Postmodernism

Hyper-reality:

Essentially beyond reality.

"It is no longer a question of imitation, nor duplication, nor even parody. it is a question of substituting the signs o the real for the real"  ~ Jean Baudrillard

Barthes // Semiotics

Sign -Anything that can have meaning

Signifier -The thing that creates meaning

Signified -The meaning that is created

Jean Baudrillard // Postmodernism and Hyperreality

In postmodern culture the boundaries between the real worlds and the world of the media have collapsed and that it is no longer possible to distinguish between what is reality and what is simulation. In fact, it really doesn't matter which is which

Therefore, in this postmodern age of simulacra, audiences are constantly bombarded with images which no longer refer to anything real.

Because of this, we are now in a situation that media images have come to seem more real than the reality they supposedly represent. This concept is referred to as hyperreality.

Criticism of meta-narratives-

Postmodern texts usually try to distance themselves from traditional ways of making meaning and will break the rules of existing meta-narratives such as religion or science. 

Rejection of high culture-

Postmodern texts will often use a deliberately 'trashy' aesthetic.

Breaking rules-

Postmodern texts often break fundamental rules of making media, for example by breaking the fourth wall.

Intertextuality-

Postmodern texts often routinely make reference to other texts, cultures and times.

Style over substance-

Surface meanings are seen as more important in a postmodern text than any deeper meaning.