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This video essay makes the mistake liberals constantly make about trying to analyze development in art as something completely self-contained and not influenced by outside forces, especially economic forces. What I got from this video is that postmodernism postdates the collapse of the Soviet Union and metamodernism postdates the Great Recession. From this perspective, perhaps postmodernism is not just a reaction against modernism but also a reaction towards/against neoliberal triumphalism. Metamodernism could then be seen as a reaction against modernism and postmodernism as well as a reaction towards the Great Recession. There might also be industrial trends within Hollywood that mold films to be a certain way, which the video also doesn't go over.
With that out of the way, I can't say I'm a fan of metamodernism as he defines it. I completely rolled my eyes when he started talking to himself. "Oh great, he's pulling a Contra" I said to myself. As we can see with Contrapoints, the oscillation between irony and sincerity can be completely employed towards completely cynical and self-serving ends. The characters she plays are what Contrapoints truly believes until she receives backlash, in which case they become fictional characters who don't represent the views of Natalie Wynn. Contrapoints is Natalie when it's convenient to be like that and Contrapoints is a Youtube channel when it's convenient to be like that.
In a way, postmodernism is more honest because at least it doesn't give itself wiggle room to flip-flop between two contradictory worldviews. Modernism is consistently sincere and postmodernism is consistently insincere. Meanwhile, metamodernism flip-flops between both, making it the least sincere of them all. It almost feels focus grouped in that regard. Some people get turned off by modernism's corniness and some people get turned off by postmodernism with its head up its ass, so why don't we smash both of them together to get as many people to blown their money on our garbage as possible?
With dedollarization and the sunset of US hegemony, a new artistic trend within Hollywood is inevitable. Maybe it'll be called "hypermodernism" or "necromodernism" or "quasimodernism."
As an aside, unlike what the video suggests, people liking Top Gun has nothing to do with its alleged return to modernism. It has far more to do with that jingoistic film assuaging USians' insecurity of US hegemony slipping. When they bomb the facility located in not-Iran, it's just US copium expressed in film. This is what happens when your analysis completely silos off real life politics and assumes art development is self-contained.
This video essay makes the mistake liberals constantly make about trying to analyze development in art as something completely self-contained and not influenced by outside forces, especially economic forces. What I got from this video is that postmodernism postdates the collapse of the Soviet Union and metamodernism postdates the Great Recession. From this perspective, perhaps postmodernism is not just a reaction against modernism but also a reaction towards/against neoliberal triumphalism. Metamodernism could then be seen as a reaction against modernism and postmodernism as well as a reaction towards the Great Recession. There might also be industrial trends within Hollywood that mold films to be a certain way, which the video also doesn't go over.
With that out of the way, I can't say I'm a fan of metamodernism as he defines it. I completely rolled my eyes when he started talking to himself. "Oh great, he's pulling a Contra" I said to myself. As we can see with Contrapoints, the oscillation between irony and sincerity can be completely employed towards completely cynical and self-serving ends. The characters she plays are what Contrapoints truly believes until she receives backlash, in which case they become fictional characters who don't represent the views of Natalie Wynn. Contrapoints is Natalie when it's convenient to be like that and Contrapoints is a Youtube channel when it's convenient to be like that.
In a way, postmodernism is more honest because at least it doesn't give itself wiggle room to flip-flop between two contradictory worldviews. Modernism is consistently sincere and postmodernism is consistently insincere. Meanwhile, metamodernism flip-flops between both, making it the least sincere of them all. It almost feels focus grouped in that regard. Some people get turned off by modernism's corniness and some people get turned off by postmodernism with its head up its ass, so why don't we smash both of them together to get as many people to blown their money on our garbage as possible?
With dedollarization and the sunset of US hegemony, a new artistic trend within Hollywood is inevitable. Maybe it'll be called "hypermodernism" or "necromodernism" or "quasimodernism."
Debord's Spectacle intensifies :debord-tired:
Good post, BTW. I think I understand the bad vibes I felt while watching the video more thanks to your insight.
As an aside, unlike what the video suggests, people liking Top Gun has nothing to do with its alleged return to modernism. It has far more to do with that jingoistic film assuaging USians' insecurity of US hegemony slipping. When they bomb the facility located in not-Iran, it's just US copium expressed in film. This is what happens when your analysis completely silos off real life politics and assumes art development is self-contained.
I agree with your take. Art isn't conjured in a vacuum and the mind palaces of "auteurs" are still influenced by the material world around them.