Postmodernism in music video: Blog tasks

 Postmodernism in music video: Blog tasks

Media Magazine Theory Drop - Postmodernism

Create a new blog post called 'Postmodernism in music video: blog tasks'. Read ‘The Theory Drop: Postmodernism’ in MM66  (p26). You'll find our Media Magazine archive here - remember you'll need your Greenford Google login to access. Answer the following questions:

1) How does the article define postmodernism in the first page of the article?

Postmodernism is described as a cultural movement that doesn’t trust traditional beliefs or ideas. It often plays with the format or style of the medium it’s using, experimenting in ways that challenge conventions.

2) What did media theorist and Semiotician Roland Barthes suggest in his essay 'The Death of the Author'?

Barthes argued that once a piece of work is created, the creator’s own interpretation doesn’t hold more value than anyone else’s. He believed that meaning should come from the audience, not the author.

3) What is metatextuality?

Metatextuality is when a text draws attention to itself as a constructed piece of work. It might reference how it was made or highlight that it’s a media product, breaking the illusion of realism.

4) What is the repeated phrase on the cartoon on postmodernism on page 28?

The cartoon keeps repeating: “Postmodernism is a cultural movement that distrusts all established philosophies and frequently experiments with the medium it is presented in.”

5) How does postmodernism link to media representations and reality?

Postmodernism often blurs the line between what’s real and what’s media-created. It questions what’s authentic and plays with representations—often remixing, parodying, or referencing other media to highlight how reality can be constructed.

Music video CSPs and postmodernism

Now apply postmodern ideas to our music video CSPs by answering the following questions:

1) How does the music video for Ghost Town incorporate elements of postmodernism?

Ghost Town uses a mix of styles and genres, combining narrative (their journey), performance, and conceptual elements. This blend is a good example of postmodern hybridity. There’s also intertextuality, as the video references different styles and media forms throughout.

2) What film genres are alluded to in the music video for Ghost Town? Which scenes in particular created these links?

The video hints at a few genres—mainly Hammer Horror, arthouse cinema, and social realism. This is shown through specific choices in lighting, colour grading, and camera movement, which evoke those genres without directly copying them.

3) How does Old Town Road use postmodern elements in its music video?

Old Town Road is full of bricolage and pastiche. It mixes Western imagery with hip-hop culture, referencing the “Yeehaw Agenda”—a movement reclaiming cowboy aesthetics for Black culture. It takes familiar elements from different genres and mashes them together in a playful, ironic way.

4) How does the Old Town Road music video reflect technological convergence and modern digital culture?  

The music video features viral TikTok dances and internet humour, reflecting how closely music, social media, and meme culture are connected today. It’s a clear example of how digital culture influences the way music videos are made and consumed.

5) What do YOU think Lil Nas X was trying to say about reality and American culture in the music video for Old Town Road?

Lil Nas X seems to be challenging traditional American ideas about who gets to be represented. By placing himself—a Black artist—at the centre of a Western-themed music video, he’s reclaiming a space that’s often been portrayed as white. He’s reminding us that Black cowboys existed too, and using postmodern tools like pastiche and irony to make that point.

A/A* extension reading: Medium article

Read this Medium article on the Postmodern Pop Artist. Do any of the ideas in this article apply to Old Town Road or Ghost Town? How? 

Both Old Town Road by Lil Nas X and Ghost Town by The Specials show how music videos can be deeply postmodern. They mix styles, challenge expectations, and use familiar references in new ways.

Old Town Road blends country and trap music, creating something completely different. Lil Nas X plays with the cowboy image—a symbol that’s usually seen as white and masculine—and reclaims it for Black and queer identity. The video is full of internet references, like TikTok trends, and doesn’t take itself too seriously. But underneath the fun, it makes a powerful statement about race, identity, and who gets to belong in American culture.

Ghost Town also breaks the rules. Its video uses horror movie visuals, gritty realism, and art film techniques to show a dark, crumbling version of Britain. It reflects the social and political problems of the time, like unemployment and unrest, but through a strange, dreamlike lens. This mix of real issues and surreal style is typical of postmodernism.

In both videos, the lines between past and present, real and fake, serious and playful are blurred. They show how postmodern music videos aren’t just entertainment—they can challenge the way we see the world.