replaced with pastiche in the manner stated by Jameson. Hutcheon argues that, “postmodern
parody is a value-problematizing, de-naturalizing form of acknowledging the history (and
through irony, the politics) of representations” (94). In other words, postmodern parody
functions as a way to recontextualize the past and acknowledge how we are now separated
from that past by confirming and subverting the power of representation in history (94-95).
Additionally, Hutcheon argues that, “postmodern parody is both deconstructively critical and
constructively creative, paradoxically making us aware of both the limits and powers of
representation” (98).
Within this essay, the notion of pastiche and parody aligns itself more closely with
Hutcheon’s position; however, her definition does not provide us with sufficient information in
order to properly address differences between the two terms and how they function within the
context of an educational television series. I define pastiche as the adaptation, and subsequent
mixture, of various styles that make reference to previously established works. That is,
pastiche functions as a form of borrowing materials from a variety of different mediums and
piecing these materials together to form a medley of various aesthetic styles and textual
references. We complicate this definition further by placing it within the context of
postmodernist theory. By confining pastiche and parody into postmodern culture (which I
believe are inherently tied to one another in relation to our current socio-cultural condition), we
are then able to illustrate a more robust, and applicable, form of pastiche.
For example, Dadaists employed multiple techniques in the creation of their art,
including collage and photomontage, which can be said to be a form of pastiche. After all,
Dada artists were creating works by (literally) piecing together different parts from different
mediums, in order to create a brand new object. However, we cannot discuss Dadaist collage
in terms of postmodern pastiche, as the Dada practice pre-dates postmodernity by decades.
On the contrary, Sesame Street is an example of a postmodern pastiche, not simply because it
was developed after the theory’s establishment; but rather, in its use of distinctly different
visual styles (e.g., animation and puppetry) that were originally employed to maintain the
attention of pre-school children (Lesser 75-76). I point out this distinction in order to avoid
confusion of the term pastiche, and to reiterate that I am discussing pastiche and parody in the
context of the postmodern era.
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