The Medium is the Message

The Medium is the Message

Marshall Mcluhan once said, "All media exists to invest our lives with artifical perceptions and arbitrary values." In my opinion no truer opinion has ever been expressed. The television, which next to the microwave is my favorite, practically dictates our every move. Half of America can't get up off their fat, pimple riddled asses to vote in the General Election , but every night at eight their lasik perfected irises are glued to American Idol so that they can vote for their favorite contestant half a dozen times. McLuhan also said, "Art is anything you can get away with." That's not one of his quotes I can whole heardtedly agree with. Lets take a moment one evening and browse the TV Guide or just thetelevision to the convienient TV Guide Channel. The Bachelor, The Bacholerette, Big Brother, Minute to Win It. I can't believe Hollywood gets away with producing and broadcasting such mind numbing gaudery, but, should they be considered art? Art isn't only what one can get away with, but, it's also what the masses find appealing. There can be no art without an audience.
McLuhan knew and was quoted saying,"that far more care goes into the composition of any prominent ad in a news paper or magazine, than go into the writing of their features and editorials." The same concept applies to the television. Using the principle of "The Medium is the Message", as stated by McLuhan, I will explore the TV as "Cool", medium, a "Hot", medium and a "Medium: medium. I will show you televion as a "Cool" medium entertains us with senseless, stupefiying programming; I will discuss how the TV as a "Hot" medium informs and enlightens us with facts and updates about national and international issues and events; and then I will explain how the TV as a "Medium" medium is manipulated by the viewer just as much as it influences the viewer.
As a "Cool" medium television entertains us with desensitizing dribble. Shows such as The Biggest Loser, America's Got Talent, and Deal or No Deal, don't require the firing of neurons to understand the concept. Those types of programs are responsible for more 75 percent of brain cell suicides. Here's a quote from McLuhan that I've always liked, "The modern little red riding hood, reared on singing commercials, has no objection to being eaten by the wolf." These shows accomplish the very goal they were designed for, to distract us from the tappings of everyday life. I equivalate the TV to the sun; If stared at for too long one can go blind. That's why the shows that are designed towards the intellectual side of television, such as, The Glenn Beck Show and AC;360 with Anderson Cooper are brodcast on their own seperate channels, aren't mainstream friendly. "Socities have always been shaped more by the nature of the media by which men communicate than the content of the communication", McLuhan again. TV one of the most commanly used communication devices of todays age has turned the 21st century into a hoarde of obtuse changelings. Sometimes the intelligent, quasi-political programs likeReal Time with Bill Maher; The Daily Show with John Stewart and tThe Colbert Report, make it to primetime, but the premise is dumbed down through hilarity so that th average American can under stand the content. Another great, Nicholas Johnson, said, "All television is educational. The question is: What is it teaching?"
As a "Hot" medium TV informs and enlightens us with facts and updates about national and international events; unfortunately there isn't anybody paying attention. The shows that are orienteted towards the informative are treated just as the adage: "Peace sells, but, who's buying?"Television channels such as CNN; CSPAN and Fox News and Fox Business trail the mainstream friendly stations in ratings because these programs are based on a "Hot" medium. It takes an above average level of common sense to understand the broad topics that are discussed on these shows, and I think we all know that the average American falls short.
I feel TV can be interpereted as a "Hot" and a"Cool" medium, thus making it a "Medium". The typical theory that the media has more influence over the viewer sounds like something that was said by one of those sagaciosless zombies who spends all their free time watching reruns of Deal or No Deal and NCIS. Anyone with the power of deduction should understand that the media is controlled just as much as it controls. The viewer' level of interest is the controlling factor. That's why the shows that bomb in the Neilsen ratings are cancelled While those shows that pertain to a certain demographic, the intelligent, are broadcast on seperate channels. 21st Century fox didn't start their Fox Business channel because of an increasing, overabundance in Simpsons ratings.
In my opinion the best example of the media controlling the viewer is when Oprah Wnfrey, at the For Barack Obama Rally in Des Moines said, "I am here to yell you Iowa, he is the one. He is the one!" That's the day Obama was certified platinum.All aboard the Oprah Express, next stop DC.There's no way to determine how many voter cast their ballot for Obama after that, but, I'm pretty sure Oprah's comments raised Obama's bar.
In conclusion, I feel that the television is a veritable Pandoras' Box of nonsensical jibberish.