Marshall McLuhan

            After reviewing the readings and video clips, there is one particular video clip that still (after a week of reviewing) I find so incredibly fascinating due to it’s oddness, bluntness, yet ability to make perfect sense. In “Marshall McLuhan Speaks” the video entitled “My reading habits” from 1967 completely captivated me. Marshall discusses how after years of reading and reading experience he eventually began to read on the right hand pages of what he considers to be serious books. However, if the book is as he notes “relaxing” or fun, he will read every word of the book.

            Marshall explains how he only reads on the right hand side of such serious books because of how much redundancy he has discovered in these well-written books. By simply reading just the right hand pages he is left feeling captivated rather than bored if he were to be reading both pages that tend to repeat aspects over and over again (McLuhan, 1967.) When reading, I would assume Marshall was following Green’s Model in terms of operational or common literacy practices where he used the text to decode and encode the information presented. However, I also think after his revelation that Marshall began using Green’s model in terms of cultural or specific literacy practices because he was using such operational strategies to then receive/transit meaning from the text to develop his own understanding of the context. Although at first I found this video clip and his overall statement to be very humorous, the more I thought about it the more I realized just how right he truly is. When I am reading a lengthy novel, I find myself getting bored and even sleepy because of how much the plot or characters are repeated in an unnecessary fashion. I never once considered that If I simply read one side of the page I would be able to remain engaged while really looking deep into my own creative and imagination to put the pieces of information I may have missed from the other page. In general, this would make reading so much more fun for me as I will be intellectually and creatively stimulated.

            Although this video clip was very short, I think it really says so much about the person and learner Marshall was. He was a man who wasn’t afraid to dig deep within himself and let his mind and imagination take over and piece together the information in the way it was most interesting and made the most sense to him internally, when the information may not have been presenting itself the way in which he wanted or needed. To me, that is a truly creative soul.  Based on this clip alone, I’m truly inspired by Marshall. He was this incredibly intelligence man who wasn’t afraid to be blunt about not only how he admits to reading only the right side pages of a book but in doing so how he can truly explain his reasoning enough for it to seem less weird and make total and complete sense! 

 

http://marshallmcluhanspeaks.com/understanding-me/1967-my-reading-habits.php