Postmodernism is a multifaceted movement that challenges grand narratives and traditional hierarchies. It is characterized by self-reflexivity, irony, and the deliberate erosion of the distinction between 'high' art and 'low' or popular culture, making all the provided options accurate descriptors of its core tenets.

Postmodernism is defined by its skepticism toward 'grand narratives' or universal truths (Lyotard). It frequently employs pastiche—the imitation or borrowing of past styles—to deconstruct historical continuity. By rejecting monolithic master narratives, postmodern works emphasize fragmentation, irony, and the subjective nature of historical and cultural representation.

Jorge Luis Borges' 'The Library of Babel' is a seminal work of metafiction. It presents a universe conceived as a vast, interconnected library containing every possible book, organized into hexagonal galleries. The story explores themes of infinity, the limits of human knowledge, and the nature of reality. It is a cornerstone of postmodern and modernist literature, challenging traditional narrative structures and philosophical assumptions about order and chaos.

Linda Hutcheon is a seminal theorist known for defining 'historiographic metafiction' within postmodern literature. Jean Baudrillard is a key postmodern philosopher famous for his concepts of hyperreality and simulacra. Thomas Hobbes, however, was a 17th-century political philosopher associated with social contract theory and the Enlightenment, making him chronologically and ideologically distinct from the postmodern movement.

Critics of mass media often argue that television, by presenting a curated and often sensationalized version of events, can lead to a sense of detachment or apathy among viewers. This perspective suggests that the constant consumption of televised images may desensitize individuals to the complexities and urgent realities of the actual world, fostering a passive rather than an active engagement with society.

In postmodern theory, particularly as discussed by Jean Baudrillard and referenced by scholars like Felluga, a simulacrum is a copy that has no original. It represents a state where the distinction between reality and representation collapses, meaning the signifier replaces the reality it was meant to signify.

Magical realism integrates supernatural elements into mundane settings as if they were ordinary. It was indeed coined by Franz Roh in 1925 to describe a style of painting, later applied to literature. It distinguishes itself from fantasy by treating the magical as an inherent part of reality rather than an external, escapist phenomenon.

Postmodern literature is characterized by a rejection of grand narratives and a focus on fragmentation. Black humor is often used to address serious or taboo subjects with levity, while metafiction draws attention to the artificiality of the text itself, reminding the reader that they are engaging with a constructed narrative rather than reality.