Understanding Media Understanding Media (1964)(1964)andand

The Medium is the Massage The Medium is the Massage (1967)(1967)

Group members: Zoe, Tina, Joelle, Marie

What is Hot Media?

What is Cold Media?

““Hot” and “Cold” MediaHot” and “Cold” Media• Explained in the book Understanding Media• Different media = different audience “participation”• Different “temperatures” of

media determine different

amounts of “effort”• Hot media: has low fidelity of message (mostly not

really important and has many wrong facts). However it has low participation, so it does not affect people

• Cold media: has high fidelity of message but has a high participation.

The Medium is the Massage:The Medium is the Massage:An Inventory of EffectsAn Inventory of Effects

• ““Created” by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin FioreCreated” by Marshall McLuhan and Quentin Fiore• 160 pages of “mirror writing”, blank160 pages of “mirror writing”, blank

pages and many, many imagespages and many, many images• Intended to portray a visual for Intended to portray a visual for

McLuhan’s philosophy of media andMcLuhan’s philosophy of media and

communicationcommunication• Because this “book” is so futuristic, Because this “book” is so futuristic,

McLuhan has been called a prophetMcLuhan has been called a prophet• McLuhan’s best sellerMcLuhan’s best seller

What is What is The Medium is the MassageThe Medium is the Massage??

• McLuhan claims that there will be a new age McLuhan claims that there will be a new age media that will influence how people think, act, media that will influence how people think, act, and perceive the worldand perceive the world

• The internetThe internet• The 1960’s was an The 1960’s was an incrediblyincredibly progressive time progressive time

for technologyfor technology• The Medium is the Massage The Medium is the Massage isis

a visual representation of hisa visual representation of his

theories in theories in UnderstandingUnderstanding

MediaMedia

• Predicted the next “era” will be an “Age of Anxiety”Predicted the next “era” will be an “Age of Anxiety”• Claims modern media is an extention of our senses; Claims modern media is an extention of our senses;

grounding us yet expand our ability to percieve the grounding us yet expand our ability to percieve the worldworld

• Do you agree?Do you agree?• Fiore (a popular graphic designer at the time) Fiore (a popular graphic designer at the time)

developed the book so that the reader would go developed the book so that the reader would go from “reading” print to “scanning”from “reading” print to “scanning”

pictures, reinforcing McLuhan’spictures, reinforcing McLuhan’s

““different media; different effect theorydifferent media; different effect theory• An audio recording was made of the An audio recording was made of the

book; the biographer called it “a 1967book; the biographer called it “a 1967

equivalent of a McLuhan video”equivalent of a McLuhan video”

Where did “The Medium is the Massage: An Where did “The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects” come from?Inventory of Effects” come from?

• ““Massage” meant the effect one thing Massage” meant the effect one thing had on one of the senseshad on one of the senses

• Why is the title “Massage” not Why is the title “Massage” not “Message”?“Message”?

• Originally an accident; but McLuhan Originally an accident; but McLuhan kept the titlekept the title

• Four possibilities for the title:Four possibilities for the title:

YouTube ClipYouTube Clip

Message, Mess Age, Massage, Mass AgeMessage, Mess Age, Massage, Mass Age

Video

Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

• People should study the medium and not it’s content, i.e. the television not the television show

• ‘a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not by the content delivered over the medium’

The Light bulb

• A light bulb does not have content • yet it is a medium that has a social effect; • a light bulb lets people create spaces during

night time that would otherwise be pitch black

Content

• Does not matter if show is violent peaceful, wrestling vs. sesame street.

• It is the television that motivates people with what it is showing

• Each media has it’s own way of engaging it’s audience, You can reread a passage of a book, but can not watch only a single scene of a movie