23 Aug Kotodama 76

“The medium is the message.”

“The medium is the mess-age.”

“The medium is the mass-age.”

“The medium is the massage.”

Marshall McLuhan

“The medium is the message” means that the information carrier (TV, movie, newspapers, etc.) distorts the information such that at times it is unrecognizable to the information producer. The distortion is generally unintended, like in the game of Chinese Whispers. However, often the information carrier intentionally distorts the message for their own effect.

Moreover, the medium is often more the focus of the viewer’s attention than the information the medium provides. For example, a spiritual leader often receives more attention from his followers than the message he provides.

“The medium is the mess-age” implies the same information from different carriers can be so different that the information is more confusing than informative.

“The medium is the mass-age” means there are so many carriers conveying the same information, the viewer is overwhelmed and can’t take in other information.

“The medium is the massage” means the view seeks stress relief more than information. That is, content that makes the viewer content.

As the affects of message, mess-age, mass-age and massage are overwhelming, the viewer stops to think independently.