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newmediaraces
Drafts
Most important aspects of “The Medium is the Message” Overall, the most important statements of McLuhan’s text: 1. - The medium is the message. 2. - The content of any medium is always another medium. 3. - The content of the medium blinds us to the character of the medium. 4. - The medium is an amputation or extension of one’s being. 5. - Change (caused by unknown media) does not depend upon approval or disapproval of those, living in the society. The first five – and most important – statements of the text, except one, can be found on the first two pages. Still, the following pages reveal further important statements in regard of media and the power they behold. Medium and power: 1. “Three hostile newspapers are more to be feared than a thousand bayonets” (Napoleon) 2. “ any medium has the power of imposing its own assumption on the unwary. Prediction and control consist in avoiding this subliminal state of Narcissus trance. But the greatest aid to this end is simply in knowing that the spell can occur immediately upon contact, as in the first bars of a melody” (6). 3. “Since understanding stops action (…) we can moderate the fierceness of this conflict by understanding the media that extend us and raise these wars within and without us” (6). 4. “Submerging natives with floods of concepts for which nothing has prepared them is the normal action of all of our technology. But with electric media Western man himself experiences exactly the same inundation as the remote native. (…) We are as numb in our new electric world as the native involved in our literate and mechanical culture” (6 f). 5. Our conventional response to all media, namely that it is how they are used that counts, is the numb stance of the technological idiot. For the “content” of a medium is like the juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind” (7). 6. “The serious artist is the only person able to encounter technology with impunity, just because he is an expert aware of the changes in sense perception” (8). 7. “A man is not free if he cannot see where he is going, even if he has a gun to help him get there” (Liebling, 8).
Last, McLuhan brought aspects of time-period and the processing of information to the attention of the reader; most important: 1. “So the greatest of all reversals occurred with electricity, that ended sequence [linear connection] by making things instant [configuration]” (5). Questions that should help the reader to acquire a (new) perspective on the content of “The Medium is the Message”: “The medium is the message“. What are the key elements of McLuhan’s definition of the term “medium”? What is the difference between the terms “medium”, “message” and “content”; is there any? It helps to take the first five key facts into consideration. McLuhan mentions the “extension or amputation” of one’s being. What does he mean and how can it be applied to define a medium. McLuhan uses the simile of a machine that can either produce cars or corn flakes. How can that be used to understand the nature of a medium? Referring strictly to McLuhan, think of situations that might make a banana a medium. On page 7, right column McLuhan explains how a medium contains another; he uses the medium film to explain his ideas. On page 3, left column he traces the medium “written word” down to the medium “thought”. Assuming this theory to be right, what would you think to be the ultimate medium on TV-news. What does McLuhan mean with “the grammar of a medium”?
Do you agree with McLuhan that the content of a medium is unimportant in comparison with the medium? Assuming that you are familiar with the movie “The Matrix (the first episode)”, can one apply any of McLuhan’s ideas or concepts on the humans “plugged” to the machines? (Scenes from the film will be provided in class prior to the discussion) Assuming that you are familiar with the project “czesky sen”, do you find McLuhan’s ideas supported or contradicted? (Scenes from the film will be provided in class prior to the discussion) Assuming that you are familiar with the film “The Truman Show”, can one still speak of “being blind to the medium” from Truman’s perspective? (Scenes from the film will be provided in class prior to the discussion) Does the content of the internet in regard to the situation in Iraq blind us to the true medium? Assuming that you are familiar with the motion picture “Wag the Dog”, do you find the scenario portrayed in the film to be realistic or not. (Scenes from the film will be provided in class prior to the discussion) “Far more thought and care go into the composition of any prominent ad in a newspaper or magazine than go into the writing of their features and editorials” Analyze the quotation taken from the internet from the perspective of McLuhan. How do you think about that quotation in regard to the film project czesky sen?
McLuhan defines certain epochs. The characteristics he uses to differentiate them are media and their use. What are the three most important epochs and the media that differentiate them. Do you think, there is a new epoch starting now? What would be the medium
Thinking of any situation given – e.g. the situation in Iraq – what different media can you think of that might influence you and can you trace them back to the root?
Space for your comments and questionsFeel free to place comments and ask questions regarding the original text and the drafts:
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Comments (8)
admin said
at 3:25 pm on Oct 30, 2007
This is looking good! How do you like the template: Group Work? Is it making things easier or more difficult for you?
I like the picture.
admin said
at 3:26 pm on Oct 30, 2007
oh, that was me, J.Roering
admin said
at 3:32 pm on Nov 3, 2007
Very good job! Looks like it is going to be a very interesting class. One or two points that you should think about regarding your presentation: it would be a good idea to try to put McLuhan's statements into your own words when you are trying to explain his arguments to the class. I realize, that with something like "the medium is the message" this is hard to do, but the longer quotes can be broken down and simplified a bit I think.
Thats all for now.
J. Roering
admin said
at 4:11 pm on Nov 3, 2007
Additionally, when you quote directly, you should name the source and the page number. The bibliographical information is in the reader, just add it on and put page numbers next to the quotes. J.Roering
DerArmin said
at 2:02 pm on Nov 4, 2007
We have plans regarding the comments and remarks. We just felt that it is simpler to refer to quotations than to summeries in own words. This way people can find the passage in the text that we decides to be essential and want to put further emphasis on during class. Whether or not one can transfer the quotations from the text on real problems can be evaluated with the questions on the text.
In class we will try transfer the content of the text on "real" problems.
JuliaFr said
at 10:09 pm on Nov 6, 2007
First of all, we think that you have done a pretty good job. Still, there are some aspects that we would like to add.
You have covered most of the main ideas of the text; namely the thesis statement (statement 1), the character and impact of "content" (statement 2+3) and the definition of "medium" (statement 4). (But where is medium explicitly described as an "amputation"?) However, we do not approve statement 5 as a main aspect.
Instead, there are other points that we consider (more) essential for understanding the text that you have not mentioned. Firstly, you missed to give McLuhan´s definition of the term "message". According to him, "message" means the influence or change that a medium brings along. Secondly, it should be pointed out that the medium is therefore responsible for social and cultural consequences of which the author names numerous(!) examples. Thirdly, you could have gone further into detail concerning statement 3 by explaining the results of the described unawareness towards media.
Moreover, we would like to comment on the way you present the text in the wiki. You have chosen good quotes that reflect the main ideas of the text. Nevertheless, we would have preferred explanations in your own words (also as regards the most important statements) and less quotes. Although we read that you plan to emphasize on the listed quotes in class, you should offer your own understanding of the text in the wiki already. Your interpretation - along with a few quotes - would enable the reader to acquire a deeper comprehension of the text and create a profound basis for discussions in class.
Finally, your questions really test if the reader understood the text. They prove creativity and even go beyond the text.
Yet, we searched for your criticism on the text in vain. Do you totally agree with McLuhan? Do you not question any of his claims? We found some aspects that can be criticized and we are looking forward to discussing them in class.
Amanda&JuliaFr
DerArmin said
at 11:18 pm on Nov 6, 2007
Right; so we do have a further point to discuss in class: I do not agree that we missed out to give a proper description of McLuhan's definition of "message".
We will try to get deeper into how the content of a medium blinds us to the character of the medium in class. We hope for a better discussion if we do not post our reading in the wiki beforehand.
And yes, with the questions we wanted you guys to test yourself to what regard you have understood the meaning of the text and prepare (counter)arguments for the discussion. We think that understanding means to be able to apply the knowledge by transferring it on a new problem.
"There is simply nothing in the Sarnoff statement that will bear scrutiny, for it ignores the nature of the medium, of any and all media, in the true Narcissus style of one hypnotized by the amputation and extension of his own being in a new technical form" (4).
Manuel said
at 7:58 pm on Nov 7, 2007
Good job, indeed.
You mentioned most of McLuhan`s key arguments. Nevertheless, there are a few aspects we want to comment on:
It cannot be denied that “the medium is the message” is McLuhan’s most important statement as it is even the title of the text. We can call it the thesis of the text. In a way, all the other arguments mentioned in the text are subordinated to this claim.
Thus, you should have mentioned another two important arguments which support the thesis statement very directly: firstly, the explanation of the medium’s message which is the medium’s impact on society ( that’s why the thesis is so important to society) and secondly the irrelevance of the medium’s content in this respect (that’s why the thesis is revolutionary).
In your second part, you refer to the power the media behold, but it does not become really clear what kind of power they actually have. You should have paraphrased McLuhan’s thoughts here in order to make them more comprehensive (don’t just quote!). You could have concentrated on the arguments stating that we have to understand the media if we want to realize its influence on us (that is your third statement: “Since understanding stops action…”) and the fact that until then we have failed to understand the media’s power (your second and fifth statement: “…imposing its own assumption on the unwary…state of Narcissus trance”, “…our conventional response…numb stance of the technological idiot” etc.). The rest consists only of examples which illustrate these points. Especially the quotation from Napoleon is not a statement made by McLuhan!!.
The questions are worked out excellently and sound really interesting and demanding. They are likely to lead to an interesting discussion in the next lesson.
Manuel, Julia Fl., Moritz, Doris
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