30 ms·

I always short-circuit McLuhan, 'the medium is the message' at its logical extreme really means that... the message is McLuhan, the concerted pr campaign descri

I always short-circuit McLuhan, 'the medium is the message' at its logical extreme really means that... the message is McLuhan, the concerted pr campaign described in this article would back this up.

adpoe 10y ago
I do like McLuhan's work, and there's more to it than that sound byte--though it's very memorable. He has a pretty wide body of literature, and some of the more interesting aspects of it are about how technology (especially media) become an extension of the nervous system and body itself. (Of course this logical extreme is hive mind, singularity, etc...) One of the other more interesting points (that has seemed more or less accurate) is that connecting the world via communication technology returns man to a mentality more like our tribal ancestors (I.e. 'the global village'). He also has some very interesting narratives about how new technologies create pain as they are introduced to the world, going back to stirrups, the printing press, and other historical examples. Some of his books are full of illustrations and are generally very strange and forward thinking; most of all, McLuhan was an extremely creative person with an agile mind and mischievous sense of humor. You can get the sense that much of what he did was trolling the media & academia at some level. And that's where his quirky PR personality comes in. Above all, he was enjoying himself and his 30minutes of fame. Nothing wrong with that!
- beautifulfreak 10y ago
  His use of language always made me wonder if I had understood any particular point he made. It seems so vague and uncertain. I get the same thing from Buckminster Fuller's writing, or Marcuse. Abstractions of abstractions. This explanation of his rise to fame at least helps me understand why he was considered important. It also helps explain his appearance in Annie Hall. He was doing PR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wWUc8BZgWE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wWUc8BZgWE
anigbrowl 10y ago
Have you actually read Understanding Media? It's a slim book but it was a slow read for me because it was so densely packed with solid ideas. McLuhan was writing in the 1960s but he was envisioning something very like today's world.
- chillingeffect 10y ago
  Yes I often wish he had the chance to witness the internet, including facebook. It's true we've become a global village.

I always short-circuit McLuhan, 'the medium is the message' at its logical extreme really means that... the message is McLuhan, the concerted pr campaign described in this article would back this up.

adpoe 10y ago

I do like McLuhan's work, and there's more to it than that sound byte--though it's very memorable. He has a pretty wide body of literature, and some of the more interesting aspects of it are about how technology (especially media) become an extension of the nervous system and body itself. (Of course this logical extreme is hive mind, singularity, etc...) One of the other more interesting points (that has seemed more or less accurate) is that connecting the world via communication technology returns man to a mentality more like our tribal ancestors (I.e. 'the global village'). He also has some very interesting narratives about how new technologies create pain as they are introduced to the world, going back to stirrups, the printing press, and other historical examples. Some of his books are full of illustrations and are generally very strange and forward thinking; most of all, McLuhan was an extremely creative person with an agile mind and mischievous sense of humor. You can get the sense that much of what he did was trolling the media & academia at some level. And that's where his quirky PR personality comes in. Above all, he was enjoying himself and his 30minutes of fame. Nothing wrong with that!

beautifulfreak 10y ago
His use of language always made me wonder if I had understood any particular point he made. It seems so vague and uncertain. I get the same thing from Buckminster Fuller's writing, or Marcuse. Abstractions of abstractions. This explanation of his rise to fame at least helps me understand why he was considered important. It also helps explain his appearance in Annie Hall. He was doing PR. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wWUc8BZgWE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wWUc8BZgWE

anigbrowl 10y ago

Have you actually read Understanding Media? It's a slim book but it was a slow read for me because it was so densely packed with solid ideas. McLuhan was writing in the 1960s but he was envisioning something very like today's world.

chillingeffect 10y ago
Yes I often wish he had the chance to witness the internet, including facebook. It's true we've become a global village.