Week Two Post

On Tuesday, I was in charge of reading McLuhan's chapter 22, "Motorcar."

As he seemed to do through the entirety of his book, McLuhan wrote about the topic at hand, in this case the "motorcar," and whatever else came to his head.

McLuhan relates the automobile to the social life of humans, and does a good job at it.

First, he spoke of how the use of the horse drastically changed once steam-engines and motored vehicles were invented. He pointed out that we did worry looking for new ways to use the horse, for we had more important matters to handle, like what we could do with motor-driven vehicles. The horses slowly settled into being used in races, casual strolls, or holding two pieces of paper together. Which they do not mind, all except being slaughtered for glue I assume.

McLuhan said that if we had worried about what to do with the horses at the time of the beginning of the automotive industry, automobile production would have been hindered.  This example can be applied to how we humans act, well most of us. When something bigger and better comes along, we put down our old toys and pick up the new ones.

McLuhan also stated the he believed that the car will go the same way as the horse, I am curious as to when we can say he was correct.

He says, "It is the framework itself that changes with new technology, and not just the picture within the frame." This sentence to me some time to wrap my head around. What I think he means is that, using the horse v. car example, when something new comes around that can change the world, it changes the world in its own unique way.

Something that caught my attention and made me think about, was when McLuhan said, "...the car has become an article of dress without which we feel uncertain, unclad, and incomplete." This statement could not be more true than in today's world. People like cars and clothing which make them stand out in a way that makes them feel accepted. What you drive, as that which you wear, tells others a little about who you are. If you dress nicely and drive an expensive car, others who dress nicely and drive expensive cars are likely to accept you, and maybe even seek out your attention.

The same can be said about people who drive shitty cars and wear not-so-nice clothes, but slightly different. If two poorly dressed strangers were in a crowd among high-class citizens, the two would feel more comfortable talking to each other than with an of the others. This is because they have something in common, their attire, and maybe a similar spite towards the rich.

Switching subjects, Aurasma is pretty amazing. The abilities and possibilities of this application are almost endless. I look forward to seeing this concept mature and evolve in the years to come.