Blog Post #2 - Ella Fitzpatrick
Question 3:
According to McLuhan, a medium is any extension of human senses. The tele-technologies of the modern electronic media environment, which ranges from radio and television to telegraphy, are only extensions of sight and hearing. The key idea about media as an extensions of the human senses is that its growth will change what McLuhan refers to at the "ratio's" between senses. This means that a medium that benefits the eye, will cause the ratios to be changed to benefit the visual sense, which creates an understanding of the world. The balance between all our senses is changed when a technology is introduced. A TV makes us use our eyes more which means it changes the ratio between our senses. Not only do our ears and other senses change, but so do our feelings.
In Pontypool, language is more than a form of communication but also something that can affect our senses. McLuhan's idea about media as an extension of the human senses shows how speech can start this "language virus". Speech, as a medium, expands our sense of hearing, but it also is connected to our emotions, behaviours, and our thoughts. In Pontypool, when speech causes a virus, it changes the way people understand and hear words. The "language virus" happens because language is no longer seen as a form of communication. Words are understood and processed differently. Speech becomes more than just a means of expression. It started to shape people's thoughts and behaviours in a negative and infectious way. In Pontypool, language started to infect the mind and change the way we see reality. This resulted in a confusing and dangerous new reality. As McLuhan discusses how media changes the experience with our senses and our feelings, we see that speech as a medium in Pontypool changes our thoughts. This turned words into a virus that changes the way people interact with language. When the meaning of a word is changed, the medium becomes unbalanced. This is related to different thinking and actions, which is similar to how "kiss" replaces the meaning of "kill."
Hi Ella! I completely agree with your connection between McLuhan's idea of media as an extension of human senses, and the concept of the language virus in Pontypool. It’s fascinating how speech, normally seen as a tool for communication, becomes something that infects and rewires people's perceptions and behaviours. McLuhan’s theory about media shifting the balance of our senses really comes through when you describe how the virus in Pontypool alters the way people process words and thoughts. It’s as if language itself becomes a dangerous medium, where changes in meaning cause a breakdown of understanding, much like how McLuhan predicted media could alter sensory balance. Great insight on how speech as a medium can create a new, disorienting reality when its function shifts!
ReplyDeleteHi Ella, your post highlights an intriguing parallel between the role language plays as a medium in Pontypool and McLuhan's theory that media is an extension of human senses. I think that McLuhan's theory, which holds that new media alters the balance of senses, is important in this context, particularly in light of the way voice can change from being a tool for communication to having a significant impact on feelings and thoughts.The notion that language acts as a virus in Pontypool, warping reality, perfectly aligns with McLuhans's theory of how media shapes our worldview. Do you believe that digital communications, such as social media, may be viewed as similarly "infectious" in today's media environment in terms of how they alter behaviours, emotions, or even word meanings?
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteI really love the way you’ve connected McLuhan’s idea of media as extensions of our senses to the concept of the “language virus” in Pontypool. It’s fascinating to think about how different media don’t just enhance a sense, but also fundamentally alter how we understand the world. Your point about TV shifting the balance to favor vision, while affecting how we feel and process information, really hit home for me. It’s a great way to explain McLuhan’s idea of changing sensory ratios.
The connection you draw between speech and the virus in Pontypool is also spot on. I never thought about how language, as a medium, can influence not just communication, but also behavior and emotions in such a profound way. It’s like language itself mutates when it gets out of balance. The way words can distort reality in the movie really ties into how McLuhan talks about media shaping our perceptions. The example of “kiss” replacing “kill” is a powerful illustration of this breakdown in meaning. Overall, your post does a great job at highlighting how Pontypool uses McLuhan’s theories in a fresh and unsettling way.