Critical Media Studies

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.

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.

Explore Heidegger's thoughts on technology and its significance for media studies. The hosts tackle the complexities of modern technology, distinguishing it from older forms. They discuss the interconnected nature of tech and its dual capacity to reveal both truths and dangers, using the atomic bomb as a case study. With insights on how tools shape human behavior, they reflect on the call to ponder technology rather than merely master it. The conversation emphasizes technology’s ambivalence, blending danger with potential for transformative power.

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?

What does Marshall Mcluhan's mean by the medium is the message? What does that look like when we hold it up to something like Spotify, and what does that mean in terms of how we consume and then process media? Barry and Mike discuss how the move to consuming music via streaming platforms such as Spotify changes the experience from the traditional (old) way of listening with physical artifacts like records, tapes, and cd's.