5Media Intertextuality

In this chapter we look at the concept of intertextuality and explore its role in Media Studies through:

  • mimicry
  • parody, pastiche and homage
  • marketing of media texts
  • the treatment of fictional soap opera stories in the tabloid press
  • reviews of media texts in other media forms
  • media performers as brands.

One of the pleasures that audiences experience in the consumption of media texts is the joy of recognition. One form of this pleasure comes in recognising the reference in one media text to other media texts. This process of referencing is called intertextuality. In a media-saturated culture like Britain today, opportunities for intertextual reference abound. With so much airtime to fill and so much space in print ...

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