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Does anyone actually want to be a "cultural worker"? | 9 comments

[new] communication withdrawal (Avg. Score: 3.00 / Raters: 2) (#6)
by amyalexander on Thu May 1st, 2003 at 02:26:53 AM EURODISCORDIA TIME
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it's interesting the ways people withdraw from communication technologies. i've been without television for close to 10 years. sometimes, it's like living in a parallel universe. but not exactly - it seeps into other aspects of culture. for example, i know the osbornes have a show, but i have never seen it. i heard that the television coverage of the iraq invasion was really strange because of field reporters using cellphones to broadcast surreal, digital-artifacty video of surreal situations. but i can only imagine it.

i did see a little bit of the televised version of the war though. the exxon gas station near me has little TV's built in to the gas pumps. they turn on when you start fueling and they turn off when you stop. and during the invasion, i stopped in a couple times. first time was strange enough - CNN. second time it was FOX news: 'operation iraqi freedom' (magnificent trumpets blaring.)

that really got me. pro-war propaganda that actually flows directly from the gas pumps!?! not sure if it's because i don't see these programs normally so i'm not desensitized to them, but i found that really unbelievable.

well anyway, it's interesting to see how many people have various types of communication withdrawal. i've so far withdrawn from television and mailing lists, but not from the web or newspapers.

why? hot and cool media. i feel bombarded by hot media like television and listservs. but cool media (like the web, or a weblog like discordia) allow me to come to it. it's not exactly how mcluhan viewed the situation. and a) not all web stuff fits mcluhan's definition of cool media b) email would probably fit into mcluhan's model of hot media, i guess - but i think the comparison is useful at least.

wondering if anyone ever withdraws from cool media? anybody ever decide to not pick up a newspaper for 10 years?

[ Parent ]

tv by TreborScholz, 05/13/2003 08:18:05 PM EURODISCORDIA TIME (none / 0)

Does anyone actually want to be a "cultural worker"? | 9 comments

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