Since the 1940s the western world has been immersed in a somewhat subtle, howbeit dramatic shift in the way it deals with the questions of ultimate reality. So drastic has been this mindset re-orientation, that many are not merely rethinking truth claims, they are actually considering the possibility that there may not be an ultimate reality. Others have already concluded that truth claims are simply culturally shaped, linguistically defined, and locally applied; that there is no "true truth" or "real reality" which transcends localized interpretation. Labeled postmodernism, this new way of looking at reality has now begun to "trickle down" from its inception among the lofty hills of academia to the work-a-day world of average westerners. Though most could not define it, postmodernism's effects can be seen today in the arts and entertainment industry, the legal and governmental arenas, and the world of theology and religion.
Postmodern themes are not simply fuel for theoretical dialogue; they have increasingly become the stuff which culture feeds upon. The Simpson family began each episode by racing home to watch the weekly installment of the Simpsons on their TV, thereby representing the breakdown between fiction and reality. The Simpsons were a cartoon family who were aware of their status as cartoon characters. They represent the fact that in a postmodern world it is not the actual family that matters but its TV representation. TV is the real world. Fiction is real and reality is fiction. It is a question of REEL vs Real!
Chris Carter, the producer of the X Files and Millennium, proved himself to be extremely adept at introducing postmodern themes to mass audiences. Both shows portrayed the search for an illusive "truth" that was never realized; they valued science and reason in favor of the paranormal and the supernatural, while giving a sense of impending cultural collapse.
Another TV genre which still supplies the market with postmodern themes is the "talk show." Talk show hosts interview a variety of guests who exhibit behavioral patterns that break "old moral" codes and celebrate relativism. The guests are "warmly accepted" by the host and the studio audience, except for a few who are unattractively judgemental. The guests seem normal and tolerance is the rule of thumb. The TV people are "real people" with real problems.
The reality-based TV program finds it's ultimate expression when the camera follows police officers or paramedics on their nightly rounds. The footage shows real cops or emergency personnel in pursuit of their duty. Yet, each episode is edited to include scenes where actors step into actual footage, and where the drama is "beefed-up" for audience appeal. This turns truth into a TV show and hopelessly blurs the truth/fiction distinction.
Postmodernism, you see, has no real-reality to which it clings, so all of life is a blur between what is truth and what is fiction. and nobody really knows the difference. Can you think of other TV shows that add to this confusion?
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