Metta World Blog:
What is Meta-Moderism and where did it come from?
Meta-modernism is a term that appeared as early as 1975 to describe the burgeoning attitudes in American literature that started to emerge in the 1950s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamodernism). Around 1999/2000, meta-modernism was re-defined, and currently defined as the marriage between both modernism and post-modernism. In his Huffington Post article entitled, Metamodernism: The Basics, Seth Abramson describes it that is:
“Seeks to collapse distances, especially the distance between things that seem to be opposites, to recreate a sense of wholeness that allows us to — in the lay sense — transcend our environment and move forward with the aim of creating positive change in our communities and the world.”
Not as avant-garde as modernism, and not as cynical as post-modernism, this movement seems to understand its almost tongue in cheek quality, bridging distances of what seems to be opposites.
The figureheads for this self-aware meshing of this paradoxical time is none other than home and lifestyle mogul Martha Stewart and Hip Hop icon Snoop Dogg, who have turned their unlikely friendship into a show cooking show on VH1, entitled Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party.
As Snoop told the Hollywood Reporter, “My homegirl, Martha, and I have a special bond that goes back. We’re gonna be cooking, drinking and having a good time with our exclusive friends, can’t wait for you to see how we roll together!” The bringing of two pop-culture icons from both the modernism and post-modernism era could only equal meta-modernism.
The “meta” of this show is unmistakable, with its meta-modernism title treatment as Martha’s name is in a modernist ultra-thin Helvetica font and Snoop’s in a post-modernist rebellious use of Old English script. Furthermore, the homonym use of the word “Pot” in potluck, referring to the obvious potluck dinner which is the premise of the show, and the not so obvious reference to Snoop Dogg and his open usage of marijuana, Pot. In addition, the show is airing the once adult easy-listening music channel, turned hip adult generation x-ers easy-watching pop-culture channel.
Not quite the match made in heaven as peanut butter and jelly or Kool-Aid and sugar, this pairing is the physical embodiment of meta-modernism. Where the two do not belong together, this unique match comes their defining criteria. Martha Stewart, who took crafting and cooking to levels beyond the shackles of what it had been in history, and branded herself as the reigning queen of all things home. Proving her business acumen to be almost too savvy, she gained her “street cred” by being sentenced to prison for insider trading. Still, her career remained untarnished from this stint, rather her perseverance has maintained. This is possibly what made her friendship with rapper Snoop Dogg the quirky case that it appears. Earning his “street cred” before show-biz cred, Snoop Dogg has equally become a pop-cultural icon in his own right producing content on all platform, music, movies and television, as he is executive producer of upcoming scripted comedy Mary + Jane, upcoming on MTV.
When the concept of meta-modernism comes together in a near physical sense, the appeal is obvious with a strong sense of curiosity. There is a delightful sense of optimism in this concept that keeps with the meta-modernist tradition, yet self-aware that this is perhaps just silly enough to work. How can modernism and post-modernism come together and work along side? We’ll have to tune in to see, however, it should be noted that just as Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg’s friendship runs long with a noted history, so too, has the relationship both modernist movements hold in becoming meta-modernist.
