what is Postmodernism and how can you be against it?

A postmodern time is a time after modernism. That is concrete. When the postmodern time begins and ends is up for debate. Theorists like Lyotard can only propose theories about post-modernism’s supposed concepts because there is nothing concrete in a theory until it has been proved. Yes, there is substantial evidence to suggest these theories are true, such as the decline of a grand narrative, as religion and science continue to be questioned. I personally believe postmodernism is only just a possibility, not pure fact. For example, yes the grand narratives are dissolving but only in light of awareness of difference in the world. There is still a universal belief or morality and human rights etc and these ‘micro-narratives’ form the grand narratives. You can’t put a label on an ever changing society without sounding ignorant.

From this article, I take it that the writer has a chip on his shoulder because these new apparent beliefs are affecting the way New Media is created and the ways audience receive it. According to him, the passivity of today’s culture breeds a willingness to indulge in the latest technologies and tacky media items has created an era of ‘idiots’, which he therefore concludes is not postmodern. He conveniently forgets the diversity of the media in today’s society also creates many items for those active audiences. This diversity has created the new narrative in the shape of questioning the truth of everything. But the belief and awareness that creates the new narrative within a post-modern world doesn’t create ‘idiots’ but individuals of a more diverse nature. So what if people want to believe they’re living in a post-modern era, it isn’t for the theorists or anyone else to decide otherwise, it’s their personal preference. If they want to watch or create mind-numbing reality shows such as Big Brother, so what? It certainly doesn’t them idiots. The only idiots involved in the postmodern argument are those too ignorant to recognise how a society is constantly changing and will therefore have different ideas.

I think this writer has got it wrong in his last paragraph, the society may not have a set of narratives collectively but individually via their own beliefs they’ve created new ones. There is no such thing as the consumerist ‘idiots’ in a postmodern culture. Who can actually say ‘I thouroughly understand what a postmodern time involves and it occurs/ed from here to here’. If we could say that, we wouldn’t have theories about it which is why I don’t think he can be ‘over’ something nobody quite understands. It’s ignorant.