Study Task 3 - Parody and Pastiche

Hutcheon, an advocate for post-modernism and its application of parody, describes parody as being - ‘usually considered central to postmodernism, both by its detractors and defenders’. Hutcheon describes postmodernism as - ‘a value-free, decorative, de-historicised quotation of past form and that is a most apt mode for a culture like our own that is oversaturated with images’. Hutcheon effectively says that parody is a core element of postmodernism, and while the values of modernism align with the following of specific rules, integrity of communication and information and originality, postmodernism does not follow these values so closely, and instead strives more towards decoration and communication of a certain message which often does mean a subversion of something prior to it. Fundamentally, postmodernism is the act of not being afraid to step on anyones toes. The idea that it is a ‘most apt mode for a culture like our own that is oversaturated with images’ is very astute, Hutcheon is commenting on the fact that our culture is so oversaturated, that perhaps that means that true originality is hard to come by and that so many things are a parody whether its intentional or not. 

Ultimately parody is by no means a bad thing, and does not represent the death of originality, Paula Scher’s advertisement for Swatch watches is a good example; It is an obvious replication of Herbert Matter’s advertisements for the Swiss Tourist Board from 1934, but it is that obvious replication that she uses as an attention grabbing tool and satirical reference. She is not trying to pass off Matter’s work as her own. So really, the act of parody is the act of referencing/acknowledging prior work, and any example of someone doing this in order to steal the idea or pass it off as their own, is not truly parody. 

Jameson describes pastiche as - ‘like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language. But it is a neutral practise of such mimicry, without any of parody’s ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter’. Jameson see’s the transition from modernism to postmodernism as a bit of a fall from grace, he talks about how modernists used to have distinct ‘inimitable’ styles and now ‘modernist styles…become postmodernist codes…’. Perhaps this ties in well with what Hutcheon describes as an ‘over saturation of imagery’ in our culture, however while Hutcheon see’s postmodernism as a solution, Jameson see’s it as the problem. Ultimately when Jameson talks of parody, he talks of imitation for the sake of imitation, void of humour or any reason, very close to plagiarism really. 

An example of the pastiche Jameson talks about is in these 2 advertisements for beer, one for Asahi and one for Kirin, the one for Asahi having come first. Clearly these 2 beers are competitors so it’s not like Kirin have parodied something culturally signifiant for effect, they have literally replicated the advertisement for it’s aesthetic quality.