WTF McLuhan

WTF McLuhan.
I found this reading easier that Baudrillard (surprise there), although some concepts took a bit more thought than others.

When he talked about electric circuitry, I literally thought of wires and plugs in the walls. What he meant though was the electric circuitry of the human body and brain and the different ways that we as a society react to situations.

The images he chose throughout the book not only added visual interest but also added another level to think about. Personally, I read the text and then looked at the images and tried to decipher how the image related to what he was talking about on that particular page. Some made more sense than others. For example, I liked he drawing on page 69 of the something century men each looking at the same "diagram", we'll say, from different angles or perspectives, just as people will look at the same piece of media from different angles and perceptions.

McLuhan touches on print and digital media as things that have affected our society and lives over a long period of time and continue to affect our lives. In short, he wanted to get the message across that "All media works us over completely". Our perceptions, decisions and movements change because of what media portrays to us and how we come to understand its many meanings.

Also, check out the link to his website above. Its pretty interesting. The "McLuhanisms" are fun.