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?
There was the representation in which would portray Germany in a negative image as the cold war was not long after the second world war in which the germans were heavily villainised due to their nazi involvement and overall effect they had during that period.There was also the obvious representation of communism and capitalism as this was the biggest focus of the two sides at war, Germany were being split and at war with themselves due to the east and west side of Germany being either communist or capitalist. This speculated many media representations as it was shown through media sources (mostly newspapers) on how conflicted these two sides were and how it showed a huge difference on both sides as a sort of injustice due to the west Germans being more financially stable but focused on objectives whereas the east side had considerably less money but were focused on enjoying themselves.
2) Why does Deutschland 83 provide a particularly good example for postmodern analysis?
Deutschland 83 challenges traditional power structures and hierarchies. The protagonist, Martin, is a working-class soldier who is thrust into a world of privilege and power. He must navigate complex relationships with his superiors, peers, and enemies, all of whom represent different levels of authority and influence. Challenging traditional power is an aspect of post modernism
3) Pick out some of the aspects of the opening of episode 1 and explain why they are significant.
The episode takes place in 1983, during the height of the Cold War, and is set in both East and West Germany. This setting is significant because it provides a backdrop for the political and cultural tensions of the time, and allows the show to explore themes of espionage, betrayal, and ideological conflict.
4) How does the party scene at Martin's mum's house subvert stereotypes of East Germany in the Cold War?
Before i studied this csp i was unaware of the positions of both sides during this war but by applying general knowledge i relativity knew that the east side was in a worse position than the west side in terms of finance so id assume that they are overall in a gloomy state but this thought is subverted as everyone shown in the east side in the first episode was in a positive mood despite being in a financial crisis and a war as opposed to the party in the west side where people seemed less content even though they were “winning” as all they were focused on was the war with darkened their attitude.
5) What aspects of the episode set in West Germany offer postmodern elements?
The episode uses irony and parody to comment on the cultural and political tensions of the time. For example, the opening scene features a pop song with lyrics that reflect the tensions between East and West Germany, but the upbeat melody and choreography create an ironic contrast. Similarly, the scene where the East German spy is trained in West German customs and culture is played for comedic effect, highlighting the absurdity of the spy's situation.
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)?
he states that a bad quality product can be sold if it is well structured the same way people might now find people who are more visually appealing to be more attractive than someone with better personality. Art is a term that is used alot in this sequence to relate these links. There is also his point in which he states that due to the ease of communication now adays where we can call message or mail someone who is on the other side of the world instantly that it disrupts all meaning of sense and balance in our world as this isn’t supposed to be how we evolved and rather we should have stuck to old culture.
2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?
He refers to the inability of individuals and societies to fully comprehend and understand historical events and their significance. we can see examples of historical deafness in both the East and West German characters. The East Germans are largely unable to understand the realities of life in the West and the ways in which capitalist society operates. in the same way that the weat side of germany are unable to understand how the east side of germany functions
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)?
he states that a bad quality product can be sold if it is well structured the same way people might now find people who are more visually appealing to be more attractive than someone with better personality. Art is a term that is used alot in this sequence to relate these links. There is also his point in which he states that due to the ease of communication now adays where we can call message or mail someone who is on the other side of the world instantly that it disrupts all meaning of sense and balance in our world as this isn’t supposed to be how we evolved and rather we should have stuck to old culture.
2) What is Fredric Jameson's idea of 'historical deafness'? How can the idea of 'historical deafness' be applied to Deutschland 83?
He refers to the inability of individuals and societies to fully comprehend and understand historical events and their significance. we can see examples of historical deafness in both the East and West German characters. The East Germans are largely unable to understand the realities of life in the West and the ways in which capitalist society operates. in the same way that the weat side of germany are unable to understand how the east side of germany functions
Something else we can see as a product of the future is that they often struggle to understand the historical significance of their actions and decisions. like how the protagonusts involvement with this operation could lead to big changes that could happen in the future and turn the whole wars outcome upside down.
3) What examples and theories are provided for the idea of 'style over substance'?
People are strongly influenced by branding when buying products. The label sometimes becomes more important than the product itself and packaging more important than the contents. People will pay high prices for products which bear the logo of a fashionable label regardless of the actual quality of the product.
The modern rise of celebrities launched through reality television programmes such as Big Brother can be seen as the culture celebrating style over substance. Many celebrities are now famous for being famous rather than for an identifiable talent or
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?
5) What is bricolage? What examples of bricolage can be found in Deutschland 83?
In french bricolage is a term used to refer to diy or practical abilities you do yourself, this can link to the media definition of where art is created by individuals on hand or with materials which contrast or juxterposes old traditions. A clear example of this could be the bricolage between the east and west of germany which could be expressed by both party scenes as they are built to show the contrast between both sides and how they traditionally do parties and how different they are from each other despite being the same country.
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.
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.
I feel as though this can be heavily linked as it is defined by a large movement of some sort that demonstrates how the world is and how it should be. This heavily links to deutchland 83 as the film hilights both negative and positive attributes of the film usually shown as a contrast between the both sides as one describes what things are when they focus on war and have a gloomy almost robotic society compared to the other side which can be linked as ‘what it should be’ where people are more laud back and are seen more as joyful despite being at a disadvantage.
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 challenges traditional stereotypes of Cold War politics and characters. For example, the show portrays the East German spy Martin Rauch as a conflicted and morally ambiguous character, rather than a heroic figure. Similarly, the show explores the humanity and complexity of the other characters, including the West German intelligence officer, Martin's mother, and his love interest.
8) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?
8) Which key scenes from Deutschland 83 best provide examples of postmodernism? Why?
I personally feel that the scene in which the protagonist Martin was training and learning his skills on how to infiltrate the opposing side by learning how to record conversations with hidden cameras, using a typewriter to form face notes/documents and more. the aspect of post modernism i feel like correlates with this the most is pastiche as it uses sequences of different styles and technology in order to create unique narratives.
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