Todd Kappelman: Marshall McLuhan: "The Medium is the Message"

Kappelman begins his article by describing Marshall McLuhan as the "high-priest of pop-culture." He explains that McLuhan is the 1st father of electronic media, because he focused his career on studying the relationship between technology and pop culture and its effect on humans and their relations with other communities. Kappelman discusses McLuhan's "global village" and points out that he created this idea in the 1960's before the personal computer and at the forefront of television. He offers a quote by McLuhan: "We become what we behold." Kappelman parallels this quote by relating it to today's teenagers who aspire to be like celebrities and relates this to the technological culture shift of the 60's.

Kappelman also discusses McLuhan's analysis of American advertising. McLuhan explains that the objective of advertising is to manipulate, exploit, and control the consumer. Advertising companies are controlling consumers' desires for the products being sold. Modern women have been socialized through advertising to create a certain look in order to gain a husband, promotion, etc. Kappelman asserts that McLuhan was not trying to vilify the advertising industry. He was providing insight into how media function to create these advertisements.

Kappelman continues by explaining McLuhan's theory of the human body's extension with technology. He says that in order for an extension to occur an individual must use this technology to create something new. For example, a microscope is a way of seeing which is an extension of the eyes. He also explains that new technologies have caused other technologies to become obsolete. The gun made the practice of archery out-of-date. These new technologies have also created negative consequences such as car travel causing more pollution and has made individuals lazier and less healthy.

Finally, Kappelman talks about McLuhan's four laws:

"What does it (the medium or technology) extend?" The phone would be the voice.
"What does it make obsolete?" The phone makes the telegraph out-of-date.
"What is retrieved?" Adventure is achieved with a car.
"What does the technology reverse into if it is over-extended?" Phone culture creates the desires for solitude.

He concludes by pointing out McLuhan's belief that the "truth" about media should be revealed and that technology must be analyzed and critiqued in terms of its consequences.