1. Sian Lynes
“Postmodern media manipulates time and space.” To what extent does this definition apply to
texts you have studied.
Postmodern media rejects the traditional movement of modernism, a movement that occurred
in the late 19th
century which associated itself with nature replicating reality and utopian
idealistic visions of human life. Often modernism used traditional “grand narratives” that
concerned itself with totalising forms of narrative such as religion, politics, war and love; used
to understand the basis of ‘reality’ itself. Postmodernism emerged post World War II, in
response to modernism, it did this by rejecting western moralistic narratives. By extension, is
subverted these idealistic approaches to create a deliberate distortion of reality, manipulating
time and space to create a simulation of reality that is different to the audience’s own.
This can primarily be seen in the US television sitcom ‘Family Guy’, a show which
continuously manipulates a linear narrative to create a self-reflexive humour. This can be seen
in the episode special ‘Blue Harvest’ in which the episode is an entire parody of the 1977 ‘Star
Wars IV: A New Hope’, another text in itself which manipulates time and space. This entire
implicit commentary on the Star Wars franchise is compliant with Genette’s theory of
metatextuality. The manipulation of time and space is evident within the introductory title of
“A long time ago, but somehow in the future”, a reference to the renowned opening credits of
the Star Wars film itself. This title suggests that the narrative can go in any direction and is
unpredictable, favouring Lyotard’s suggestion of a ‘micro-narrative’. This also supports
Lyotard’s rejection of modernist narratives that as history moves forward in time so does
humanity. This manipulation of time and space is evident through the continuous use of a
non-linear narrative, a key feature within the sitcom to create a self-mocking humour. For
example, Luke Skywalker played by the character Chris interrupts to narrative to introduce
the London Symphony Orchestra and composer John Williams. This strikes the audience as
abrupt, especially as the scene plays no significance to the progression of the narrative,
creating a distinct hyper reality. Therefore the manipulation of time through self-reflexivity by
breaking ‘the fourth wall’ is a vital element in order to create humour and for the audience to
decode texts.
This definition is also applicable to postmodern films, which can be seen in the film “Drive”
directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. The film is characterised through its evident applicant of a
hyper reality, as theorised by Baudrillard. This is exemplified through the use of mise-en-scene
to manipulate the audience’s perception of time. This can be seen in the contrasting use of
retro cars in the garage opposed to the modern day race cars driven on the track, as well as the
almost simplistic use of costume. Fiske’s development of Barthes’ semic code can be applied
here as the audience can only base their previous knowledge of other texts to indicate the time
period; in this case the opposing mise-en-scene does not provide a specific indication.
Resultantly, the audience’s ‘decoding system’ becomes confused as to the time period. This
ambiguity creates a parallel universe that is not in line with humanity itself.
Another film which exemplifies that postmodern media often distorts both time and space can
be seen in the film “Scott Pilgrim versus The World”, directed by Edgar Wright. Here, the
basis of the text defies the laws of physic by using bricolage through the use of addition in
which the ‘laws’ of video game apply. This form of intertextuality through the use of bricolage,

2. Sian Lynes
complying with Levi-Strauss’ theory, is completely unrealistic and reinforces to the audience
that it is entirely fictional. The protagonist, Scott, must battle the ‘seven evil exes’ of Romona
Flowers in order to date her, a proposition that is completely hyper real. The confrontations
with her exes are staged like the rounds of the video ‘Mortal Kombat’ in which foes are
vanquished and are turned into coins of their point value. This therefore defies the space of
reality in which the audience are familiar.