Difference between revisions of "Salient Points from "McLuhan's Wake""

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oA “tool maker”
oA “tool maker”
   
   
 Scene with Hunters: Tools extend senses
 Scene with Hunters: Tools extend senses


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 Alphabet: Made up of bits that are meaningless
 Alphabet: Made up of bits that are meaningless
 We shape tools in our own image, and in turn they shape us (i.e. reflection of glass on window, car seats, etc.)
 We shape tools in our own image, and in turn they shape us (i.e. reflection of glass on window, car seats, etc.)
o Ex.: “Shhh!  The library is not a skating rink!”
o Ex.: “Shhh!  The library is not a skating rink!”
 The things you make, they sometimes mimic you.  Extensions of ourselves (i.e. cars)
 The things you make, they sometimes mimic you.  Extensions of ourselves (i.e. cars)
 Definition of “Narcissus”:  Drugged; Numb
 Definition of “Narcissus”:  Drugged; Numb
o Narcissus fell in love with the image of himself, as a result of seeing his reflection, (though it was not actually himself he was falling in love with)
o Narcissus fell in love with the image of himself, as a result of seeing his reflection, (though it was not actually himself he was falling in love with)
 Skyscrapers and architecture: We build and erect extensions of ourselves
 Skyscrapers and architecture: We build and erect extensions of ourselves


 McLuhan: Concentrated on grammar, rhetoric, logic—considered himself a “Grammarian”
 McLuhan: Concentrated on grammar, rhetoric, logic—considered himself a “Grammarian”
 Grammarians looked at the world as a book
 Grammarians looked at the world as a book
 Thomas Aquinas: “Trust the senses”
 Thomas Aquinas: “Trust the senses”


 McLuhan: “If you just saw and felt you could perceive correctly”
 McLuhan: “If you just saw and felt you could perceive correctly”
 Taught freshman literature through advertisements
 Taught freshman literature through advertisements
 McLuhan felt that people are robotically conditioned to advertisements
 McLuhan felt that people are robotically conditioned to advertisements
 “Robotic Bride”
 “Robotic Bride”
 He was resolutely opposed to technology and change
 He was resolutely opposed to technology and change
 McLuhan: “Best way to oppose it was to understand it”
 McLuhan: “Best way to oppose it was to understand it”


 Edgar Alan Poe’s “Into the Maelstrom”
 Edgar Alan Poe’s “Into the Maelstrom”
o Environment is always moving
o Environment is always moving
o People are constantly being “massaged” and don’t even realize it
o People are constantly being “massaged” and don’t even realize it
o The medium is in the “massage”
o The medium is in the “massage”


 Old tools may hang around for a long time, but if you want to get the job done you have to get the latest thing
 Old tools may hang around for a long time, but if you want to get the job done you have to get the latest thing
o However, then you won’t be able to find a blacksmith (no more horse-drawn carriages as a result of automobiles slowly replacing carriages)
o However, then you won’t be able to find a blacksmith (no more horse-drawn carriages as a result of automobiles slowly replacing carriages)


 A car becomes your legs and moves the body
 A car becomes your legs and moves the body


 In essence, only one city on the planet will be the planet itself
 In essence, only one city on the planet will be the planet itself


 We reshape the world around us every time we flick on a light
 We reshape the world around us every time we flick on a light
o We can create environments anywhere now because of electricity and power
o We can create environments anywhere now because of electricity and power
o “Mystery of the dark” and “light of the moon” are expressions that are no longer accurate as a result of being able to create any environment that we desire
o “Mystery of the dark” and “light of the moon” are expressions that are no longer accurate as a result of being able to create any environment that we desire
 We’ve put our nervous systems outside of ourselves
 We’ve put our nervous systems outside of ourselves
 All technologies are languages;
 All technologies are languages;
o All languages are technologies
o All languages are technologies


 Any specialist is going to try to protect their specialist skills
 Any specialist is going to try to protect their specialist skills
 “Brainiard(?) of doom” is what McLuhan was called by media personalities
 “Brainiard(?) of doom” is what McLuhan was called by media personalities
o McLuhan affirmed that “Literacy was on the skids”
o McLuhan affirmed that “Literacy was on the skids”


 “No one can make out more than 10% of what McLuhan says.”
 “No one can make out more than 10% of what McLuhan says.”


 Finn’s cycle
 Finn’s cycle


 Pervasive medium is always beyond perception
 Pervasive medium is always beyond perception
o McLuhan: “We don’t know who discovered water but we know it wasn’t a fish”
o McLuhan: “We don’t know who discovered water but we know it wasn’t a fish”


 “Two minds trying to reach a balance”
 “Two minds trying to reach a balance”
o The left side of the brain is linear
o The left side of the brain is linear
o The right side is holistic
o The right side is holistic


 Speech retells all adventures:
 Speech retells all adventures:
o Ex: Guy shoots buck while stooping by a tree to take a crap
o Ex: Guy shoots buck while stooping by a tree to take a crap


 If you want to study the future, just study the present
 If you want to study the future, just study the present
o What we think as the present is really the past
o What we think as the present is really the past


 It is so impossible for us to look at the present
 It is so impossible for us to look at the present


 McLuhan: “We live by the revival of clothes, fashion, music, etc.”
 McLuhan: “We live by the revival of clothes, fashion, music, etc.”


 Electronic media brings us news from the village of the past  
 Electronic media brings us news from the village of the past  
 The “global village”: You no longer have to be anywhere to be able to do everything
 The “global village”: You no longer have to be anywhere to be able to do everything
 We keep hearing a beating drum:
 We keep hearing a beating drum:
o A princess in England gets married and the drums start to beat to tell us about it
o A princess in England gets married and the drums start to beat to tell us about it
 Media has no homogeneity no stasis
 Media has no homogeneity no stasis
o Always is changing
o Always is changing
 Same shift Alice made in “Through the Looking Glass”
 Same shift Alice made in “Through the Looking Glass”


 Electronic media retrieves old media
 Electronic media retrieves old media
 We live in a mythical world
 We live in a mythical world
o TV is a mythic form
o TV is a mythic form
 Media: Number of people covering Vietnam War was more than the number who were fighting it!
 Media: Number of people covering Vietnam War was more than the number who were fighting it!
 Recognize a pattern before it is complete  
 Recognize a pattern before it is complete  
o No “pattern of laws” of media
o No “pattern of laws” of media
 Media are like languages:
 Media are like languages:
o They are much more powerful than they were intended for
o They are much more powerful than they were intended for


 A global village is programmed to reverse
 A global village is programmed to reverse

Revision as of 01:50, 8 December 2004

Notes from “McLuhan’s Wake” Video

 McLuhan’s laws of media

Attempted to invent a new science

oA “tool maker”


 Scene with Hunters: Tools extend senses

 Tools: extend touch and the sense of touch

 Alphabet: Made up of bits that are meaningless

 We shape tools in our own image, and in turn they shape us (i.e. reflection of glass on window, car seats, etc.)

o Ex.: “Shhh! The library is not a skating rink!”


 The things you make, they sometimes mimic you. Extensions of ourselves (i.e. cars)


 Definition of “Narcissus”: Drugged; Numb

o Narcissus fell in love with the image of himself, as a result of seeing his reflection, (though it was not actually himself he was falling in love with)


 Skyscrapers and architecture: We build and erect extensions of ourselves


 McLuhan: Concentrated on grammar, rhetoric, logic—considered himself a “Grammarian”


 Grammarians looked at the world as a book


 Thomas Aquinas: “Trust the senses”


 McLuhan: “If you just saw and felt you could perceive correctly”


 Taught freshman literature through advertisements


 McLuhan felt that people are robotically conditioned to advertisements


 “Robotic Bride”


 He was resolutely opposed to technology and change


 McLuhan: “Best way to oppose it was to understand it”


 Edgar Alan Poe’s “Into the Maelstrom”

o Environment is always moving

o People are constantly being “massaged” and don’t even realize it

o The medium is in the “massage”


 Old tools may hang around for a long time, but if you want to get the job done you have to get the latest thing

o However, then you won’t be able to find a blacksmith (no more horse-drawn carriages as a result of automobiles slowly replacing carriages)


 A car becomes your legs and moves the body


 In essence, only one city on the planet will be the planet itself


 We reshape the world around us every time we flick on a light

o We can create environments anywhere now because of electricity and power

o “Mystery of the dark” and “light of the moon” are expressions that are no longer accurate as a result of being able to create any environment that we desire


 We’ve put our nervous systems outside of ourselves


 All technologies are languages;

o All languages are technologies


 Any specialist is going to try to protect their specialist skills

 “Brainiard(?) of doom” is what McLuhan was called by media personalities

o McLuhan affirmed that “Literacy was on the skids”


 “No one can make out more than 10% of what McLuhan says.”


 Finn’s cycle


 Pervasive medium is always beyond perception

o McLuhan: “We don’t know who discovered water but we know it wasn’t a fish”


 “Two minds trying to reach a balance”

o The left side of the brain is linear

o The right side is holistic


 Speech retells all adventures:

o Ex: Guy shoots buck while stooping by a tree to take a crap


 If you want to study the future, just study the present

o What we think as the present is really the past


 It is so impossible for us to look at the present

 McLuhan: “We live by the revival of clothes, fashion, music, etc.”


 Electronic media brings us news from the village of the past

 The “global village”: You no longer have to be anywhere to be able to do everything


 We keep hearing a beating drum:

o A princess in England gets married and the drums start to beat to tell us about it

 Media has no homogeneity no stasis

o Always is changing

 Same shift Alice made in “Through the Looking Glass”


 Electronic media retrieves old media

 We live in a mythical world

o TV is a mythic form

 Media: Number of people covering Vietnam War was more than the number who were fighting it!


 Recognize a pattern before it is complete

o No “pattern of laws” of media

 Media are like languages:

o They are much more powerful than they were intended for


 A global village is programmed to reverse

 How is one to establish and identity?

 McLuhan: “Life can only be understood backwards but must be lived forwards”

 Public consensus: Was McLuhan for real or was he a charlatan?

 McLuhan was a “technological determinist”

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