Fredric Jameson, "Postmodernism and Consumer Society"

At the time the article was written, the concept of postmodernism was not widely understood. It was agreed upon that postmodernism emerged as a reaction against high modernism in all forms of art. To be postmodern brought about a blurring between high and mass cultures. Additionally, pastiche became a very important component of postmodernism – the superficial appropriation of stylistic elements. According to Jameson, pastiche represents a “blank parody” (167).

Jameson argues that postmodernism can easily be related to late (consumer/multinational) capitalism. The disappearance of history and co-opting of cultures are essential in order for the marketing to a global economy. By trivializing a culture it is easy to turn it into a set of images that can easily be forgotten.