Post-Modernism: Blue Harvest

1) Family Guy is an example of a Post-Modern Cartoon. The episode Blue harvest is an excellent example of parody, use the Wikipedia link to list three of the cultural reference the episode makes besides the obvious one of Star Wars.

When introducing John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra, after playing the theme, they change upon request by Luke to 'The People's Court'. Another reference that appears is to the movie 'Airplane' when the group is fighting off a fleet of TIE fighters. "I just wanted to tell you both, good luck, we're all counting on you." (this one, I don't think, is mentioned on the wiki article) Thirdly, within the period of ten seconds, there are more than five different references made when all the call signs are signing in before the attack on the Death Star; Red 4 standing by, Red October standing by, etc. (This is one of my favorite parts of Star Wars to pick at; another one of my favorites is from a web series that continues this trend, setting up colours and having someone with a monotone voice come over and sign in as 'some other useless colour standing by'). (Since I gave two references that weren't on the wiki article  here have another one): Robot Chicken is referenced at the end of the episode when Peter and Chris are discussing how they did a Star wars spoof first, Chris is on the side of Robot Chicken (It's creator, Seth Green is the voice of Chris Griffin) and Peter (voiced by Seth MacFarlane, creator of Family Guy) is obviously on the side of Family Guy. 

2) Do you think the many references that Family Guy makes add to the meaning of the show or are they simply small inside jokes? 

I believe this can be answered both ways. In some episodes, the references are nothing but asides and randoms that are there for nothing more than pure amusement, however with some of the other references, we have the broader view of knowing from which text it references; and in turn, is brings a new meaning to what the viewer is watching. For most of Blue Harvest though, I felt a lot of the references were clever asides that brought little to the Star Wars text. John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra was my favorite reference in the entire episode, I thought that was cute by poking fun at the original text as supposed to bringing something else in (along with the references to Danny Elfman and the reason TIE fighters have their name). 

Post-Modernism: The Simpsons 138th Episode

1) The Simpsons was one of the first Post-modern Cartoons, name three Key Aspects of Post-modernism that are evident in this episode. 
The most evident aspects are: Intertextuality, Parody and Satire and Non-linearity (after all, it was a review and replay of some of the best scenes and flashbacks to the first episodes)

2) Name some of the intertextual references that can be seen throughout this episode of the Simpsons.
One of the references in the episode was, Clue (to some extent) with the episode references to 'Who Killed Mr. Burns' when they reviewed hidden footage and the multiple animated reels they had to prevent any leaks of the real killer. Another reference in the 138th episode in particular was____________

3) It is said that Post-Modern texts are self-referential and self aware. Describe how this episode is self aware.
This episode in particular is self aware (self aware being the fact the show or text knows it's a text and/or show) because it starts off with none other than Troy Mcclure introducing himself as such and welcoming the live studio audience to the 138th episode. He narrates the episode and introduces the clips to us, the audience, throughout the episode and gives the fun facts about each one as they play.

4) Name two other cartoons that are influenced by the Simpsons. 
There are more then two, that is for sure. Family Guy (along with American Dad, same creator) as well as Futurama (created by the same man who does the Simpsons). 

Post-Modernism: South Park

Choose three key aspects of Postmodernism and blog about how they apply to this episode of South Park. 

1. Distrust: The episode we watched in class circulated around the topic of illegal downloading (and Christian Rock). The authority we see are the police, both in the station with the main interrogator along with the SWAT team (I think it was SWAT...). When introduced to the SWAT team, busting in through the windows after the boys downloaded a few albums illegally by the internet, they took them down, raised guns and loud voices- very much how it's always depicted in the movies. 
2. Intertextuality: Erick in the episode, when writing the music for his Christina Rock band, took real song lyrics and crossed out a few words and replaced them with 'Jesus', 'Lord', etc. The song titles played in the ad for the album were all spoofs of very real songs 'Three Times My Savior', 'I didn't die yesterday', etc. 
3. Currency: When the episode first aired in 2004, the illegal downloading of music was a serious problem and a huge issue. The contemporary theme of South Park, choosing to go after current topics and issues brings a new light in a parody way to the general public. As we laugh, we also start to realize (it's a little like George Carlin to me). 

The Sweet Hereafter

1) Name three Key aspects of Postmodernism and explain how they apply to the film The Sweet Hereafter. The most evident aspect is the movie's non-linear timeline. Jumping from the present to the past to the future made the movie more dynamic and allowed for more opinions to be formed as well as more suspense to grow. The craftsman ship behind this was beautiful as there was next to no confusion on where you were in the timeline once they were all introduced. 
The second aspect, which lends to the reasons of why the movie travels back and forth from past to present to frequently in the movie, is the rejection of universality. First in the movie, we meet the Lawyer and his introduction to the story, continuing on to meet a few of the families. Proceeding this, we leave the present to return to the past and see the accident in the view point and perspective of one of the families (then this pattern is repeated with another family, the bus driver and then again with the young Protagonist). There is no Universal Truth in the movie since we are persevering the accident from multiple eyes and recollections from multiple minds. Of course what the father driving behind the bus saw from his car is nothing similar to what one of the children in the front of the bus may have seen. 
The third aspect which ties together the entire movie, being a constant to the narrator (our young protagonist), is intertextuality: borrowing or referring to other texts, often to bring new meaning to both texts. In The Sweet Hereafter the children's story book, The Pied Piper is the constant text referred to. It is the relationship of the protagonist to her father as well as the accident as a whole. The times at which the text are read by her as a narrator bring new meaning to the scenes. 

2) Why do you think the character Nicole Burnell (Sarah Polly), lied at the end of the film? What are various ways in which we ca defend the lie or do you think she tells the truth in the end?
I believed she lied (this is also my mind set looking at the scene once more through the mind of an anthropologist). Her reasons; protecting the relations that were still salvageable between the town members as well as saving herself from her father's pedophile nature. Her decision was noble seeing as she put herself in a position most would try to avoid, as well as put another innocent at fault (her testament said that she bus driver was going too fast) however at the end, we see her in the future 2 years later driving another tour bus with a happy ending. 

Post- Modernism: Here There Be Dragons

1. Give one example of a Media Text that  was outlined in the article Post-Modernism Theory into Practice. 
The novel series, The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica: Here There Be Dragons written by James A. Owen. Fantasy.
The series is comprised of 7 books:

• Here There Be Dragons
• Search for the Red Dragon
• The Indigo King
• The Shadow Dragons
• The Dragon's Apprentice
• The Dragons of Winter
• The First Dragon

2. Choose one key feature of Post-Modernism and explain how your media text is an example of that key feature.

The Novel series as a whole demonstrates the key feature of 'Intertextuality'. Intertextuality is Post-modern texts that frequently  refer to, borrow from, other texts, often for the purpose of bringing new meaning to both texts- the one referred to and the one referring. The contexts of the book and genre is fantasy, about a group of adventurers, for lack of a better word, who travel in the hopes and mission of keeping a book safe (one of the group is the protector and it is his job to guard the book- the Imaginarium Geographica). The characters themselves are revealed at the end of the first book (Spoiler alert!) to be the writers of the stories James A. Owen took bits from as a form of credit to them. The authors include JRR Tolkien, author of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, CS Lewis, author of Narnia, and Charles Williams, author of War in Heaven.
Capturing the various species and characters that are treasured and beloved from the other series, Narnia especially with the fauns and talking animals, James A. Owen brought a new enjoyment to his series with the anticipation of seeing a character from another text and his interpretation of them. 

(Please Note: If you are a reader of this fabulous series, I apologize for the brutality of this explanation  I would love to go into an in dept analysis however, spoilers would be in every line. I do recommend this book and the series for any literature lover of fantasy or the texts and authors above.)