New material on WiM! Metamodernism and video gaming
Greetings metamodernism enthusiasts!
NEW CONTENT! Metamodern video games and gaming
Recently we had a scintillating conversation in which we got to learn about metamodernism in video games with three folks who know their metamodernism and know their video games. (Whereas we — Linda and Greg — really only know our metamodernism!).Our guests were Gage Smith, Scout Wiley and Simon Radchenko, all members of the wider metamodernism research community comprising both lay inquirers as well as scholars.
Two general questions we explored together: 1) Has there been a metamodern shift in the construction and/or the content of video games that corresponds to the metamodern shifts we have observed in so many other areas of culture? 2) Is there any sense in which video games, or video gaming, are somehow inherently metamodern?
The games that our guests brought up as examples in the discussion included Shiner, Journey, The Last of Us, Death Stranding, Zelda, Undertail. You can watch the conversation on our Youtube channel at this link:
RECOMMENDATIONS!
The British comedy, Sex Education (Netflix) is rife with metamodern components to its plot. Characters endure levels of embarrassment and vulnerability that can really only be felt-experienced in the crucible that is high school. Journalists writing about it seem to pick up on much that we would identify as metamodern about it, as in this bit:
"Sex Education can be placed within the popular new genre of “kind TV” – along with series such as Ted Lasso, Schitt’s Creek and Heartstopper. As series creator and lead writer Laurie Nunn said to the press ahead of season four: 'I hope that in some way it feels a bit like a hug from the TV … a show that says it’s okay to be a bit different and to not always fit into the mould; that you can still love yourself and have a great life and great friendships.’ ” From: https://theconversation.com/sex-education-review-this-kind-comedy-climaxes-with-its-most-mature-and-progressive-series-yet-214029
Asteroid City, Wes Anderson’s latest feature film, is possibly his most Wes Andersony and his most metamodern. Warning: you may have to watch it twice to fully follow the plot due to the unusual structure of it! Available now for streaming.
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, also by Wes Anderson, the first of three short films he’s releasing on Netflix. Brilliant as a distillation of a Roald Dahl story (seemingly word for word), made metamodern by Anderson’s signature style of production. (Blow yourself away and watch this one time with the sound off!)
STAY TUNED!
Stay tuned for short articles in What Is Metamodern? on the Barbie movie (by Greg) and on Barbenheimer, the cultural phenomenon (by Linda)!
By the way…
In July, Greg was interviewed by Pablo Maillé for the French magazine Usbek & Rica for his views on the metamodernness of the Barbie movie (tip: It’s in French, but Chrome’s translate feature seems to translates it most readily)
All the best,
Linda Ceriello
Greg Dember