After Postmodernism | 8. Metamodern Synthesis

Here I look at all the ways of understanding the metamodern turn in culture and show how they are all actually versions of the same phenomenon. Whether we call it "oscillation," "dialectical synthesis," "complexity," or "MHC stage," the same process of recursive reflection has caused a sensibility shift, as people are now able to critique on postmodern criticism and deconstruct its deconstruction. The result is a reconstructive project that reaffirms sincerity, hope, and a paradoxical authenticity. I use a clip from Bo Burnham's comedy 'Inside' as exemplary.

For more on this approach to metamodernism, see my 2024 book 'Metamodernism: Or, The Cultural Logic of Cultural Logics' (ARC Press).