In a way I do agree with Marshall McLuhand that the format of a message is also important as well as the content and will determine what type of content will be broadcasted.
For example, the save the poor animals that were once abused commercials. That commercial would not get so many people to shed a tear every time it is shown if it was not on the television. The company is using the idea that television is a visual and audible medium to show the viewers the sad abused animals to gain sympathy and prove a point. Along with showing the clips, the right music is played and the right spokesperson is hired. Through radio, you would not see the clips and proof of a poor animal. Through newspaper you would not get the same feeling of the sullen music and spokesperson begging for help.
This message was chosen just for television.
Television is a very cool medium. It offers the ability to view from the privacy of ones own home in a very comfortable and relaxed state. It offers a variety of content. There is the news to keep people updated on whats going on, there are the many games shows, teen dramas, family shows, older comedy shows, even channels based just for kids. The television has something for everything which unlike the radio, and newspaper.
Hey!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It made me think of the theory in a different light. Your example of the animal commercial made sense to me in a way I hadn’t thought of before. I felt that we are fed the images through television and thus do not put our own interpretation on it since technology has become advanced. I didn’t think of it in the end stage: reaction. From your example it is clear what McLuhand was trying to convey; that television can be a medium through which we must draw our own conclusions. As you said, the commercial for animal violence would be nowhere near as convincing if it were through another channel such as radio or newspaper (text only). Context is also important, which you mentioned in the second part of your post by mentioning the convenience of watching television through our own home. In this way, we are more prone to have a true reaction to the message since we have the option of when and where to receive it.
Thanks for sharing! Have a great weekend!
I agree exactly with what you said in your post! I think that through television there is often more of an impact than listening to a message over the radio or TV. I have actually seen some commercials on TV that have brought me to tears but I know that if I were to hear it over the radio it would not have the same impact. I think often times it take an image to make people realize what the message is trying to relay, you cant really do that with radio and newspaper because it can just be overseen. Great job!
ReplyDelete