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Are the Gorillaz a postmodern artistic statement or a culture industry commodity to satisfy an image obsessed market?info

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keyboard_arrow_downkeyboard_arrow_upJake WhiteleyJake WhiteleydownloadDownload PDFdescriptionSee full PDFvisibility

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Abstract

This paper will be examining the Gorillaz through multiple theoretical frameworks in an attempt to contextualise such a statement. It can be inferred that although mainstream success has been achieved (by conventional methods of analysis: Awards, Sales, and Market power), the Gorillaz true cultural significance can be expressed through themes of the postmodern; of bricolage, image, irony, political statement, and through caricature as simulacra.

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Key takeaways

AI generated

1. Gorillaz sold over 20 million albums, achieving mainstream success while embodying postmodern themes.
2. The Gorillaz utilize caricature and simulacra to critique the culture industry and manufactured celebrity.
3. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's anonymity enhances the band's artistic freedom and market appeal.
4. The live performances blended high and low art, showcasing the band's innovative marketing strategies.
5. The Gorillaz exist as both a commodity and an artistic expression, challenging traditional notions of authenticity.

FAQ's

AI generated

What statistical evidence supports the Gorillaz's cultural significance since 1998?add

The Gorillaz have sold over 20 million copies of their first two albums, achieving multi-platinum status for 'Demon Days' within a year of its release.

How do the Gorillaz utilize postmodern artistic strategies in their work?add

The Gorillaz employ musical bricolage and pastiche, integrating diverse genres and cultural references to create a unique artistic voice.

What contradictions exist in the Gorillaz's branding as 'Reject False Idols'?add

Despite advocating against manufactured celebrity, the Gorillaz embody hyper-caricatures of pop personas, creating a paradox of authenticity and image.

How did the live performance of Demon Days challenge conventional media representations?add

Their 2007 tour featured 80 obscured musicians, emphasizing animated avatars over human performers, blending high and low art.

What role does anonymity play in the marketing of the Gorillaz?add

Anonymity enables the Gorillaz to craft a flexible, marketable identity, appealing to various demographics without the limitations of physical personas.

Related topics

Cultural StudiesPopular Music StudiesPopular MusicCultural TheorycloseTitleAbstractKey TakeawaysFAQsIntroductionReferencesConclusion1 of 12format_list_bulletedOutlineAll TopicsAnthropologyCultural Studiesbookmark_borderSave shareShare

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References (16)

Anon, [n.d.]. Article discussing Gorillaz from a marketing perspective. [online] Gorillaz-unofficial <http://www.gorillaz-unofficial.com/media_archive/mark02.htm> [Accessed 2 July 2011].

Albarn, D., 2001. Albarn going ape over gorillaz Interviewed by... Steve Baltin [Article] Rolling stone, July 2001.

Albarn, D., 2001. Gorillaz in Our Midst Interviewed by... Dom Phillips [Article] The Guardian, 16 March 2001.

Albarn, D., 2001. Gorillaz in the mix Interviewed by... Edna Gundersen [Article] Teenmusic, June 2001.

Albarn, D., 2005. Keeping it (un)real Interviewed by... Neil Gaiman [Online] Wired, Available at: http://www.wired.com/, July 2005.

Adorno, T.W. and Horkheimer, M., 1947. Dialectic of Enlightenment: Philosophical Fragments. Translated by Jephcott, E., 2002. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Dutton, D., 2002. Aesthetic Universals. [online] Available at: < http://www.denisdutton.com/universals.htm> Accessed 1 July 2011.

Hohendahl, P. U., 1992. Adorno Criticism today. New German Critique, 56, pp 3-15.

Kramer, J. D., 1996. Postmodern concepts of musical time. [online] Scholarworks. Available at: <https://scholarworks.iu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/2022/3754/KramerPostmodernConceptsV1

Lyotard, J.F., 1991. Lessons on the Analytic of the Sublime: Kant's Critique of Judgment. Trans. Elizabeth Rottenberg. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1994

Marchetto, S., 2007. Living in a virtual world. [online] FFWD. Available at: <http://www.ffwdweekly.com/Issues/2007/0125/mus2.htm > [Accessed 3 June 2011].

McGregor, J., 1997.The mask, Madonna, and postmodernism. [online] Focus. Available at: <http://www.facingthechallenge.org/madonna.php [Accessed 27 May 2011].

Richardson, J., 2005. "The Digital Won't Let Me Go": Constructions of the Virtual and the Real in Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood". Journal of popular music studies, 17 (1), pp 1-29.

Richardson, J., 2003.Is that the sound of pop eating itself?. [online] TimesHigherEducation. Available at: < http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=177669&sectioncode=26> [Accessed 1 June 2011].

Serazio, M., 2008. The Apolitical Irony of Generation Mash-Up: A Cultural Case Study in Popular Music. Popular music and society,31 (1), pp 79-94.

White, C., 2003. The Middle mind. San Francisco: HarperCollins.

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