This is an important collection of archival footage featuring MarshallMcLuhan explaining his ideas about media and their effect on human behavior.McLuhan's ideas resonate today, years after his death, as we grapple withinstantaneous communication and how it is changing the way people do andconsume journalism and just about everything else.
The series of six videotapes is produced and distributed by StephanieMcLuhan, his daughter. The first three tapes are summaries of his ideas withintroductions, narration and commentary by Tom Wolfe. Tape One covers theyears from 1958 to 1964, runs 51 minutes, and includes information about hisfamily, photographs from his childhood in Canada, a summary of hiseducational background, and introductions to his intellectual and religiousmentors. it opens with a clip from the Woody Allen film "Annie Hall" - inwhich Allen introduces McLuhan to a man standing near him in line who hasbeen obnoxiously, and erroneously pontificating about McLuhan and his ideas.
Tape Two covers 1965 to 1970, runs 37 minutes, and includes hisexplanation of why he studied media in the first place - to understand itbecause he found its impact on human behavior, particularly in young people,to be exasperating, irritating and frustrating.
Lyon hotels Tape Three covers 1972 to 1979, runs 43 minutes, and includes adiscussion of the electric, simultaneous world, one not linear, notexpected, one that cannot be "followed" in the sense of a story line inprint. All three tapes include discussions of his academic articles, hiscoverage in the popular print and broadcast media, and his well-known booksincluding: The Mechanical Bride, Understanding Media and The Gutenberg Galaxy.
The remaining three tapes are uncut footage of one panel discussion andtwo speeches. Tape Four, a panel discussion at Ohio State University, runs32 minutes. Tape Five, a lecture at Florida State University in 1970, runs54 minutes. Tape Six, a lecture a York University in 1979, his finaltelevision appearance, runs 38 minutes.
The ideas presented in the speeches include references to many presentedin his books. These include the electric media as extensions of the humannervous system and the inherent differences in people raised in the printtradition (linear, sequential, connected) and those raised in the electrictradition (non-linear, non-sequential, un-connected).
The tapes would be valuable teaching tools in classes dealing withMcLuhan. They are an important, historical, biographical resource, albeit apricey one. Students, particularly graduate students, and faculty who haveread his books and articles will enjoy seeing and hearing him explainhimself on film and tape. It is insightful to hear him discuss "the mediumis the message," "the global village," and "hot versus cool media." Andalthough he died before the Internet and World Wide Web became widespread,he touches on the concept of worldwide tribe held together by aninstantaneous grapevine.
This is a well-produced series, a multi-part think-piece for students incommunications theory, popular culture, television and politics,anthropology and advertising. McLuhan's ideas, especially about television,may be worth revisiting in a post-Reagan era. In one discussion, McLuhan iscommenting on the "cool" nature of television and how those who appear beston it are casual and charismatic in the sense that they seem to be likesomeone we all already know. It is insightful to hear him speak unedited atlength, and in context.
The tapes are sold only as a set. The web site includes selectedtranscripts of McLuhan's television interviews, the lecture at Florida StateUniversity in 1970 and commentary by Tom Wolfe. The person who answers thee-mail is Stephanie McLuhan herself.
Suzanne Huffman
Southern Methodist University
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