What would Fredric Jameson say about the Simpsons' version of Monalisa?

This caricature of Monalisa captures the essence of postmodernism, as it blends high-culture with populist art, or art that is consumed by a mass audience. The art reproduction based on DaVinci's great, also encompasses what the current society is all about: pure capitalism.

Unlike older modernism, that basically went against any Victorian influence and favored a more rebellious, anti-social approach to art; this piece embraces and copies a classic, making it accessible to a wider audience. This is a predominant feature of Postmodernism, it does not discriminate against a particular style or period in history, it strives to absorb and coexist with a wide range of styles. Postmodern art has become much like a business and like any other business, its ultimate goal is to attract the largest possible number of consumers; in order to do that, it is constantly after the novel and therefore, other artistic ideologies have become secondary.

This piece appeared on a Simpson's episode, a show that has been for years now, embodying the stereotype of the postmodern American family, while reaching an average of 7 million viewers nightly. It is no surprise that this TV show appeals to the post modern individual. Its self deprecating nature pokes fun at our current ultra consumerist capitalist ways, without forcing us to deeply evaluate nor deny them. While this particular Mona Lisa reproduction may seem offensive to an older modernist, because of its crude features and colors, or because it makes a mockery of a classic master; it does not scandalize, nor concretely affects our current, postmodern society, which is used and rather complacent to shock value.

Our culture has accepted, embraced and surrendered to capitalism, the late capitalism, which has shaped the minds and styles of artists in all spectrum. The Simpson show is postmodern art, according to Jameson, and so is this very piece. It considers our current reality over any abstract ideology. It appeals to the practical, economic-minded society that is multinational and globalized. I would dare to say it is beautiful, as I ignore its stylistic value in favor of what it means, as it reflects our contemporary historical period.