OUGD501 / Study Task 02 / Parody & Pastiche

Write a definition of parody/pastiche based on these two documents using at least one quote from each author. Use harvard referencing to reference the quotes correctly.

A pastiche is an appreciative impersonation of visual art, literature, theatre or music that imitates that of a previous work, whereas parody is a derisive imitation of another work, artist, or period.

After reading both documents it is clear that Jameson's Marxist principles have resulted in him having a critical view on pastiche. Jameson identifies postmodern parody as "blank parody" he says that pastiche has replaced parody in the postmodern age. "Pastiche is, like parody, the imitation of a peculiar or unique, idiosyncratic style, the wearing of a linguistic mask, speech in a dead language. But it is a neutral practice of such mimicry, without any of parody's ulterior motives, amputated of the satiric impulse, devoid of laughter"

"Pastiche is thus blank parody, a statue with blind eyeballs: it is to a parody what that other interesting and historically original modern thing, the practice of a kind of blank irony..." Jameson, F, 1991, Postmodernism, or, The Culture Logic of Late Capitalism, Page 17.

Hutcheon's discusses her opposing view that a parody restores elements of the past, rejecting elements of Modernism. In this extract we can tell that Hutcheon is positive about parody. "The past as referent is not bracketed or effaced, as Jameson would like to believe: it is incorporated and modified, given new and different life and meaning." Hutcheon, L, 1989, The Politics of Postmodernism: Parody and History, Page 182.

The packaging for Stranger & Stranger is an example of a pastiche.

Adbusters is an example of a parody.