07
May
10

Medium is often message

A goofy video short recently reinforced to me the fact that sometimes the way [tone or style] by which a message is presented determines how that message is perceived and received. All the way back in 1964 Marshall McLuhan put it this way, “The medium is the message.” In other words, the concentration on the medium and how it conveys information — rather than on the specific content [true or not] of the information — is the focal point of “the medium is the message.”

John Hodgeman [actor, author, humorist, personification of a PC alongside his Mac counterpart] created a PBS like documentary on the history of Hobos. Produced in a Ken Burns- ish style, there’s compelling authenticity to what is insane content. Watch and listen carefully. Very funny yet poignant when it comes to media form style and believability.


1 Response to “Medium is often message”


  1. 1 Karen
    May 19, 2010 at 6:23 pm

    Yes, funny! Then there is also this example . . .
    http://www.outofur.com/archives/2010/05/ur_video_sunday.html
    Perhaps the medium is more the message than we sometimes realize!


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