Hotter Than and Cooler Than: Reappraising McLuhan's Hot and Cool Distinction

Authors

Corey Anton, Grand Valley State UniversityFollow

Department

School of Communications

College

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Date Range

2014-2015

Disciplines

Business

Abstract

This paper reconsiders Marshall McLuhan's classic chapter "Media Hot and Cold," and argues for retaining these terms despite McLuhan's abandoning their use later in his career. The paper will show how if the terms "hot" and "cool" are re-articulated as "hotter than" and "cooler than," and only used comparatively, they can be very useful for understanding qualities of (and explaining relationships between) a wide range of old and new media.

Conference Name

16th Annual Media Ecology Association Annual Convention

Conference Location

Denver, CO

ScholarWorks Citation

Anton, Corey, "Hotter Than and Cooler Than: Reappraising McLuhan's Hot and Cool Distinction" (2015). Faculty Scholarly Dissemination Grants. 673.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/fsdg/673