Baudrillard: A New McLuhan, by Douglas Kellner

Douglas Kellner is a trained philosopher who became a media theorist. Kellner is well-known as a Marxist and a media critic. For many years, he had his own television show on Austin’s cable-access.  The essay briefly compares the media theories of Jean Baudrillard and Marshall McLuhan, criticizes Baudrillard’s theory, and then advocates for “Alternative Media” as a site of resistance to dominant media culture.

Part I. Baudrillard’s Postmodern Media Theory:

1. Make a list of concepts, terms, words that Baudrillard uses to characterize new media:

2. What happens to content in Baudrillard’s theory?

3. What is the ecstasy of communication?

4. Why is the media obscene? What is obscenity to Baudrillard?

Part II. Three Subordinations

Main arguments:

 

1. Baudrillard emphasizes form over content

 

2. Baudrillard removes media from a political and economic context

 

3. Baudrillard has no theory of interpretation

Questions:

After the three critiques of Baudrillard, Kellner defends alternative media as a viable form of resistance to the domination of a mass-mediated society. Why does he believe this?

What would Baudrillard say in response?

What connections do you see between Baudrillard’s theory of new media and the movie, The Matrix?

What connections do you see between Kellner’s belief about alternative media and the movie, The Matrix?