Parody & Pastiche - Study Task 02 - OUGD501

By looking at two differing texts, one by Fredric Jameson and the other by Linda Hutcheon we were able to differentiate the two authors and their views on post-modernism and its relation to parody and pastiche.

Discussion:

What is parody/pastiche?
Parody mock's and makes fun of.
Pastiche celebrates what it mimics.

How does parody/pastiche relate to post-modernism?
It is the scrutiny of modernism, taking something from the past and recreating in a way that mock's it would be classed as parody. On the contrary, pastiche would mean you are celebrating the past and the movements that come before post-modernism, taking a painting for instance, and recreating it in your own style (post-modern).

How does Jameson's tone of voice differ from those of Hutcheon's in regards to post-modernism?
Jameson's increasingly harsh when speaking about past movement and what they stood (stand) for. He has little respect for the imitation in the form of nostalgia, however Hutcheon realises more that if it weren't for the past work that they are 'celebrating' post-modernism would have little to no meaning. Hutcheon completely disagrees with Jameson's idea that you can produce purely original work and call it post-modern, she says it's political whereas Jameson thinks it is all relatable to ego.

How do the idea's relate to Graphic Design/Visual Communication?
Parody and pastiche is intentional. To communicate a message effectively, you need to be able to create something that can't be distinguished as something else. To illustrate this, a corporate identity can't be the same as another from the past otherwise it will cloud its message and carry over reputations from the identity that already existed before it.


Task:

The definition of parody/pastiche differs between Jameson and Hutcheon. This clash of opinions is based on the sense that in Jameson's eyes, 'Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language.' [Jameson, F. 'Parody', p16]. So in turn, his outlook on post-modernsm, particularly in relation to architecture is subjective and not political. Hutchinson contradicts this outlook, 'parody is doubly coded in political terms: it both legitimizes and subverts that which it parodies' [Hutcheon, L. 'Politics', p101]. So Hutcheon's view differs greatly from Jameson's in the sense that she thinks of post-modernism from a purely political point of view. This being that post-modernism is celebrating the past by using parody to legitimise and subvert the material it is mimicking, rather than to 'make fun of'.