Critical Media Studies

Barry and Mike discuss the main ideas in Michael Miller's article. They specifically hone in on three of his main arguments: 1. That as it is often utilized on social media, (T)heory functions more as a means of accruing social capital than as a foundation for debate 2. That what he calls "weak theory" becomes anti-intellectual" in its attempt to create moral superiority 3. About the public value...

As a follow up to their previous discussion on Deleuze, Barry and Mike look at William Burroughs' 1975 essay, "the Limits of Control" and discuss how his arguments hold up, nearly 50 years later in a (much more) digital world.

Barry and Mike discuss Deleuze's "Postscript on the Society of Control" to investigate all of the ways that he argues societies have been kept in line. As Deleuze argues that we currently inhabit two separate but related control rubrics simultaneously, there is a bit to tease out. The guys trace the history of social control according to Foucalt and Deleuze with the aim of understanding what our t...

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss the idea of Techno-Fatalism as it pertains to Robert Christgau's response to the Ted Gioia article from The Atlantic where Gioia posited that the streaming of old music was killing new music. As both Barry and Mike are lovers of music (though not all of it "good"), this one has a bit of a personal feel to it. As such, there are new terms coined, ideas for t-s...

In this episode Barry and Mike discuss Baudrillard's 1985 essay "The Implosion of the Social in the Media", in which he offers a very thought-provoking thesis. Baudrillard asks what if, rather than enslaving and manipulating the masses, the media actually empowers, or emancipates them? What if all of the freedom and choice and desire that we fear might be manipulated or taken from us were the prob...

In this episode Barry and Mike look at Roland Barthes' 1964 Essay "Rhetoric of the Image" and discuss his theories of advertising against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. Spread across multiple foci, the discussion touches on the ways that images, despite their obvious curation, create manufactured senses of what is natural or authentic and are then used to send and sustain powerful rhetorical...

In this episode Barry and Mike take on a follow up to Marshall McLuhan's famous 1967 book, The Medium is the Massage. Here, they dig into what exactly a media environment looks like and how this environment impacts the lives we live. If you liked (or hated) the first take on McLuhan, you'll love (or really hate) this conversation!

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.

Barry and Mike look at Heidegger's "The Question Concerning Technology." They attempt to provide a little context on the work with the aim identifying his core position on technology and an explanation for it. This is not a comprehensive dive into either Heidegger or this particular essay. Rather, it is an attempt to make Heidegger's argument accessible so that it can be brought into conversation...

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 i...

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...

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...

Barry and Mike discuss sections of Raymond Williams' Culture and Society with an emphasis on how his concept of culture works in our time. We talk about what makes a mass a mob, the role of technology and communication in fostering conceptions of masses and mobs, and how education sits at the center of all of it.

This episode comes on what is usually a week off because, well, we got pretty fired up about Gioia's article! Barry and Mike agree (and disagree) about what's happening with the music industry right now. You can Find Ted's article here .

Barry and Mike continue with their conversation of Bernard Steigler's Automatic Society in the second of a two part discussion.

Barry and Mike begin a two part discussion on Bernard Steigler and his book, The Automatic Society.

Barry and Mike introduce themselves and the show. We talk about who we are, where and how we come to Critical Media Studies, and what the show is about.