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Abstract

A reoccurring theme within adult animated texts is the philosophy of nihilism and existentialism to emphasise the comedic elements for a postmodern audience. The changing nature of culture means that media texts have had to develop towards a genre that new audiences will grow to love, and therefore attempt different techniques. This paper will outline the ways in which animated series aimed at an adult audience utilise nihilistic themes and existential concepts to critique our postmodern society, and the techniques they choose to incorporate. Drawing upon concepts such as parasocial interaction and interpellation, parallels will be drawn between the use of postmodern critique within popular animated texts, and the effects nihilistic themes have on their audiences. By casting a particular focus on case studies Rick and Morty (2013) and BoJack Horseman (2014), the aim of this dissertation is to outline the ways in which postmodern animated series can be located and understood.

Course: Media Studies - BA (Hons) - C1346

Date Deposited: 2022-08-10

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis13986.html