The opportunistic teacher who embraces the leisure interests of his pupils in the hope of leading them to higher things is as frequently unsympathetic to the really valuable qualities of popular culture as his colleague who remains resolutely hostile. A true training in discrimination is concerned with pleasure.
Justin Wyatt
Judith
Judith Williamson's Decoding
Judith Williamson's Decoding Advertisements examines print advertising through the lens of semiotics and ideology. While the work is anchored in ads from the late 70s, the principles and theories developed by Williamson are incredibly insightful in understanding how advertising operates in our digital environment today. The work is focused, razor sharp and passionate in the engagement with the subject. I have used the text in many media advertising and media studies courses, and students always embrace Williamson's insights and method. My own work -- especially High Concept: Movies and Marketing in Hollywood -- draws from Williamson's seminal text in both method and analysis.
Marshall
I came to McLuhan in the
I came to McLuhan in the late1980s while I was in graduate school. At that time, his theories and hypotheses were viewed with trepidation by many in our program. I found The Medium Is the Massage to be a 'game changer.' The ideas were so revealing and flexible. Even more, I loved the wild enthusiasm of the writing and the joy of making connections, small and large. Of course, the digital era has illustrated the ongoing value of engaging with McLuhan and the prescience of his vision. McLuhan taught me so much about medium specificity and engagement. These lessons are powerful to this day.