Sounding an Idol: The Television as Imagetext in Don DeLillo’s White Noise

The response of critics to Don DeLillo’s seminal novel White Noise has centred on the connections that can be drawn between this work and the critical context that surrounded it upon its publication in 1984, namely the climate of radical scepticism ushered in by critics like Jean Baudrillard. This article attempts to argue that the relationship between the novel and this critical climate is far more antagonistic than has been acknowledged previously. Drawing upon the critic W.J.T. Mitchell’s reading of Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the “sounding”, as opposed to the iconoclastic smashing, of idols, the article will “sound” the idol which is at the centre of DeLillo’s novel: the television. This will show the critical distance that DeLillo deliberately established between his text and the texts of postmodern theory that were fashionable throughout the later twentieth century (particularly at the time White Noise was published) and will place DeLillo in a more contemporary context, his face turned not only to the past, but to the critical horizons ahead of him.

Neither Here nor There: The Writing of Wystan Curnow 1961-1984

<p>This thesis addresses the writing of Wystan Curnow from 1961 to 1984. Curnow has written a great deal throughout his life, and the challenge of this thesis has been to select an appropriate time frame and important texts to place within it. The period of 1961 to 1984 has been chosen because it encompasses the 1970s, an interesting decade of experimentation for Curnow and also because the early 1980s signal a shift in Curnow's work. I argue that Curnow's encounter with post-object art and the immediate, phenomenological writing he produced in response to this work gives way in the early 1980s to a style of writing directly informed by post-structural and postmodern theory. Further, this study looks not only at Curnow's criticism but also his poetry to reveal how, in their form and content, these two strands of writing together construct one of the first arguments for an 'avant-garde' in New Zealand art and literature. The thesis is divided into four chronological chapters. These follow the course of Curnow's life from his birth in 1939 up until the publication of his seminal essay on Colin McCahon 'I Will Need Words' in 1984. The first chapter begins with the biographical background of Curnow's youth and education and considers the significance of the eminence of Curnow's father, Allen Curnow, in the decisions that Wystan Curnow has made throughout his career. This chapter then goes on to look at Curnow's experience in the United States, studying for his Ph.D. and engaging with contemporary American culture. Chapter two begins with Curnow's return to Auckland in 1970 and goes on to look at his important pieces of writing from the 1970s up until his return to New York on sabbatical in 1976. Chapter three focuses on this trip and the key texts which followed it. And finally, chapter four examines the early 1980s, the increasing influence of continental theory in New Zealand and the shift this precipitated in Curnow's writing.</p>

Neither Here nor There: The Writing of Wystan Curnow 1961-1984

<p>This thesis addresses the writing of Wystan Curnow from 1961 to 1984. Curnow has written a great deal throughout his life, and the challenge of this thesis has been to select an appropriate time frame and important texts to place within it. The period of 1961 to 1984 has been chosen because it encompasses the 1970s, an interesting decade of experimentation for Curnow and also because the early 1980s signal a shift in Curnow's work. I argue that Curnow's encounter with post-object art and the immediate, phenomenological writing he produced in response to this work gives way in the early 1980s to a style of writing directly informed by post-structural and postmodern theory. Further, this study looks not only at Curnow's criticism but also his poetry to reveal how, in their form and content, these two strands of writing together construct one of the first arguments for an 'avant-garde' in New Zealand art and literature. The thesis is divided into four chronological chapters. These follow the course of Curnow's life from his birth in 1939 up until the publication of his seminal essay on Colin McCahon 'I Will Need Words' in 1984. The first chapter begins with the biographical background of Curnow's youth and education and considers the significance of the eminence of Curnow's father, Allen Curnow, in the decisions that Wystan Curnow has made throughout his career. This chapter then goes on to look at Curnow's experience in the United States, studying for his Ph.D. and engaging with contemporary American culture. Chapter two begins with Curnow's return to Auckland in 1970 and goes on to look at his important pieces of writing from the 1970s up until his return to New York on sabbatical in 1976. Chapter three focuses on this trip and the key texts which followed it. And finally, chapter four examines the early 1980s, the increasing influence of continental theory in New Zealand and the shift this precipitated in Curnow's writing.</p>

Exploring Public Relations in the Firm

While postmodern theory has been explored within multiple domains, its application to the domain of public relations is somewhat scant. As a result, constructs, such as power, crisis communication, and code of ethics within the communication profession in the firm require further examination. This study investigates the current postmodernist perspective within organization theory and expands the body of knowledge on postmodernism and public relations through the application of seminal audit literature analysis.

Misinformation in the Information Space of Ukrainian Society during the Covid-19 Pandemic

The specificity of misinformation about Covid-19 which was outspread in the media landscape of Ukrainian society was demonstrated in the article. The authors relying on the basics of postmodern theory within interdisciplinary discourse trace the means of forming misinformation and its influence on changing worldview landmarks of humanity. The authors underline that information in the postmodern conception of Jean Baudrillard is also capable to destroy its own content, communication and social ground. Misinformation about Covid-19 is «a stage setting of communication» since it only creates insight into sense and is outspreaded with different channels (traditional and new media) with usage of photographic and video materials, emotional headlines and messages. Fake materials which have been outspreaded in online media and social networks are analyzed in the article. The authors found out that fake messages outspreaded in Ukrainian media refer to the following topic (the origin of Covid-19; frauds under the guise of doctors try to get the money of nationals; fictional money penalties for breaking the rules of quarantine; pseudomedical recommendations for taking some medicines and means of diagnosis Covid-19; statements of public authorities about strengthening the regime of quarantine; the speed of spreading Covid-19 in other countries; insufficient readiness of the Ukrainian society to Covid-19, etc.). It is stated that the quick expansion of misinformation was facilitated by the fact that the nationals of Ukraine took information without criticism, without fact-checking, since they moved to a new space of life of the individual and made «a stage setting of sense».

Revisiting the Metanarrative of ‘Two-nation’ Theory: A Postmodern Study of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children

In 1947 India was violently partitioned into the States of India and Pakistan. The political leaders behind this partition justified their decision based on the two-nation theory which had presented the two major religions namely Hindu and Muslim as two distinct civilizations that could not coexist. By marginalising and ignoring other important aspects of Indian society, and by magnifying only the religious aspect, they successfully created the metanarrative that would strengthen the ‘imagined’ border. Salman Rushdie, a postmodernist at heart, in Midnight’s Children artistically brings the minute details of common Indian lives to the fore and thereby compels the readers to reanalyse the validity of the theory. This study, thus, by referring to the postmodern theory propounded by Jean François Lyotard, has tried to examine the legitimacy of two-nation theory in the light of the micronarratives portrayed in the Midnight’s Children.

Photography at Mid-Century: a Description of George Eastman House's Tenth Anniversary Exhibition

This paper is an in-depth description and historic contextualization of George Eastman House’s tenth anniversary exhibition, Photography at Mid-Century, which took place in 1959. With more than 300 photographs by 253 photographers, the ambitious project was the institution’s largest exhibition to date. This paper outlines the practical work involved in researching, locating and cataloguing 136 of the photographs that were included in the exhibition and provides technical information and reproductions of each. In addition to commenting on the lack of scholarship on photographic exhibitions, this thesis provides historical institutional information as it relates to the organization of the exhibition by looking at the roles of the exhibition’s curator, Beaumont Newhall, assistant curator, Walter Chappell, and exhibition catalogue editor, Nathan Lyons. This paper also provides a description of the organization and installation of the exhibition, its touring locations, public reception and the organization of the exhibition catalogue. This discussion contributes to the growing scholarship on photographic exhibitions. It provides a specific example of how photographs were displayed and conceived of at a moment just preceding the enormous impact of postmodern theory on notions of the photograph as art when the place of photography in art museums was still under debate.

Photography at Mid-Century: a Description of George Eastman House's Tenth Anniversary Exhibition

This paper is an in-depth description and historic contextualization of George Eastman House’s tenth anniversary exhibition, Photography at Mid-Century, which took place in 1959. With more than 300 photographs by 253 photographers, the ambitious project was the institution’s largest exhibition to date. This paper outlines the practical work involved in researching, locating and cataloguing 136 of the photographs that were included in the exhibition and provides technical information and reproductions of each. In addition to commenting on the lack of scholarship on photographic exhibitions, this thesis provides historical institutional information as it relates to the organization of the exhibition by looking at the roles of the exhibition’s curator, Beaumont Newhall, assistant curator, Walter Chappell, and exhibition catalogue editor, Nathan Lyons. This paper also provides a description of the organization and installation of the exhibition, its touring locations, public reception and the organization of the exhibition catalogue. This discussion contributes to the growing scholarship on photographic exhibitions. It provides a specific example of how photographs were displayed and conceived of at a moment just preceding the enormous impact of postmodern theory on notions of the photograph as art when the place of photography in art museums was still under debate.

Dior and digital storytelling: on the marketing of luxury brand narratives

A postmodern theory and contemporary marketing strategy, digital storytelling is the virtual means by which a story can be organized. Less traditional to the beginning, middle and end of conventional narratives, this framework suggests that individuals connect the dots of a story by comparing their reading with others. To conceptualize this model within fashion, this paper follows Christian Dior’s Secret Garden campaign as it is broadcasted and diffused through Instagram and YouTube. Carried out by consumers’ interpretations as the story unfolds, this study aims to measure the interaction of media and audience within the parameters of social network analysis following Rihanna’s casting as Dior’s newest protagonist. Characterized by its hyperrealistic nature and speeded-up cultural tropes, this case underlines the epistemic shift for luxury brand communities today. As a result, this paper indicates the success of e-word-of-mouth marketing, and denotes the strength of fashion film as an illustrative medium of communication.

Dior and digital storytelling: on the marketing of luxury brand narratives

A postmodern theory and contemporary marketing strategy, digital storytelling is the virtual means by which a story can be organized. Less traditional to the beginning, middle and end of conventional narratives, this framework suggests that individuals connect the dots of a story by comparing their reading with others. To conceptualize this model within fashion, this paper follows Christian Dior’s Secret Garden campaign as it is broadcasted and diffused through Instagram and YouTube. Carried out by consumers’ interpretations as the story unfolds, this study aims to measure the interaction of media and audience within the parameters of social network analysis following Rihanna’s casting as Dior’s newest protagonist. Characterized by its hyperrealistic nature and speeded-up cultural tropes, this case underlines the epistemic shift for luxury brand communities today. As a result, this paper indicates the success of e-word-of-mouth marketing, and denotes the strength of fashion film as an illustrative medium of communication.