Welcome to the Apocalypse, Brought to You by Satan, Spotify, and Social Media

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If you’ve ever felt like your brain is a browser with 200 tabs open and half of them are playing cryptic Radiohead lyrics

congrats, you’re already living inside a postmodern narrative. Whether it’s John Milton’s Paradise Lost, a Tool music video where creatures perform IKEA surgery, or Thom Yorke whispering hauntings into your AirPods, the world is weird,

fragmented, and refusing to explain itself. And honestly? That’s kind of the point. Welcome to postmodernism, where meaning is subjective, reality is up for debate, and Satan might just be the most relatable character in your English class.

Paradise Lost: Satan, the Original Postmodern Antihero

Next, let’s talk about Paradise Lost by John Milton. Now, some of you might be thinking, “Really? A 17th-century epic about the Fall of Man? How does this relate to my TikTok feed?” Well, buckle up, because Milton’s Paradise Lost is like the original postmodern text, and Satan is, like, the OG antihero. Forget about the old “good vs. evil” trope. Milton gives us a Satan who says, “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven,” which is, honestly, a mood. And if we’re being real, postmodernism LOVES that. In this world of shifting perspectives, absolute truths are out the window, and Satan becomes the ultimate rebel, questioning the system in a way that makes

you go, “Is this guy the villain? Or is he just misunderstood?” As I said in Comment #1, “Satan is the guy to go to if you want to talk about black humor. He’s fully fallen from heaven, and instead of going ‘oh nooooo,’ he’s like ‘actually, I’m the CEO of Hell now.’” That’s classic postmodern irreverence he’s self-aware, ironic, and playing 4D chess with existentialism. The entire narrative is fragmented, with different points of view and conflicting truths, and Milton’s use of elevated diction makes everything sound super important, even when Satan’s just being a moody teenager. Postmodernism loves this because it’s all about challenging those “absolute” truths and embracing ambiguity.

Tool’s Schism: When Metal Meets Philosophy (and it’s Totally Perfect)

And now for something a little more modern: Tool’s Schism. If postmodernism were a song, Schism would be it. This song is like that one conversation you have at 3 AM when you’re not sure if you’re talking about the meaning of life or just whether pineapple belongs on pizza. The song is cryptic, layered, and, well... chaotic. There’s no clear meaning, but isn’t that the point? Tool doesn’t just sing about confusion; they make you feel it. The lyrics like “I know the pieces fit” seem to suggest that everything is falling apart, but good luck figuring out how to put it all back together. And it’s not just the lyrics that are mind-boggling; the music video for Schism feels like a fever dream where aliens are assembling IKEA furniture in some dystopian factory. As I said in Comment #3, “It’s like a breakup song for people who read philosophy at 2 AM and cry into their lava lamps.” The postmodern absurdity hits hard with the aesthetic chaos and emotional entropy. Tool’s use of intertextuality and pastiche brings together old ideas about alienation, spiritual loss, and communication breakdown, and wraps them in a pretty metal package.

Radiohead’s “There, There”: Spooky, but Make It Postmodern

Speaking of cryptic music, Radiohead’s There, There is like a haunted walk through the woods while trying to figure out how existential dread works. The song takes ancient folklore, sprinkles in some anxiety, and somehow creates a soundscape that makes you want to curl up in bed and also think about the universe. The song pulls from British mythology (talking animals, forests, ghostly presences), but it’s all mixed up with postmodern themes like fragmented

narratives, no resolution, and a ton of ambiguity. The lyrics? Vague, repetitive, and downright eerie. Radiohead isn’t just singing a song, they’re creating an experience. Internal Connection: In Comment #2, I wrote: “It’s like a postmodern bedtime story if your nightmares were directed by Studio Ghibli and co-produced by climate anxiety.” Radiohead doesn’t just sing a song they create a whole forest full of vibes, none of which are stable or trust worthy. You don’t know if you should be comforted or terrified, and postmodernism loves that kind of emotional chaos.

Haidt’s “The Stupidity of Modern Life”: We Are All the Tower of Babel Now

Finally, we have Jonathan Haidt’s essay, Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid. In this, Haidt talks about how modern life is like a real-life Tower of Babel, where everyone is yelling their truths on social media, and no one can agree on what’s real anymore. It’s fragmented, it’s chaotic, and it’s 100% postmodern. Haidt uses

the biblical story of Babel to comment on how technology has given us all a voice but has also splintered us into a million different truths. In postmodern terms, Haidt is saying that truth has become relative, subjective, and no longer universal. Social media is like the Tower of Babel, but instead of trying to build something beautiful, we’re just shouting past each other in a sea of misinformation. It’s confusing, and honestly, it makes you want to pull a “Satan” and say, “Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven,” or at least turn off your phone.

Conclusion: Postmodernism, It’s Like That Friend Who Makes You Think, but Also Makes You Question Everything

In conclusion, postmodernism isn’t just a philosophical concept; it’s a lens through which we can understand art, music, and even the way we live. It’s about questioning everything, whether it’s a 17th-century epic, a metal song, or even our society. It’s fragmented, confusing, and often leaves us with more questions than answers, but that’s exactly why it’s so powerful. So, the next time you’re listening to Radiohead or reading Tim O’Brien, just remember: Postmodernism is here to make you think... and maybe drive you a little crazy in the process.

Golden Nugget :

Let’s be real everyone in this blog is going through it. Satan? Just got fired from Heaven and is now doing a dramatic rebrand as Hell’s hottest CEO. Radiohead? Wandering through an enchanted anxiety forest whispering “nothing is real.” Tool? Literally watching their emotional life fall apart like IKEA furniture without the instructions. And society, according to The Social Dilemma? Yeah, we’re all basically one algorithm away from thinking our dog is a government spy.

What ties it all together? Existential whiplash.Nobody knows who they are, where they are, or what even is. And that’s peak postmodernism everyone's spiraling, but at least they're doing it with vibes.

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