To say that "the camera cannot lie" is merely to underline the multiple deceits that are now practised in its name.
Marshall McluhanRead
When producers want to know what the public wants, they graph it as curves. When they want to tell the public what to get, they say it in curves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote highlights the dual role of media in both reflecting public demand and shaping it through influence.
Marshall McLuhan's quote emphasizes the idea that producers and media creators analyze public preferences through data visualization, often represented as curves, to understand what the audience desires. Conversely, when they wish to guide or influence public opinion, they use similar visualizations to communicate these messages effectively, demonstrating the power of media in shaping societal norms and expectations.
Themes
MediaPublic OpinionInfluenceProducersCurves
In practice
Example use cases
In a marketing meeting to emphasize the importance of understanding consumer behavior.
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The poet, the artist, the sleuth, whoever sharpens our perception tends to antisocial; rarely 'well adjusted,' he cannot go along with currents and trends.
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