From Frederic Jameson's Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism comes this little barb:
"...The complacent (yet delirious) camp-following celebration of this aesthetic new world (including its social and economic dimension, greeted with equal enthusiasm under the slogan of “postindustrial society”) is surely unacceptable."
Whoa now, them's fightin words! Jameson essentially goes on to argue that postmodernism is a systematic destruction of modern art. Tying postmodernism with late capitalism and commercialism, Jameson explains that - at least, in his opinion - postmodernism is a global phenomenon that completely rewrites and thus devalues the content of previously original artwork. The "victim" of postmodernism, in this case, is Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, now reinvisioned as a Simpsons character:
Postmodernism is indeed a sound rejection of original artistic and aesthetic values that had developed up until approximately 1950-60. Jameson does note that this has led to an irreparable shift in contemporary art, in which "we cannot...return to aesthetic practices elaborated on the basis of historical situations and dilemmas which are no longer ours." While The Simpsons has become a pop-culture phenomenon in which elements of our day-to-day culture have been transformed into thinly-veiled parodies (who hasn't, for example, been to at least one party in a place called "Bowlarama" or something like it?), it is not, however, in line with Jameson's arguments for the preservation of classical art. He seems to take a stance acknowledging postmodernism's irreversible effect on modern and pre-modern art and culture, as if to say, "While these things might not be going away anytime soon, ..." At the same time he critiques postmoderism as essentially "low" art, fraught with capitalist values and unoriginality.
Many of the characteristics of post-modern art are there. One is the commercialization evident in the change from the dreamy landscape of the original into a dull-colored suburban sprawl of convenience stores (note the Kwik-E-Mart in the lower right corner). Another is the revision of the actual character of the Mona Lisa. Jameson might argue that all the things that make the original fascinating - or, like Benjamin, the aura - are elements that are lost in the translation to simple cartoon animation. Gone is the subtlety of her "enigmatic" smile, now replaced with a distinct grin, gone are the details in her hair and asymmetrical face that showed the artistry in Da Vinci's brushwork. In its place, Jameson might say, is an oversimplification that loses its original meaning.
Postmodernism is indeed a sound rejection of original artistic and aesthetic values that had developed up until approximately 1950-60. Jameson does note that this has led to an irreparable shift in contemporary art, in which "we cannot...return to aesthetic practices elaborated on the basis of historical situations and dilemmas which are no longer ours." While The Simpsons has become a pop-culture phenomenon in which elements of our day-to-day culture have been transformed into thinly-veiled parodies (who hasn't, for example, been to at least one party in a place called "Bowlarama" or something like it?), it is not, however, in line with Jameson's arguments for the preservation of classical art. He seems to take a stance acknowledging postmodernism's irreversible effect on modern and pre-modern art and culture, as if to say, "While these things might not be going away anytime soon, ..." At the same time he critiques postmoderism as essentially "low" art, fraught with capitalist values and unoriginality.
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