Potsmodern analysis of the TV show-Futurama

Futurama:

Futura is an animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, and David X Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The animated series is produced by Lee Supercinski and Claudia Katz. The series was aired in the United States on Fox in from March 28th, 1999 to August 10, 2003 before it ceased production.  The plot of the series is based around the central character of Philip J Fry, who is a 20th century New York City, pizza delivery boy, who is frozen cryogentically for one thousand years. and finds employement at Planet Express. He finds employement as an interplenetary delivery company in the retro-futuristic 31st century. The series was also envisioned by Groening in the late 1990's while working on the Simpsons. He later brought Cohen aboard to develop storylines and characters to pitch the show to Fox.Futurama has received critical acclaim, culminating in a Guinness World Record for "Current Most Critically Acclaimed Animated Series" in 2010. Futurama has also been nominated for 17 Annie Awards and 10 Emmy Awards, winning seven and five, respectively. Futurama has also been nominated four times for a Writers Guild of America Award, winning two for the episodes "Godfellas" and "The Prisoner of Benda", and nominated for a Nebula Award. The show also received an Environmental Media Award for "The Problem With Popplers".

Futurama's themes:

• Multicultural
• Orphanism
• Bureaucracy
• Global Warming
• Substance abuse
• Moon landing
• Relationships between characters e.g. Leela and Fry relationship
• Alienation
• Robotology etc.

Eclecticism: Futurama has been influenced by other media formats like The Simpsons,South Park and Blade Runner etc. The techniques producers like Matt Groening used to create Futurama, were that when it was sent of to Rough Draft Studios which animates the show, there were storyboards of over a 100 drawings. It then creates a pencil drawn animatic with 1000 frames. In addition to traditional cartoon drawings, the studio uses CGI for fast or complex shots. The opening sequence is rendered in CGI and the CGI is rendered at 24 frames per second as opposed to 12 frames per second.
Intertexuality: This is used in the TV show Futurama, as with the character of Zapp Brannigan is an intertexual cultural reference to the TV series Star Trek and is a reference to Captain Kirk and to William Shatner.Another example would be that of when the characters from Futurama go into a cybernetic world and this is used as a cultural reference to the movies, Tron and The Matrix series. Another example would be the name of the Futurama character, Turanga Leela is a reference to Turangalilia Symphonie By Olivier Messiaen.
Parody: This is included in the TV show Futurama, when the character of Zapp Brannigan is used as a satirical pastiche of Star Trek character Captain Kirk and to the actor, William Shatner.
 Bricolage: I would say that Futurama uses bricolage as Groening uses the science fiction genre for example when we see the setting of New New York, it has references to Fritz Langs Metropolis, Star Trek and to Blade Runner
Acts against modernism: Futurama acts against modernism such as in Futurama, the Earth is seen to have an unified government headed by the president of Earth, Richard Nixon's head is elected in season two, I would say this acts against modernism as it says how Earth is ruled by colonialist country of America. Another example of this would be that in one episode where science is used by Professor Farmsworth to create mutants which shows how science isn't being used for the ideas of progress.
Nostalgic: I would say that Futurama uses Nostalgia in an episode featuring the character of Leonardo Da Vinci as it celebrates Leonardo Da Vinci's inventions or the episode called "The series has landed" where we see Futurama celebrating the moon landings through the character of Philip J Fry.
Narcissistic: This concept is used in Futurama, through the character of Bender as Bender considers himself to be flawless-a towering inferno of physical perfection and he frequently refers to himself in the first and third person. In the episode, "The Farmsworth Paradox" Bender fall in love with an alternate gold plated version of himself, stating that he has found someone has great as him. Even those his personal email address -bender@ilovebender.com reflects his self absorbed nature.
An Active audience:An example of this would be that Groening appeals to a wide range of audiences by having so many levels of understanding which appeals to the audience. There is the science fiction intertexual level which is aimed at the sci-fi fan base and also those who recognize the sci-fi conventions and devices. Also the comedy and the character identity tends to mirror "The Simpsosn" screen devices such as Fry and Homer, Leela and Lisa, Bender and Bart etc which are considered to be characteristic features of these shows.
Hyper-conscious:This is used in the Futurama episode, "Anthology of Interest", the episode shows  Professor Farmsworth's intervention, the What if machine. In this episode we see what Leela would be like if  she was more impulsive which shows her going on a killing spree and the other characters become aware someone in their crew is killing them. Its self aware as we see Professor Farmsworth seeing a simulation of what it would be like if he invented the fing-longer but he throws the What if machine into the bin, after watching a simulated scenario of what it would be like if he invented the fing longer.


Postmodernism theory applied to Futurama:

Postmodernism theory can be applied to the, science fiction animated series Futurama as it includes the concepts of pastiche, which is tongue in cheek rehashes and tributes to classic pop culture. This can be applied to Futurama as Futurama paints the Simpson's creators as bringing classic plots and fobiles into the next millenuim, which includes the uncharacteristic character of the alcoholic robot, Bender.  

Postmodern theory:

Postmodernism theory, is an theory that centers on a wide range of ideals, values, methods and methods. When it comes to postmodernism, I would say that the theory is based on their being no objective truth within the world. The theory is also associated with the concepts of simulation, hyppereality and implosion. The theory is also centered on questioning, our own morality and reality and this is challenged, through those concepts and it also says that we live in a fabricated world of existence and where nothing is original anymore and where every plain of existence is fabricated, constructed and not original as it questions humans purpose in the world and our loss of humanity.

Postmodernism also asserts human beings as a species that are only able to exist as media texts. Postmodernism also means "post" as it denies the existence of any ultimate principles, and it lacks the optimism of there being a scientific, philosophical, or religious truth which will explain everything for everybody - a characteristic of the so-called "modern" mind and postmodernism also rejects metanarritives.  Postmodernism can also be described as an theoretical theory based on the premise that we live in a world of simulations and hyperreality in economies based on the of images and information rather than the production of materialist products. For Baudrillard, he describes simulation,as we living in an era of media saturation in which we bombarded with information and signs. So much of our experience is in the form of media texts rather then first hand direct experience that mediated signs became more real than reality itself. Postmodernism theory is also the part of our lives that is dominated by computer games, television, social networking on the internet, magazines and all other forms of media experience. Baudrillard argued that the distinction between reality and simulation breaks down altogether: as we make no distinction between direct reality which we experience first hand and the simulated experience offered by the media and this is called implosion. Baudrillard described hyperreality as where we get to the stage where the difference between reality and mediated experience hasn't just got blurred and the image part has got the upper hand. 

Postmodernism theory applied to my AS film, opening sequence:
Postmodernism theory can be applied to my film's opening sequence as my films opening sequence conveys how humanity istrapped within reality and have has basically lost all sense of reality, and the protagonist is seen drinking alcohol and playing cards which has been used how he uses alcohol as a way of escaping his own fate and reality. The cards have been used in the film's opening sequence to conveys how the protagonist has lost his own grip on reality and his own humanity and how he isn't control of his own destiny which is presented as an illusion towards the audience but the illusion of time becoming  repetituous which is shown through the relationship between his boxing career to his criminality as in away those sequences offer an opposition to authorative figures and to popular culture. I would say that my films opening sequence is more connected to marxism than postmodernism though. I would also say my film is postmodern in terms of its references to how I compare my protagonist to Muhammed Ali and Rocky  Marciano and the way my central protagonist is trapped in the mythology of boxing simulacra. The film opening sequence is also postmodern in away by the way in which it doesn't follow the typical narrative structures which are usually associated with Todorov or Propp as my film opening seqeunce rejects conventional narrative structures and formats by its ending of ending not on a satisfying ending but ending with no happy ending, no emancipation and constructing the protagonist as someone who is declining in society and has become corrupted by capitalism etc and he fails in making himself a better character and declines in terms of his morality, traits and faults etc, this is shown in the last scene where we see the closing of the door of the safe at the end.

Representation

Laura Mulvey's theory of representation:

So what is Laura Mulvey's theory on representation. In Laura Mulveys theory she studies feminist theory.Feminist theory is the study of the way films, make meanings for their audiences from the perceptions of feminist politics. These are related to studies on the the roles and functions of female characters in the context of the narratives, and this theory explore the representations of women in reinforcing dominant patriarchal ideologies (hegemony).

Her study explores the male gaze, which is linked to Sigmund Freud and scopophillia. This theory explores how women are treated in sexualized and voyeuristic manners. This theory explores the male gaze, where women are viewed voyeuristically or fetishically. The female gaze objectifies women as gaining a voyeuristically pleasure from looking at a subject and film techniques can be used to objectify or even reinforce female audience's into a kind of voyeuristic spectatorship. The intra diegetic gaze, is when a character from any media text gaze's upon another character. This is done through the process of identification, and through this process of spectatorship, this can lead to the spectators gaze.The extra diegetic gaze is when a character in the text looks out of the text at the audience, breaking the imaginary fourth wall. The theory then goes on to convey, how the gaze is connected to power.In this case, some characters in media texts may, actually not know they are being watched, which lends to the bearer of the gaze is constituted with more power and knowledge of the bearer. The gaze may also be challenged by the character being watched voyeuristically by actually aiming their gaze at the bearer, by doing this, it questions the knowledge and power of the spectator.

Laura Mulveys theory on the gaze relates to my music video, as in the video we see the male character watching the female character in the scene after he kills her. This relates to the male gaze as it, portrays the traditional patriarchal ideology of power, knowledge and oppressive attitude towards women. This is challenged through the film, as through the film, instead of my character embracing the typical femme fetale characteristic role, she takes on a character who is not exploited (unlike Maryln Monroe) and actually gains power, knowledge and supremacy over the typical male role which is still associated with male characteristic roles today today in modern cinema and she actaully takes on masculine traitts towards the end of the video.(the femme fetale character I have constructed has been moulded into a character embracing traditional masculine traits and is similar to Ellen Ripley, from the Alien franchise). I have also used a hand held shot for this scene to make the audience feel like their getting some kind of voyeuristic and spectatorship pleasure in the film. In a sense the male gaze depands on sexual behaviour and voyeuristic behaviour unlike mine, which is connected to the gaze theories in terms of marxist ideologies.

Roland Barthes theory:

Roland Barthes theory is on the active audience, which is based on the audience being open to may possible interpretations from many different perspectives. To consider the audience as active, Barthes pulled apart texts, and looked at those texts semioticallyand how they fit together by connecting it to structuralism. Instead of identifying the author of a book, or a director or a producer as producing meaning in media texts he considered audience to generate their own particular meanings, portrayed through those media texts. He then goes on how the audience are generating their own particualar meanings through the media texts they embrace.

Roland Barthes then talks about myths and ideologies, in this section he discusses the myth in two meanings such as by talking about myth as a traiditional story being passed down from generations to generations to explain the natural order of the world. He then explains it as something which isn't true but is believed to be true. Drawing on marxist theory, Barthes explained myth works in terms of ideologies. Then he goes on to discuss how the mass media through signs in terms of semiotics and the structures between them (structualism) reinforces a domant ideolgy of the world (hegemony). These representations may be false. The construction of myths in representations and narrative therefore determines the texts ideological perspective.

This relates to my AS media coursework for my films, opening sequence as it relates to how I used the film opening sequence to criticse the mainstream ideological perspective of capitalism/liberalism and I have done this through use propps such as a vodka bottle to promote my fixation with the ideological perspective with marxism by portraying capitalism through greed, alienation and belief in a false manipulation of power created by the elite, which is conveyed by the gangster in the film drinking alone, talking to himself etc . My film from AS, also takes on a postmodernist view in a way as, throughout the film I  try to objectify and replicate my belief in postmodernism, through my protagonist not being able to control his own, fate, reality and future as this relates how I am connecting my work to postmodernism in terms of hypperreality, implosion and simulations within the reality, which is embraced by the protagonist at the end of the film, and this is similar to the character of Rick Decard as my character questions his own identity, humanity and his own purpose within the world which they embrace and this is how those two character are connected to each other.

Laura Mulvey's theory applied to Nafi's music video:
When applying Nafi's music video 1st draft, I will be applying Laura Mulveys theory of representation to her work. The theory deals with the concepts of identificiation, where the audience are manipulated by the directors or producers to identify with any of the characters within the narrative. At first the audience are made to identify with the central protagonist, played by Natasha who is basically a prostitute who is seen in the conventional representation of the women in cinema as someone who is sexualised and is seen as someone who is also seen as someone who is seen as an object of desire and voyeuristic pleasure. At first I think that the audience is able to identify with the cental character as they often sympathise with the character because of the way the character is represented and explored. The audience is also able to identify with Natasha's character because the film mainly deals with teenage themes of alienation and manipulation etc this is seen in the first draft of the video, were the audience are pushed into a spectatorship point of view shot, which is used to make the audience feel uncomforment but it also makes them feel empowerment over Natasha's character as she doesn't know she is being watched, this is also used so that  the audience are able to actually embrace the characteristics of the conventional male character who is often seen in films/cinema as the one who is unable to control his emotions and desires and seek pleasure without the other character knowing about it, to gain some kind of voyeuristic and scopophilc pleasure. This can be compared to Psycho as the characters portrayed in the music video are not that different from the ones portrayed in Psycho. As they both potray the typical epower relations of the female and male characteristics. What's is different when it comes to, Laura Mulvey's theory is that the characters portrayed in the media formats aren't portrayed as in the typical femme fetale character, but Naf's character is portrayed as someone who is manipulative, alienated and abusive. We are also made to identify with the antagonist as we see the Natasha's character being portrayed as an object of sexualised desire this is shown by a pan being used to pan from left to right which is shown when we see the antagonist, hiding behind a tree taking voyeuristic pleasure when we see Natasha's character walking across the scenery. Natasha's character is portrayed is also potrayed in the conventional manner of a sexualised object of desire, this is used to appeal the male demographics of the heterosexual male as the music video portrays the power relations in a typical heterosexual relationship.

The power relations demonstated between the characters in the music video by Nafi, is that it portrays the power relations between the characters in a kind of exploitative and demeaning manner. Such as when we see the characters depicted in the music video, as the female character is potrayed as being exploited and manipulated by her search for acceptance and non judgemental way but she is actually portrayed as someone who is being exploited by her characteristics and faults as presented by the camera shots, editing techniques and the events that are depicted within the music video. When it somes to the audience the power relations between the audience and the characters is that, the power offered through the depiction of the media format presents a false sense of power as it gives the audience a limitation of power, in which the audeince are instructed by the directors to believe tthat they can change Natasha's fate when actually they can't.

I would say that the audience is given a sense of power through the male gaze and spectatorship  gaze as this presented by through the cinematography and editing techniques which are used to do this.

Natasha's character in the music video, is objectified as someone who is been seing as someone who is seen in a sexualised, demeaning and exploitative way, through the camera shots which are portrayed in the media format and the power relations are shown when we see Natash's character on the left, as this is used to portray their character with a false sense of power. The representational result is that it doesn't challenge gender roles and conforms to patrical ideals and ideologies. I would say that their isn't any instances for the extra diagetic gaze, the result is that it doesn't allow the audience a sense of empowerment and doesn't give them a purpose within the narrative of the video.

I would say that the power play relations between the characters and audience are not just based on gender but is also based on the power relations of ethnicity and the typical power relations which are depicted in capitalism as its based on mainly power relations of mainly gender and mostly sexuality.