After Postmodernism | 8. Metamodern Synthesis

Here I look at all the ways of understanding the metamodern turn in culture and show how they are all actually versions of the same phenomenon. Whether we call it "oscillation," "dialectical synthesis," "complexity," or "MHC stage," the same process of recursive reflection has caused a sensibility shift, as people are now able to critique on postmodern criticism and deconstruct its deconstruction. The result is a reconstructive project that reaffirms sincerity, hope, and a paradoxical authenticity. I use a clip from Bo Burnham's comedy 'Inside' as exemplary.

For more on this approach to metamodernism, see my 2024 book 'Metamodernism: Or, The Cultural Logic of Cultural Logics' (ARC Press).

[voztoklov]

This is one of the best explanation I’ve found for sure

[websmink]

Fantastic video. You are the epitome of the highest quality content creators vs. the rest of YouTube and the vulgar and repulsive videos that get millions of views.

[hab]

A very valueable way of thinking. Thanks for making this video.

[AndyCincy]

The artist goes from painting things to painting for paint's sake. Time to reconsider The Great Divorce by CS Lewis.

[veronica_._._._]

Oil and water, all these stances are still pomo alienated, disembodied and meta, leading to analysis paralysis.

The ironic "touch grass" is actually
unironic.

This is all so much mental self pleasuring, which can only forestall anomie temporarily.

[ppleseed]

Metamodernism? That just sounds like Postmodernism with extra steps.

[pweddy]

After all these years of deconstruction why are people not deconstructing the Hegelian dialectic as a replacement for actual logic?

[thecookiejoe]

my fear is that metamodernism makes the same mistake that modernism made. That the Frankensteinification of everything learned before is somehow going to turn out a good thing is yet to be proven.

[marcobuncit]

I wonder if you'd like to review about metamodern's pop cultures on media like movies: Everything Everywhere All At Once (EEAAO) & Barbieheimer phenomena. Or it there needed some deeper rabbit hole of re-evaluation of some "hints" of meta narrative/ crisis/ critic had been let's say "indirectly emphasis through given undeveloped seeds of later feedback of the present day affects". Especially it seems there still of those with post-modern glasses wonder how such message still looking suddenly occur (which I doubt of course is your intention that perhaps these fewer simply too narrow minded to accept your reviews in all due respect even within imperfect but close to fine analysis). But perhaps this petition is too much since your field isn't like Pop Culture Detective so best to be a mere wish. Nevertheless, a very insightfull videos despite of possible "lacks" & "haters gonna hate" 😃😃😃😃

[BassamAbusamra]

It's Strange that Ken Wilber has been writing about this topic for over 40 years now and It's rare that I hear his name or terms he uses in the metamoden discussion. I am not true expert but it feels like people are steeling his work and giving it another name like it's something new!

[dellh]

Great video, but I think the term metamodernism is being used more out of a desire to assign a new literary movement than an awareness of a new literary movement emerging. Does metamoderninsm differ from postmodernism in any of it's mechanics(I am speaking specifically with regard to literature)? I don't think having a positive instead of negative message is enough to justify a new movement, especially when many postmodern works are aware of there own severity and will occassionally admit some kind of sincerity.
I fail to see how Pynchon(postmodern) differs categorically from DFW(metamodern).

If we are in this new movement, it must be in the really early stages. I understand that Joyce and Nabakov are authors that define the passing of the baton from modernism to postmodernism, and so the distinction between those two types of literature is murky with them. Is there some more overtly metamodern works that have come out since Infinite Jest?

[RichardSmith-clqh]

It seems to me this is the way artists have evaluated their best art work forever - a sequence of reflection to deconstruct over and over there evaluation of their own work is sequence of alternate negation to achieve an acceptance that they have finished it. It is not new. It is not a progressive event. - Cultural diffusion in history is only possible thought these means.

[Cristian-qsq]

Thank` u so much, awesome depthly and comprehensible explanation!

[rantetwins]

This is summed it on my Omniversal Cycle concept.

[johnbrown]

Thank you for presenting this information

[christinagurchinoff]

i like it. but im kind of a communication freak.
Isn't all this verbiage just disecting the way we communicate?

[tra.cihconig]

Im writing my masters thesis and its on my artistic work which ive never been able really to describe or "make sense of" (if that makes sense haha) and i've rediscover this concept and OMG its begining to make even more sense to me now! Thank you for the video!

[JohnDoe-wvep]

Knowing the context of the meme at 22:42 strongly hints that you have an episode 9 planned. Is a critique or antithesis to metamodernism possible? MHC 14?

[waxcomb]

“And so on, and so on…” —Slavoj Zizek

[DeLaSoul]

This was great! Very enjoyable. Also got some great screenshots of books, quotes, & concepts to look more into later. Thanks!