I came across a website called Postmodernism the other day, dedicated, amazingly enough, to all things postmodern, and one item there really made me laugh.
It was an incongruous mash-up of two of my favorite things, cartoons and poetry, with words by Frederick Nietzsche affixed to an illustrated image by Family Circus creator Bill Keane. It is given as an example of the post-modern technique of pastiche, or "pasted" elements of previous genres and styles of literature to create a new narrative voice, or to comment on the writing of their contemporaries.
It inspired me to try my hand at the same, and I came up with this postmodern pairing of Charlie Brown and Lucy, with words from the Elizabethan poet Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke.
Feeling postmodern? Does anyone want to try their hand at their own pastiche or mash-up? What words would you marry to this wonderful illustration by children's artist Willy Schermelé to give it a new context and meaning?
Send me your own pastiche and I'll post it here!
Enjoy!
william
Helluva town:
http://www.granta.com/Magazine/108
Posted by: Diane | October 17, 2009 at 12:38 AM
Here's my pastiche for the Willy Schermelé:
"Your style is generic
Mine's authentic made
I roll like a renegade
You need clinic aid
My technique's bizarre an' ill
I scar and kill
You were a star until I served you like a bar and grill
Now I proceed to cook and grill ya
That's all it took to kill ya
You better recognize me like i look familiar..."
-Eminiem (from "8 Mile: Chin-Tiki Parking Lot Rap")
It struck me as funny to think that these wee forest folk might be throwin' down some freestyle battle rap, and the little guy with the accordion clearly rolls like a renegade, right?
Posted by: Maiz | October 18, 2009 at 09:35 PM
Ha! So funny that you picked that lyric. I don't know if I told you but when I was in Iran this year, Annette Bening and I were approached on the central square in Isfahan by a couple of Persian twenty-somethings with a friendly attitude but limited English. The one thing they really wanted us to explain to them was the meaning of "roll like a renegade"! Nice to know some things are universal! I'll try to find an appropriate layout and post your postmodern pastiche!
Posted by: william horberg | October 19, 2009 at 08:23 AM
Excellent post, it brought me back a lot of memories of my childhood, and the programs I used to watch.
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Charlie Brown is one of the most funny characters in whole time and Snoopy was pretty funny specially with all the things that he can make.
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