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McLuhan talks to Tom Brokaw and another newsman (who is that guy?) about the Ford/Carter debate in 1976.

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Some of my favorite parts:


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McLuhan: "TV is not a debating medium."

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McLuhan: "The vibrations got through to the amplifier and said 'this must not continue'...the vibes really did get through. The medium was the message."

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Brokaw: "Well, what do we have then, a series of 15-minute conversations between these two men, one a day?"
McLuhan: "Well, that sounds very reasonable, in many ways. But there are other factors...You're assuming what these people have to say is important."

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Brokaw almost breaks the fourth wall when talking about "this medium," television, being the future/present, which is, evidently, the same. McLuhan is dropping science left and right.

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Brokaw: "Why do you continue to write books, and print books?"
McLuhan: "...you might as well ask why someone continues to make chewing gum...I have never been against books. I teach books, for heaven's sake, from morning to night."

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At the very end, Brokaw almost says, "And now this."

Posted by jspeer on February 11, 2009
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chauben on paragraph 4:

The presidential race of 1960 between Kennedy and Nixon was decided based on the first televised presidential debate. Kennedy had prepared well for his appearance on TV by wearing some makeup and a dark suit which contrasted with the background. Nixon, however, wore no makeup and a gray suit which blended into the background. People who heard the debate on the radio favored Nixon because of his strong debating skills. People who saw the debate on TV, however, favored Kennedy because of his good looks. In the end, it was the candidates’ appearance that decided who won the presidency.

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February 12, 2009 1:34 pm
Emily on whole page :

these quotes are funny, but do you think that mcluhan got his point across? i dont know if its because his points are so chopped up, but i dont really find myself siding with mcluhan. he is coming across as a loon! hehe

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February 12, 2009 3:18 pm
jspeer on whole page :

He’s definitely “out there” with a lot of his ideas, and I don’t totally agree with him about everything he says. In some moments, I think he comes off as a bit of a grouch.

I still think he made some good points about the way the medium of television is used (especially that it’s not a great medium for debate), though I don’t think that Brokaw really heard or liked what McLuhan had to say. (Witness his moderation of last year’s debate between the presidential candidates, which was not notable for its conversational tone.)

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February 12, 2009 3:38 pm
Jessie on whole page :

Its funny really all of this, the book we’re reading seems to be written in such an artistic fashion and open-minded yet most of the words are similar to this interview, very closed minded. Its as if he tried to appeal to the people who like visuals/media to sneak in his tired views.

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February 12, 2009 3:46 pm
Annie on whole page :

I can’t help but think that McLuhan comes off as extremely self-righteous in the book as well as the interview.

Almost as if he were younger and trying to show the older generation how wrong they are about everything.

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February 13, 2009 10:03 am
Jessica :

McLuhan is speaking in much more academic terms than his interviewers, which kind of kills his point about what is appropriate within the framework of the medium of television. Btw, the non-Brokaw guy is Edwin Newman http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edwin_Newman

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February 15, 2009 9:03 pm
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