selfhood,realityandtimeareconceivedhave fromthisissue
beenaltered,suddenlyandforever.Thereisnowagulfbetweenmostlecturersand
theirstudentsakintotheonewhichappearedinthelate1960s,butnotforthesame
kindofreason.Theshiftfrommodernismtopostmodernismdidnotstemfromany
profoundreformulationintheconditionsofculturalproductionandreceptionallthathappened,to
rhetoricallyexaggerate,wasthatthekindofpeoplewhohadoncewrittenUlyssesandTotheLighthouse
wrotePaleFireandTheBloodyChamberinstead.Butsomewhereinthelate1990sorearly2000s,the
emergenceofnewtechnologiesrestructured,violentlyandforever,thenatureoftheauthor,thereaderand
thetext,andtherelationshipsbetweenthem.

Postmodernism,likemodernismandromanticismbeforeit,fetishised[ieplacedsupremeimportanceon]the
author,evenwhentheauthorchosetoindictorpretendedtoabolishhimorherself.Buttheculturewehave
nowfetishisestherecipientofthetexttothedegreethattheybecomeapartialorwholeauthorofit.
Optimistsmayseethisasthedemocratisationofculturepessimistswillpointtotheexcruciatingbanality
andvacuityoftheculturalproductstherebygenerated(atleastsofar).

Letmeexplain.Postmodernismconceivedofcontemporarycultureasaspectaclebeforewhichtheindividual
satpowerless,andwithinwhichquestionsoftherealwereproblematised.Itthereforeemphasisedthe
televisionorthecinemascreen.Itssuccessor,whichIwillcallpseudomodernism,makestheindividuals
actionthenecessaryconditionoftheculturalproduct.Pseudomodernismincludesalltelevisionorradio
programmesorpartsofprogrammes,alltexts,whosecontentanddynamicsareinventedordirectedbythe
participatingviewerorlistener(althoughtheselatterterms,withtheirpassivityandemphasisonreception,
areobsolete:whateveratelephoningBigBrothervoteroratelephoning606footballfanaredoing,they
arenotsimplyviewingorlistening).

Bydefinition,pseudomodernculturalproductscannotanddonotexistunlesstheindividualintervenes
physicallyinthem.GreatExpectationswillexistmateriallywhetheranyonereadsitornot.OnceDickenshad
finishedwritingitandthepublisherreleaseditintotheworld,itsmaterialtextualityitsselectionofwords
wasmadeandfinished,eventhoughitsmeanings,howpeopleinterpretit,wouldremainlargelyupfor
grabs.Itsmaterialproductionanditsconstitutionweredecidedbyitssuppliers,thatis,itsauthor,publisher,
serialiseretcaloneonlythemeaningwasthedomainofthereader.BigBrotherontheotherhand,totake
atypicalpseudomodernculturaltext,wouldnotexistmateriallyifnobodyphoneduptovoteitscontestants
off.Votingisthuspartofthematerialtextualityoftheprogrammethetelephoningviewerswritethe
programmethemselves.IfitwerenotpossibleforviewerstowritesectionsofBigBrother,itwouldthen
uncannilyresembleanAndyWarholfilm:neurotic,youthfulexhibitionistsinertlybitchingandtalking
aimlesslyinroomsforhourafterhour.Thisistosay,whatmakesBigBrotherwhatitis,istheviewersactof
phoningin.

Pseudomodernismalsoencompassescontemporarynewsprogrammes,whosecontentincreasinglyconsists
ofemailsortextmessagessentincommentingonthenewsitems.Theterminologyofinteractivityis
equallyinappropriatehere,sincethereisnoexchange:instead,theviewerorlistenerenterswritesa
segmentoftheprogrammethendeparts,returningtoapassiverole.Pseudomodernismalsoincludes
computergames,whichsimilarlyplacetheindividualinacontextwheretheyinventtheculturalcontent,
withinpredelineatedlimits.Thecontentofeachindividualactofplayingthegamevariesaccordingtothe
particularplayer.

Thepseudomodernculturalphenomenonparexcellenceistheinternet.Itscentralactisthatofthe
individualclickingonhis/hermousetomovethroughpagesinawaywhichcannotbeduplicated,inventinga
pathwaythroughculturalproductswhichhasneverexistedbeforeandneverwillagain.Thisisafarmore
intenseengagementwiththeculturalprocessthananythingliteraturecanoffer,andgivestheundeniable
sense(orillusion)oftheindividualcontrolling,managing,running,makinguphis/herinvolvementwiththe
culturalproduct.Internetpagesarenotauthoredinthesensethatanyoneknowswhowrotethem,or
cares.Themajorityeitherrequiretheindividualtomakethemwork,likeStreetmaporRoutePlanner,or
permithim/hertoaddtothem,likeWikipedia,orthroughfeedbackon,forinstance,mediawebsites.Inall
cases,itisintrinsictotheinternetthatyoucaneasilymakeuppagesyourself(egblogs).

Iftheinternetanditsusedefineanddominatepseudomodernism,thenewerahasalsoseentherevamping
ofolderformsalongitslines.Cinemainthepseudomodernagelooksmoreandmorelikeacomputergame.
Itsimages,whichoncecamefromtherealworldframed,lit,soundtrackedandeditedtogetherby
ingeniousdirectorstoguidetheviewersthoughtsoremotionsarenowincreasinglycreatedthrougha
computer.Andtheylookit.Whereoncespecialeffectsweresupposedtomaketheimpossibleappear
credible,CGIfrequently[inadvertently]workstomakethepossiblelookartificial,asinmuchofLordofthe
RingsorGladiator.Battlesinvolvingthousandsofindividualshavereallyhappenedpseudomoderncinema
makesthemlookasiftheyhaveonlyeverhappenedincyberspace.Andsocinemahasgivenculturalground
notmerelytothecomputerasageneratorofitsimages,buttothecomputergameasthemodelofits
relationshipwiththeviewer.
Thissiteusescookiestorecognizeusersandallowustoanalysesiteusage.Bycontinuingtobrowsethesitewithcookiesenabledinyourbrowser,
youconsenttotheuseofcookiesinaccordancewithourprivacypolicy.

https://philosophynow.org/issues/58/The_Death_of_Postmodernism_And_Beyond 2/4
// TheDeathofPostmodernismAndBeyond|Issue58|PhilosophyNow
Similarly,televisioninthepseudomodernagefavoursnotonlyrealityTV(yetanotherunaptterm),butalso
shoppingchannels,andquizzesinwhichtheviewercallstoguesstheanswertoriddlesinthehopeof
winningmoney.ItalsofavoursphenomenalikeCeefaxandTeletext.Butratherthanbemoanthenew
situation,itismoreusefultofindwaysofmakingthesenewconditionsconduitsforculturalachievements
insteadofthevacuitycurrentlyevident.Itisimportantheretoseethatwhereastheformmaychange(Big
Brothermaywitheronthevine),thetermsbywhichindividualsrelatetotheirtelevisionscreenand
consequentlywhatbroadcastersshowhaveincontrovertiblychanged.Thepurelyspectacularfunctionof
television,aswithallthearts,hasbecomeamarginalone:whatiscentralnowisthebusy,active,forging
workoftheindividualwhowouldoncehavebeencalleditsrecipient.Inallofthis,theviewerfeelspowerful
andisindeednecessarytheauthorastraditionallyunderstoodiseitherrelegatedtothestatusoftheone
whosetstheparameterswithinwhichothersoperate,orbecomessimplyirrelevant,unknown,sidelinedand
thetextischaracterisedbothbyitshyperephemeralityandbyitsinstability.Itismadeupbytheviewer,
ifnotinitscontenttheninitssequenceyouwouldntreadMiddlemarchbygoingfrompage118to316to
401to501,butyoumightwell,andjustifiably,readCeefaxthatway.

Apseudomoderntextlastsanexceptionallybrieftime.Unlike,say,FawltyTowers,realityTVprogrammes
cannotberepeatedintheiroriginalform,sincethephoneinscannotbereproduced,andwithoutthe
possibilityofphoningintheybecomeadifferentandfarlessattractiveentity.Ceefaxtextdiesafterafew
hours.Ifscholarsgivethedatetheyreferencedaninternetpage,itisbecausethepagesdisappearorget
radicallyrecastsoquickly.Textmessagesandemailsareextremelydifficulttokeepintheiroriginalform
printingoutemailsdoesconvertthemintosomethingmorestable,likealetter,butonlybydestroyingtheir
essential,electronicstate.Radiophoneins,computergamestheirshelflifeisshort,theyareverysoon
obsolete.Aculturebasedonthesethingscanhavenomemorycertainlynottheburdensomesenseofa
precedingculturalinheritancewhichinformedmodernismandpostmodernism.Nonreproducibleand
evanescent,pseudomodernismisthusalsoamnesiac:theseareculturalactionsinthepresentmomentwith
nosenseofeitherpastorfuture.

Theculturalproductsofpseudomodernismarealsoexceptionallybanal,asIvehinted.Thecontentof
pseudomodernfilmstendstobesolelytheactswhichbegetandwhichendlife.Thispuerileprimitivismof
thescriptstandsinstarkcontrasttothesophisticationofcontemporarycinemastechnicaleffects.Muchtext
messagingandemailingisvapidincomparisonwithwhatpeopleofalleducationallevelsusedtoputinto
letters.Atriteness,ashallownessdominatesall.Thepseudomodernera,atleastsofar,isaculturaldesert.
Althoughwemaygrowsousedtothenewtermsthatwecanadaptthemformeaningfulartisticexpression
(andthenthepejorativelabelIhavegivenpseudomodernismmaynolongerbeappropriate),fornowwe
areconfrontedbyastormofhumanactivityproducingalmostnothingofanylastingorevenreproducible
culturalvalueanythingwhichhumanbeingsmightlookatagainandappreciateinfiftyortwohundred
yearstime.

Therootsofpseudomodernismcanbetracedbackthroughtheyearsdominatedbypostmodernism.Dance
musicandindustrialpornography,forinstance,productsofthelate70sand80s,tendtotheephemeral,to
thevacuousonthelevelofsignification,andtotheunauthored(dancemuchmoresothanpoporrock).
Theyalsoforegroundtheactivityoftheirreception:dancemusicistobedancedto,pornisnottoberead
orwatchedbutused,inawaywhichgeneratesthepseudomodernillusionofparticipation.Inmusic,the
pseudomodernsupersedingoftheartistdominatedalbumasmonolithictextbythedownloadingandmix
andmatchingofindividualtracksontoaniPod,selectedbythelistener,wascertainlyprefiguredbythe
musicfanscreationofcompilationtapesagenerationago.Butashifthasoccurred,inthatwhatwasa
marginalpastimeofthefanhasbecomethedominantanddefinitivewayofconsumingmusic,renderingthe
ideaofthealbumasacoherentworkofart,abodyofintegratedmeaning,obsolete.

Toadegree,pseudomodernismisnomorethanatechnologicallymotivatedshifttotheculturalcentreof
somethingwhichhasalwaysexisted(similarly,metafictionhasalwaysexisted,butwasneversofetishisedas
itwasbypostmodernism).Televisionhasalwaysusedaudienceparticipation,justastheatreandother
performingartsdidbeforeitbutasanoption,notasanecessity:pseudomodernTVprogrammeshave
participationbuiltintothem.Therehavelongbeenveryactiveculturalforms,too,fromcarnivalto
pantomime.Butnoneoftheseimpliedawrittenorotherwisematerialtext,andsotheydweltinthemargins
ofaculturewhichfetishisedsuchtextswhereasthepseudomoderntext,withallitspeculiarities,stands
asthecentral,dominant,paradigmaticformofculturalproducttoday,althoughculture,initsmargins,still
knowsotherkinds.Norshouldtheseotherkindsbestigmatisedaspassiveagainstpseudomodernitys
activity.Reading,listening,watchingalwayshadtheirkindsofactivitybutthereisaphysicalitytothe
actionsofthepseudomoderntextmaker,andanecessitytohisorheractionsasregardsthecompositionof
thetext,aswellasadominationwhichhaschangedtheculturalbalanceofpower(notehowcinemaandTV,
yesterdaysgiants,havebowedbeforeit).Itformsthetwentyfirstcenturyssocialhistoricalcultural
hegemony.Moreover,theactivityofpseudomodernismhasitsownspecificity:itiselectronic,andtextual,
butephemeral.

ClickingInTheChanges
Inpostmodernism,oneread,watched,listened,asbefore.Inpseudomodernismonephones,clicks,
presses,surfs,chooses,moves,downloads.Thereisagenerationgaphere,roughlyseparatingpeopleborn
beforeandafter1980.Thosebornlatermightseetheirpeersasfree,autonomous,inventive,expressive,
dynamic,empowered,independent,theirvoicesunique,raisedandheard:postmodernismandeverything
beforeitwillbycontrastseemelitist,dull,adistantanddroningmonologuewhichoppressesandoccludes
them.Thosebornbefore1980maysee,notthepeople,butcontemporarytextswhicharealternately
violent,pornographic,unreal,trite,vapid,conformist,consumerist,meaninglessandbrainless(seethedrivel
found,say,onsomeWikipediapages,orthelackofcontextonCeefax).Tothemwhatcamebeforepseudo
modernismwillincreasinglyseemagoldenageofintelligence,creativity,rebellionandauthenticity.Hence
thenamepseudomodernismalsoconnotesthetensionbetweenthesophisticationofthetechnological
Thissiteusescookiestorecognizeusersandallowustoanalysesiteusage.Bycontinuingtobrowsethesitewithcookiesenabledinyourbrowser,
youconsenttotheuseofcookiesinaccordancewithourprivacypolicy.

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// TheDeathofPostmodernismAndBeyond|Issue58|PhilosophyNow
means,andthevapidityorignoranceofthecontentconveyedbyitaculturalmomentsummedupbythe
fatuityofthemobilephoneusersImonthebus.

Whereaspostmodernismcalledrealityintoquestion,pseudomodernismdefinestherealimplicitlyas
myself,now,interactingwithitstexts.Thus,pseudomodernismsuggeststhatwhateveritdoesormakesis
whatisreality,andapseudomoderntextmayflourishtheapparentlyrealinanuncomplicatedform:the
docusoapwithitshandheldcameras(which,bydisplayingindividualsawareofbeingregarded,givethe
viewertheillusionofparticipation)TheOfficeandTheBlairWitchProject,interactivepornographyand
realityTVtheessayisticcinemaofMichaelMooreorMorganSpurlock.

Alongwiththisnewviewofreality,itisclearthatthedominantintellectualframeworkhaschanged.While
postmodernismsculturalproductshavebeenconsignedtothesamehistoricisedstatusasmodernismand
romanticism,itsintellectualtendencies(feminism,postcolonialismetc)findthemselvesisolatedinthenew
philosophicalenvironment.Theacademy,perhapsespeciallyinBritain,istodaysoswampedbythe
assumptionsandpracticesofmarketeconomicsthatitisdeeplyimplausibleforacademicstotelltheir
studentstheyinhabitapostmodernworldwhereamultiplicityofideologies,worldviewsandvoicescanbe
heard.Theireverystephoundedbymarketeconomics,academicscannotpreachmultiplicitywhentheirlives
aredominatedbywhatamountsinpracticetoconsumerfanaticism.Theworldhasnarrowedintellectually,
notbroadened,inthelasttenyears.WhereLyotardsawtheeclipseofGrandNarratives,pseudomodernism
seestheideologyofglobalisedmarketeconomicsraisedtothelevelofthesoleandoverpoweringregulator
ofallsocialactivitymonopolistic,allengulfing,allexplaining,allstructuring,aseveryacademicmust
disagreeablyrecognise.Pseudomodernismisofcourseconsumeristandconformist,amatterofmoving
aroundtheworldasitisgivenorsold.

Secondly,whereaspostmodernismfavouredtheironic,theknowingandtheplayful,withtheirallusionsto
knowledge,historyandambivalence,pseudomodernismstypicalintellectualstatesareignorance,
fanaticismandanxiety:Bush,Blair,BinLaden,LePenandtheirlikeononeside,andthemorenumerousbut
lesspowerfulmassesontheother.Pseudomodernismbelongstoaworldpervadedbytheencounter
betweenareligiouslyfanaticalsegmentoftheUnitedStates,alargelysecularbutdefinitionallyhyper
religiousIsrael,andafanaticalsubsectionofMuslimsscatteredacrosstheplanet:pseudomodernismwas
notbornon11September2001,butpostmodernismwasinterredinitsrubble.Inthiscontextpseudo
modernismlashesfantasticallysophisticatedtechnologytothepursuitofmedievalbarbarismasinthe
uploadingofvideosofbeheadingsontotheinternet,ortheuseofmobilephonestofilmtortureinprisons.
Beyondthis,thedestinyofeveryoneelseistosuffertheanxietyofgettinghitinthecrossfire.Butthis
fatalisticanxietyextendsfarbeyondgeopolitics,intoeveryaspectofcontemporarylifefromageneralfear
ofsocialbreakdownandidentityloss,toadeepuneaseaboutdietandhealthfromanguishaboutthe
destructivenessofclimatechange,totheeffectsofanewpersonalineptitudeandhelplessness,whichyield
TVprogrammesabouthowtocleanyourhouse,bringupyourchildrenorremainsolvent.Thistechnologised
cluelessnessisutterlycontemporary:thepseudomodernistcommunicatesconstantlywiththeothersideof
theplanet,yetneedstobetoldtoeatvegetablestobehealthy,afactselfevidentintheBronzeAge.Heor
shecandirectthecourseofnationaltelevisionprogrammes,butdoesnotknowhowtomakehimorherself
somethingtoeatacharacteristicfusionofthechildishandtheadvanced,thepowerfulandthehelpless.
Forvaryingreasons,thesearepeopleincapableofthedisbeliefofGrandNarrativeswhichLyotardargued
typifiedpostmodernists.

Thispseudomodernworld,sofrighteningandseeminglyuncontrollable,inevitablyfeedsadesiretoreturnto
theinfantileplayingwithtoyswhichalsocharacterisesthepseudomodernculturalworld.Here,thetypical
emotionalstate,radicallysupersedingthehyperconsciousnessofirony,isthetrancethestateofbeing
swallowedupbyyouractivity.Inplaceoftheneurosisofmodernismandthenarcissismofpostmodernism,
pseudomodernismtakestheworldaway,bycreatinganewweightlessnowhereofsilentautism.Youclick,
youpunchthekeys,youareinvolved,engulfed,deciding.Youarethetext,thereisnooneelse,noauthor
thereisnowhereelse,noothertimeorplace.Youarefree:youarethetext:thetextissuperseded.

DrAlanKirby2006

AlanKirbyholdsaPhDinEnglishLiteraturefromtheUniversityofExeter.HecurrentlylivesinOxford.

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