Talking Metamodernism with Tim Vermeulen

[@toastedburton]

Regarding the placeholder “oscillation”; I have often felt that ‘superposition’ as understood from quantum physics is a better term, since it conveys immediacy of ‘bothness’ and neither one nor the other. With oscillation there is a sense of motion or movement between two poles, with the attendant temporal lag between poles. But with superposition there is zero lag or movement.

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

My understanding is that Tim and his writing partner Robin actually specficially meant to employ the oscillation metaphor to describe the pattern they observed: artworks generating in their viewers an oscillating response, just like a pendulum. As the interpretation swings closer to one side of a modernist/postmodern duality, the pull back in the other direction gets stronger until it's forced to swing to the other side. And I think this does indeed describe a lot of contemporary cultural artifacts. And yet, there are others where the dynamic is more static: the modernist and postmodern qualities simply co-exist but without the oscillation. A good metaphor for this is "braiding" but "superposition" I think suggests something similar. So, although oscillation probably does not cover everything, rather than replacing it with another metaphor I would simply add more metaphors.

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

It seems like KZbin does not always allow links in comments, even from the creator, but we'll give this a try. Here is a transcribed conference talk with some thoughts about oscillation and metamodernism: medium.com/what-is-metamodern/metamodernism-oscillation-revisited-b1ae011abf3c

[@toastedburton]

@@WhatIsMetamodern Thanks Greg!

[@robg5209]

A great explanation of 'oscillation' would be in the 'Spandakarika'

[@brendanbrown54]

I absolutely loved this talk. Plus the extra titles and captions added.keepndoing these. I didn't leave this empty minded

[@patcupo]

Interesting discussion. You all are going to have a field day when you see Everything Everywhere All At Once. Probably as metamodern as it gets.

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

That's what we've been hearing!!!!!

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

And, yes, I (Greg) saw it yesterday and you are so right about that film! Will write something soon!

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

Here ya go! whatismetamodern.com/film/everything-everywhere-all-at-once-metamodern/

[@patcupo]

Nice work - I hope the Daniels see it. And you’re favorite quotes were mine as well.

[@raveltoexpand]

Love it! I've been working on a metamodern framework called Anarcho-Forestis Metamodernism. I have a few videos on the topic

[@hoboken3971]

Thank you

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

Thanks for watching!

[@joaopedrob.martins3971]

Greg and Linda, would you say dark metamodernism is the zeitgeist of Gen Z literature? And what will be a middlebrow lit of Gen Z, like Gen X's (Jonathan Franzen) and Millennial (Sally Rooney)?

[@gregdreams]

I don't think I know enough about Gen Z literature to have an opinion here! What authors do you consider to be the flag-bearers of Gen Z lit? And more specifically, dark metamodern Gen Z lit?

[@joaopedrob.martins3971]

@@gregdreams Greg, there are few successful author like Chloe Gong but i haven't read her. There is an article called On the Road to Bridget Jones in the Guardian with these generational literatures too.

[@giustinabaron5047]

where can I find a discussion concerning the relationship between metamodernism and religion ?

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

Sorry for the late reply! In this video itself, Linda (who is a Religious Studies scholar) discusses the influence of Asian spirituality on the West and on metamodernism. Click on the 36:53 timestamp in the list above. And for more of her work on metamodernism and religion, either google Linda Ceriello+metamodernism+religion or email her: [e-mail]

[@giustinabaron5047]

awesome! thank you very much @@WhatIsMetamodern

[@connormacleod6419]

Metamdoernism is not the osicaliation between the naive and the cynical. It is a integration of the naive into the cynical. I imagine a massive swirling mass of teeth and eyes, and tentacles, washed in rainbow colors. The eyes have a kindness. The touch of the tentacle and teeth are warm and soft.

[@joaopedrob.martins3971]

The death of Quirky/Eccentric Cinema is long overdue, even though it introduced many metamodern ideias into the mainstream. The same can be said of Alt Lit and New Sincerity, which are slowly mutating into more "dark" forms, maybe as a reaction to Gen Z liking more gothic entertainment (The fantasy books of Booktok, series, movies).

[@gregdreams]

Personally, while I welcome the emergence of "dark" metamodern forms, I'm still not tired of quirky and eccentric cinema, Alt Lit, New Sincerity, etc.... I guess I would say that the increase in dark metamodern forms helps me to continue enjoying the "brighter" stuff.

[@joaopedrob.martins3971]

@@gregdreams When i say it is dying, it is about less engagement in newer generations.

[@joaopedrob.martins3971]

@@gregdreams What are the characteristics of this dark metamodernism? Examples besides Mr Corman?

[@joaopedrob.martins3971]

@@gregdreams Have you read about a "revival" of Alt Lit as Alt Lit 2? It is mainly new releases by known authors of the movement like Tao Lin and Jordan Castro but also a newer author called Nicollete Polek and it is a lot more metamodern.

[@gregdreams]

@@joaopedrob.martins3971 We're just experimenting with the term "dark metamodernism" so this is all tentative, but what I have meant by it so far is artworks that have metamodern qualities, but that are specifically dealing with aspects of human experience that are painful, shameful, bleak, sad, unflattering, etc. Examples off the top of my head: the TV shows Shameless, Bojack Horseman, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, White Lotus, etc. A film that comes to mind is Black Bear. Novels: perhaps Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; And You Shall Know Our Velocity by Dave Eggers. Stand-up comedy: Lisa Lampanelli, perhaps Zach Galifinakis.

[@mark4asp]

Metamodernism made simple = a way for postmodernists to philosophise without calling themselves postmodern?

[@WhatIsMetamodern]

Not really? First of all: do you notice that in the discussion in the video nobody is really philosophizing? We're making observation about art and popular culture. And what we're observing is very different from postmodern art/culture. That's the whole point.

[@TheLincolnrailsplitt]

Metamodernism seems to be copying postmodernism's embarrassing attempt at trying to mimic hard science's technical terminology.