MtH #7 Parenthetical 2

Hi Everybody!!!

An accepted bit of practical advice to anyone who is comfortable with what Marshal McLuhan referred to as “cool” media and aspires to write with any kind of professionalism: “Be careful with exclamation marks”. Implied in this is, “Don’t use them at all”. Can you believe it?!!!

Ditto for bold type. And Italics.

Don’t get me started on emoticons. I’d rather a few people think that I’m an asshole because they missed some irony I intended than to demean myself with the use of those insufferably smiling, winking, nodding, scowling pac-men who always look poised to chomp back and devour whatever, dare I say, truth, that might reside behind them. I can live with occasional acronyms, in fact, WTF is a personal favourite of mine. While we’re all here though, can we send LOL off to ADD counselling for like, a year at least? Don’t, for god sakes let them prescribe any amphetamines for her though………. 

Apparently, the writing itself should be good enough to convey excitement, disgust, sarcasm, shock, just kidding, oops etc….. But we appear to be a society of morons. We seem incapable of, or stubbornly unwilling to recognize a duck when it quacks, has feathers and farts in a rain barrel…………..!

 I give you Toronto’s mayoralty race in 2010 and the recent U.S. presidential election as evidence. 

So funny I forgot to …….

TV sitcom directors overdub laugh tracks in post, to tell you that something is funny, either because it isn’t or because they’ve decided the audience will be too dense to get it and too busy focusing on a mouthful of Budweiser and Doritos to pay attention anyway. Television was originally considered to be a “cool” medium although I can’t figure out why. It has always had a low degree of participation on the part of the viewer. 

Lots of information = Low participation = Hot medium

Minimal information = High participation = Cool medium

How Does This Fit In With Your Music Theme?

It doesn’t. Next question.

Later This week?

The exciting conclusion.