INTRODUCTION TO CASE STUDY: Institution of Community Community is an American television comedy series created by Dan Harmon that premiered

on September 17, 2009 on N C! "he series #ollo$s a %roup o# students at a community colle%e in the #ictional locale o# &reendale, Colorado! "he series heavily uses meta'humor and pop culture re#erences, o#ten parodyin% #ilm and television clich(s and tropes! Community has received acclaim #rom critics, bein% ran)ed in several critics* lists o# the %reatest television series o# 2010 and 2011, and has %ained a cult #ollo$in%! +ocated mainly in a community colle%e! Views Season 1 ' ,mil Season 2 ' -!-mil Season . ' -mil Season - ' .!,mil +on%er the sho$ / +ess 0ie$s "his could be due to the sho$ becomin% more postmodern $ith each season1episode! Website N C has a $ebsites $ith all sorts o# content to interact the audience $ith the characters such as '&ames ' Abed*s 2op Culture 3e#erences, 2aintball Assassin, etc! 'Social #eeds such as 4nsta%ram, 5aceboo), "$itter, "umblr 6&45S17emes8 'Character bio%raphies 9ebisodes: ehind the scenes o# the pro%rams characters 6Not the usual actor himsel#8! 9e be%in to see the characters to a personal level than ;ust on normal episodes! "he Community Colle%e Chronicles ' Creates audience hierarchy ' encoura%es the audiences to deconstruct the hyper reality themselves! Official !een"ale Website Complete $ebsite #or &reendale as i# its a 3<A+ Colle%e $ith events, blo%s, ne$sletters, student spotli%hts includin% the characters #rom the sho$! 7a)in% them loo) normal and the colle%e real! C#a!acte!s <ach characters has a related bac)%round ho$ever all #rom di##erent cultures, all types o# cultures to be e=act 6+4S" "H<78! $eff Win%e!, an e='la$yer $ho enrols at &reendale to obtain a real bachelor*s de%ree! 3yan Seacrest loo)'ali)e! 6+<AD<38 &!itta 'e!!y, anarchist activist $ho travelled around the $orld a#ter droppin% out o# hi%h school! Annie E"ison( the youn%est o# the %roup, a compulsive over'achiever, relentlessly or%ani>ed and comparatively innocent! T!oy &a!nes( a #ormer hi%h school star ?uarterbac) $ho lost his scholarship to a top'tier university $hen he separated both shoulders doin% a )e% #lip! Abe" Na"i! a 2alestinian'2olish #ilm student $ith an encyclopaedic )no$led%e o# "0 sho$s and movies! S#i!ley &ennett( a sin%le mother and vocal Christian %oin% to school to start a bro$nie business! 'ie!ce )awt#o!ne( a millionaire $ho enrols at &reendale out o# boredom! &en C#an% $ho is currently )no$n as @evin, $as a #ormer teacher, student and security %uard at &reendale Community Colle%e! 'ostmo"e!nism in TV 2ostmodernism also )no$n as 2o'7o isn*t really a simple theory, its more o# a set o# idea used to describe the $ay in $hich culture and cultural re#erences have been produced in the late t$entieth and early #irst'centuries!

"elevision represents the pinnacle o# mass'produced popular culture and e=hibits many o# the postmodern moti#s shared by other art #orms, includin% pastiche, satire, interte=tuality etc! 4n its resistance to simpliAcation or %eneralisation, "0 is sometimes seen as one o# the clearest embodiments o# postmodernism! 4t is seen as central to the e=plosion o# consumer culture / unli)e 7odernist Art, $hich $as thou%ht to be characterised by Binte%rity, authenticity and ori%inalityC and there#ore stood a%ainst capitalism and consumerism, "0 o#ten #ocuses on these ideolo%ies! Dim Collins states: B"0 is #re?uently re#erred to as one o# the main )inds o# postmodern culture!C Additionally, Dean'5rancois +yotard su%%ests that %rand narratives li)e reli%ion, science, 7ar=ism and capitalism no lon%er have the same importance in our lives! "he concept that pro%ress and the arts, technolo%y and )no$led%e $ould lead to a %reater %ood is no$ bein% ?uestioned by postmodernists and is e=ploited in various #orms o# media, such as television! Community as 'ostmo"e!n 7ultiple theories #rom people such as: Dean audrilliard Dean'5rancois +yotard 5riedrich Dameson Donathan 5ra>en 1 'Sel# re#le=ivity 67eta8 Community is consistently sel# a$are, not only o# the %enres are tropes it portrays but also o# itsel# as a sho$! Abed is the #ocal point o# this: throu%h his EdelusionsE about li#e bein% li)e "0, he constantly reminds the audience that they*re $atchin% a "0 sho$ throu%h his re#erences, his EdirectionsE to the other %roup members, and the li)e! Abed*s #ilms are smaller versions o# the sho$ as a $hole li)e a #ractal narrative! 2 ' 2arody12astiche 6 orro$in%17imic)in% another $or), usually to celebrate8 34CF+A&< Community brea) the #ourth $all as the characters in the sho$ remind the audience that they are $atchin% a "0 Sho$! Characters literally become apart o# the %enre1sho$ that they*re parodyin% to the point that the divisions bet$een the t$o blur, community isn*t ;ust per#ormin% , say a video %ame the characters literally become the video %ame characters! Action 5ilms Fld 9estern &lee Star 9ars 7a#ia +a$ G Frder Hombies Dun%eons and Dra%ons 7uppets and many more "ransmedia storytellin% on t$itter $ith IAnnies7ove, a narrative #rom the sho$ e=panded, e=plored and interactive $ith social media! "he history o# the sho$Js creation itsel# is relatively interte=tual, bein% based on the li#e o# the sho$Js $riter Dan Harmon! Another thin% that blurs the line is the BFld9hite7anSaysC t$itter account! 9hat is simultaneously a ;o)e on the sho$ and an actual t$itter accountK the lines #rom the sho$ are broadcast live durin% the playin% o# each ne$ episode! 4t is also a #act that an episode or pilot o#

Community $as released e=clusively as a t$itter conversation bet$een the actors playin% the rolls online! . ' 5au= "0 G 7ovies <ach season o# community has an episode o# moc)umentary e!%! Abed tries to ma)e a movie about a EDesus #or a post'postmodern $orldE $ith himsel# starrin% as Desus! "here are also several #au= "0 Sho$s based on real "0 sho$s such as 4nspector Spacetime 6 ased on Doctor 9ho8 and Cou%arto$n Abbey 6 ased on Do$nton Abbey8! Creatin% somethin% #a)e based on somethin% real is a )ey component o# postmodernism! Abed did an appearance on the real Cou%ar "o$n $ith his real character #rom Community, lin)s to t$o sho$s to%ether ' #eels as i# Community is real li#e and that there are di##erence stories %oin% on in the $orld that Abed or any o# the characters can enter, t$o sho$s share a #ictional $orld! "he Seacrest ;o)e is actually an interte=tual re#erence to Doel 7cHaleJs $or) as the host o# "he Soup, $here he $as the bud o# the same ;o)e! "his blurs the line bet$een #iction and reality as $ell, havin% the same character played across several "0 sho$s! 4n this case Abed $ith Cou%ar "o$n! - ' 2attern 3eco%nition13epetition uilt on an episode #ormat, story patterns is one o# the core concepts o# sitcoms! Ho$ever Community turns this on its head by commentin% on its Epattern reco%nitionE as $ell as #indin% ne$ and stran%e patterns to #ollo$ e!%! an <aster e%% $hich is a hidden surprised #or vie$ers $ho are playin% close attention! eattle;uice appears a#ter the characters say his name three timesL "his )ind o# cross'episode repetition is postmodern: not to mention they*re summonin% a pop' culture icon into their sho$! "hey also comment on their use o# particular pattern reco%nition! , ' theory o# Commentary' 7uch li)e 5ran>en*s 5reedom, Community is ;ust as much a commentary on postmodernism as it is a celebration o# it! E4*m ;ust li)e that 62ulp 5iction'themed8 $allet! Fn the sur#ace a re#erence to some cinematic drive, but on the inside' empty 6Abed ' Critical 5ilm Studies8! Commentary on pop'culture driven culture, a culture that absorbs media as a postmodern culture! M ' 9hat 9orld is thisN &reendale Community Colle%e has its o$n set o# la$s that sets it apart #rom the re%ular1actual $orld! y creatin% these speci#ic E&reendale +a$sE Community is %ivin% its )ey settin% its o$n $orlds, a $orld $ith its o$n rules! 9hich are o#ten s)e$ed versions o# the real $orlds rules! "he sho$ is basically as)in% the audiences, E9hat $orld is thisNE 6 AC@ "F CHA3AC"<3 24C"O3<S8 Contradiction Community is about a set o# contradictory mis#it characters! De## ' #ather #i%ure $ho*s most childli)e! ritta ' the inactive activist Annie ' the innocent e='dru% addict! "roy ' "he ;oc) $ho every loo)s up to, #a)ed his o$n in;ury so he didn*t have to do a #ootball scholarship and didn*t $ant anyone else to )no$! Abed ' "he loner $ho*s com#ortable in his sense o# sel# and his solitude! Ho$ever most easily spo)en character in the series!

Shirley ' the )ind lady $ith e=treme conservative reli%ious values! 2ierce ' Fldest o# the %roup ho$ever doesn*t illustrate a lot o# intelli%ence or li#e e=periences! en Chan% ' 9ants to be in the %roup ho$ever never #eels li)e he is, ho$ever he is the person $ho connected the %roup $ith #lyers! 7 ' Fther 2ostmodern Aspects Community con#ronts the 7eta narrative o# #amily by replacin% it $ith a study %roup and the 7eta narrative o# education throu%h a boo) learnin% settin% $hich is dys#unctional at best! Community deconstructs the idea o# #amily, $hich $as so prevalent throu%hout 5ran>en*s 5reedom! y ma)in% the study %roup the E#amilyE and then havin% them be a contradictory one 6De## is the #ather #i%ure, but is actually the most sel#'conscious and emotionally #ra%ileK De## and ritta are the EparentsE but never actually %et to%ether beyond hoo)'ups, etc8 Community does a$ay $ith the core "0 concept o# #amily $hich has prevailed on so many sitcoms, even postmodern ones''the most obvious e=ample bein% "he Simpsons! "he use o# interte=tuality $ithin the narrative o# the sho$ is an interestin% commentary on the characterJs inability to e=perience their $orld as PrealJ, instead seein% everythin% throu%h the #ilter o# popular cultural re#erences! <ven the introduction to the sho$ calls ?uestion to the e=istence to the sho$! Notice the lyrics E4 can*t count the reasons 4 should stay, one by one they all ;ust #ade a$ayE! Q ' 2hoto o# Community <ach episode o# Community presents the #amiliar'but'ne$: the random social %roup as the #amilyK the #ather'#i%ure $ho is in #act a childK or the hero $ho does not transcend or dismiss his odd, nerdy #riends, but #inds a home $ith them! "his sense o# a *Community* is postmodern in itsel#, and is #urther emphasi>ed by the simplistic title o# the sho$ $hich relates to the sayin% *4t does $hat it says on the tin* ' $hich in turn, is ?uite a postmodern phrase! 4s Community 2ostmodernN E4nstead, Community sho$s that the only honest thin% to do a#ter postmodernism is to assert that even thou%h you )no$ itJs all constructed, arbitrary and ultimately Pnot realJ, you have to believe in somethin% any$ay!E Community presents 2o7o concepts and then connects to the audience emotionally! 2o7o is an spectacle, a avant %arde piece o# theater $hich means that it has trouble $ith emotional depth or connection: somethin% 2o7o critics o#ten comment on such as 5ran>en! Does that ma)e EemotionalE 2o7o post'postmodernN "his blend o# 2o7o concepts and emotional connection is $hat de#ines Community, ma)in% it the "0 sho$ #or the post'postmodern $orld! Community isn*t actually a sitcom! Community, instead, is a $ee)ly satire o# the sitcom %enre, a spoo# o# pop culture in %eneral, and an occasionally pro#ound criti?ue o# ho$ livin% in mass media society can mess up human relationships in the real $orld!

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