Critical Media Studies

The hosts discuss Marshall McLuhan's book 'Culture is Our Business' and the challenges of reading it as a collage incorporating advertising. They explore the tension between form and content in media environments, the blurring of boundaries with immersive media, and the importance of impact in advertising. They also reflect on the tension between pathos and logos in relation to McLuhan's ideas.

In this episode Barry and Mike take a look at the top 10 albums of all time according to Wikipedia. As with virtually all Top 10 lists, they take issue with what the numbers seem to say, noting some curious omissions and inclusions. However, rather than trying to rewrite history, they take a shot at explaining how and why the list looks the way that it does.

Barry and Mike look at Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology." They attempt to provide a little context on the work with the aim identifying his core position on technology and an explanation for it. This is not a comprehensive dive into either Heidegger or this particular essay. Rather, it is an attempt to make Heidegger's argument accessible so that it can be brought into conversation with the other thinkers they approach in addressing critical media studies.

In this episode Barry and Mike take a different approach to Heidegger's The Question Concerning Technology. Rather than a traditional "what does all this mean" approach grounded in historical context, they look at the essay with a specific eye towards understanding what Heidegger can teach us about our current digital media culture and the essay's relevance for our interactions in the age of the internet and near total interconnection.

Barry and Mike talk about a Ross Douthat article from the New York Times as a means of engaging with fake news.

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss online education as a pharmakon. They argue that while the upsides to this model of learning are clear, there is a problem in understanding the costs. This discussion hearkens back to many of the ideas discussed in earlier episodes regarding the manner in which technologies shape our perspectives and the nature of our engagements with them.

Barry and Mike return to their roots in the classroom and discuss Zoom through a pedagogical and critical media studies lens. Topics include how Zoom is a pharmakon, the importance of physicality, and the role of distraction.

Barry and Mike discuss the recent Adam McKay film Don't Look Up. They argue that the film plot and characters are a representation of Bernard Steigler's conceptions of algorithmic governmentally and functional stupidity. These concepts were covered in two earlier episodes that you can go back and listen to, but they to a recap for listeners who may not be familiar. By the time the discussion ends they discuss the impact of a mediated existence on individual development, how a fully aware algorithm can predict you mood but miss armageddon, and why the idea of armageddon isn't too much of a problem but the events in the movie left them hopeless. Enjoy!

Barry and Mike discuss a recent blog post by the music industry critic Bob Lefsetz regarding the failures of streaming platforms to release content en masse, forcing us to consume in bite size chunks rather than satisfying our urge to binge. We consider the implications of this release method viewed through Ellul's lens.

Barry and Mike discuss the E.M. Forester short story "The Machine Stops" and marvel at how timely it is, over 100 years after it was written. Using the story as a contextual springboard, they discuss the nature of our reliance on technology and the convenience it offers and wonder: is it worth the price? What is the price in the first place?