A NEW SINCERITY: A BRIEF EXAMINATION ON METAMODERNISM
Mesciu Gigi Fall / Winter 2023
In 1993, David Foster Wallace offered a supposition on art, its function, and its state at that time: “In dark times, the definition of good art would seem to be art that locates and applies CPR to those elements of what's human and magical that still live and glow despite the times' darkness.” The late 20th century marked the zenith of postmodernism, an era characterized by irony, skepticism, and detachment. Artists, writers, and thinkers engaged in a relentless deconstruction of meaning, attempting to analytically disassemble the systems and structures that had led to a world replete with inequality, chaos, and discrimination. This cynical, derisive attitude – often expressed in art by ironic detachment – permeated every aspect of culture, leading to a sense of disillusionment and hopelessness. What Foster Wallace proposes is not a rejection of these modalities of dismantling and rupture, but rather a meticulous rehabilitation of the structures and systems that have been torn down. This theoretical framework can be best understood through the lens of metamodernism. Emerging as a reaction to the limitations of postmodernism, metamodernism acknowledges and engages with the faults and deficiencies of the past while offering a new map toward progress and meaning.
Metamodernist theory suggests an oscillation between sincerity and irony. Unlike postmodernism's embrace of irony as a form of critique, metamodernism holds that irony alone is destructive. Metamodernism recognizes the need for irony and the importance of engaging, measured criticism, but it also asserts the need for sincerity and its genuine connection to emotions, experiences, and human authenticity. The TV series "BoJack Horseman" is a strong example of this exploration of sincerity. The titular character, BoJack, grapples with an array of emotions and deep-seated insecurities while the show maintains a layer of satirical humor. This balance allows the audience to engage with BoJack's struggles on both an emotional and critical level, highlighting the toxic condition of mental health that pervades our culture while also emphasizing the deep need for rehabilitation.
While the oscillation between satire and sincerity offers a potential path toward new meaning, it also simply reflects the complexities and contradictions of contemporary life. Metamodernism does not suggest a specific answer to what the next chapter of meaning will look like in the anthropological narrative. It is merely the vehicle that will get us to that stage of discovery. Thus, it embraces ambiguity and the idea that multiple perspectives can coexist. It may seem contradictory to offer the acceptance of ignorance and uncertainty as a catalyst for knowledge and meaning, but perhaps it is the most plausible solution. Perhaps it is the necessary solution.
Metamodernist theory suggests an oscillation between sincerity and irony. Unlike postmodernism's embrace of irony as a form of critique, metamodernism holds that irony alone is destructive. Metamodernism recognizes the need for irony and the importance of engaging, measured criticism, but it also asserts the need for sincerity and its genuine connection to emotions, experiences, and human authenticity. The TV series "BoJack Horseman" is a strong example of this exploration of sincerity. The titular character, BoJack, grapples with an array of emotions and deep-seated insecurities while the show maintains a layer of satirical humor. This balance allows the audience to engage with BoJack's struggles on both an emotional and critical level, highlighting the toxic condition of mental health that pervades our culture while also emphasizing the deep need for rehabilitation.
While the oscillation between satire and sincerity offers a potential path toward new meaning, it also simply reflects the complexities and contradictions of contemporary life. Metamodernism does not suggest a specific answer to what the next chapter of meaning will look like in the anthropological narrative. It is merely the vehicle that will get us to that stage of discovery. Thus, it embraces ambiguity and the idea that multiple perspectives can coexist. It may seem contradictory to offer the acceptance of ignorance and uncertainty as a catalyst for knowledge and meaning, but perhaps it is the most plausible solution. Perhaps it is the necessary solution.