Apply Baudrillard’s theory of postmodernism to stranger things and Deutschland 83

Apply Baudrillard’s theory of postmodernism to stranger things and Deutschland 83

Consider the following questions to help you write an answer.

What is the basic reality represented by each drama? E.g. from drama

Does the representation mask a basic reality? E.g. from drama

Does the representation mask the absence of a basic reality (plays at being an appearance) E.g. from drama

Does the representation bear no relation to any reality, it is purely a simulation and becomes a hyper-reality. E.g. from drama

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Baudrillard argued that postmodern society is organised around ‘stimulation’. Differences of gender, class, politics and culture are dissolving into a world of stimulation in which individuals construct their own identities . The new world of ‘hyperreality’ consists of stimulations that no longer have anything real to refer to but one another. Any media product adds to hyperreality, so to this extent it is not really significant what the product contains. However, some of the products appear to refer to this postmodernism condition, that must be seen either agreeing or commenting on his theory.

Stranger Things agrees with Baudrillard’s theory as it is inclusive of many intertextual references, which depicts its hyperreal nature, as it refers to many media products, which adds to the hyperreality- its postmodern condition. Simulacrum and hyperreality within tv drama. Within this this representation, the image replaces a reality to form a hyper reality because its a copy of a copy, this bears no reality due to the fact that it is purely a stimulation that is made up from all these intertextual references, becoming a hyperreality. The image masks an absence of reality, as within Stranger Things a certain image is manufactured, promoting other media products managed by third parties this being the intertextuality. For example Stranger Things includes intertextual references from films that were representations of their time and previous films, which is how Stranger Things relives the 80s era to a youth that never lived it. As Stranger Things places itself firmly within 1980s, the opening placecard tells us it is it is set in 1983, 6th November. For example Stranger Things shows three layers of intertextuality by the three different generations within the show, exist in different 80s movies; the adults are in a Spielberg film; the teens are in an 80s horror film such as Halloween and The Nightmare on Elm Street; whereas the kids are in a Stephen King novel such as Stand By Me or IT. Stranger things references E.T right from the first shot, with the starry sky, in both we are introduced to the characters as they are playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons whilst the characters are eating sausage and pepperoni pizza. Stranger Things overall premise is really similar to E.T, as a group of kids finds an outsider and must hide from a secret government agency. Eleven corresponds strikingly to E.T, for example the two  displaying love for a particular food Eggos for eleven, and Reese’s Pieces for E.T. Wills family has the same structure as the one in E.T, a single mums and two brothers. The character of Jim Hopper reminds us of Jaws Chief Broady both formally city cops, working small towns where nothing bad ever happens, overdriven by sense of fatherly protection.  Broady snaps into action after the shark goes after his son, Hopper feels that saving will can make up by the death of his own daughter. When they fill out missing persons report, the scene shot in same way as both use typewriters, both characters also have to fight higher authorities to save their communities.

Stranger Things examines and updates 80s pop culture by using key themes and motifs such as showing us the punk emo culture in which freaks and geek reject the popular crowd and embrace Stranger Things over what’s normal. Indiana and the town of Hawkins connote a feeling of ‘Spielbergian America’ this situates Stranger Things being in a down to earth world full of well meaning but oblivious adults, who only slowly come to realise that their witnessing something strange, and unusual is taking place. Spielbergian supernatural terror, and childlike awe mixed with fear and paranoia about the beyond, general distrust of authority due to government experimentation. Stephen King threat from both without and within, external monsters and the darkness within ourselves, Eleven being the perfect example of this. It also includes representations of a simpler childhood where kids used to ride their bikes all over town, working out their own problems and adults having no idea about what was going on.

Deutschland 83 tries to stay grounded firmly consisting real events of that time period- the Cold War division of Germany, the rule by communists in the East and Reagan’s escalation of the arms race.  This will be a time period that many Germans remember from personal experience, the programme addresses that lived experience (for example by the juxtaposition of East and West German culture and their consumer brands). In this way, the programme appears to be the least fit for Baudrillard’s theory. However intertextual references of globalised media products are still included in Deutschland 83, for example the television news about the Cold War: the opening shot of Ronald Reagan's famous Cold War speech on television, which used a reference from Star Wars; Russia being the “evil empire”. Shots from East and West German television are used, in the titles for example, to establish the Cold War tension that form and lie within the real historical context for these events. There are many other references, to different East and West German brand, for example, that may not resonate with international Audiences but still signify cultural difference. Internationally successful pop music is used to evoke the period. The young people at the East German party are dancing to a German version of the international hit “99 Red Balloons”; in West Germany we hear western pop music such as New Order and Annie Lennox.