Week 12--Question #3

2). Do you agree with Marshall McLuhan that the medium is the message, i.e. that the format or logic of a medium is as important as its content and, in fact, determines what content will be broadcast through that channel? Evaluate his idea that television is a cool medium.

I agree with McLuhan when he says that the medium is the message. Trenholm also agrees with him by saying that “it’s as important as the message itself and that the channel, in fact often determines which messages will be transmitted and which will be ignored” (307). In my opinion, everyone is different when it comes to mediums which include the media in particular such as computers, televisions, and cell phones. Text messaging and email seem to be the things that a lot of people focus on rather than the old fashioned telephone call or snail mail. For example, at work I am always calling someone rather than emailing because to me it’s faster and more efficient when physically speaking to someone. However, when I do call sometimes, and there is no answer, I tend to email. The email is answered before the voicemail is responded to and sometimes that amazes me.

McLuhan’s idea that television is a cool medium because “it demands that viewers fill in detail…We become impatient with nonpictorial stimuli and with nondramatic messages” (Trenholm, 307-308). When reading a book I look to see if there is a movie out so that I can put pictures to the words I am reading. Also, I am very annoyed that commercials are constantly on when I’m trying to watch an interesting TV show. I like watching TV shows without commercials and I think my DVR is the greatest invention!