Media Virus

Media Virus: Hidden agendas in popular culture. If ever the title of a book was guaranteed to draw you in, this one certainly did it to me. Webster define a Computer virus  as: A computer program usually hidden within another program that reproduces it's self and inserts the copies into another program. and that usually performs a malicious action.

This defines -- pretty much -- those viruses that invades our
bodies, the common cold, Aids, etc. Viruses of the media kind;
however, attempts to insert their agendas into our minds. Much
like a virus does to our immune system. If you are ambivalent,
confused about  the issues that surround you, you have little
chance of surviving the onslaught.

Media Viruses travel through the Data sphere the
same way biological ones travel through the body or a
community. But instead of traveling along an organic
circulatory system, media virus travels through the
network of the media space.
The "protein shell" of a media virus might be an event ,
invention, technology system of thought, musical riff,
visual image, scientific theory, sex scandal, clothing
style or even a pop hero...once attached these virus
attaches it's more hidden agenda into the DataStream
in the form of ideological codes ...
infiltrate the way we do business, educate our selves,
interact with one another -- even the way we perceive
reality.

"I Want my MTV." This slogan would launch a 24 hour
media video out let -- the salvation of the music industry and
benefactor of the cable industry through music videos -- and
would soon develop into arguable the single most  influence
on pop culture in our times. Or you might say the most potent.

Here are a few of the" Viruses" exposed in this 344 pages book:

Pee-wee Herman's," Pee-wee's Play House." What the devil
was really going on in there, what subtle messages were being
fed our kids? In Chapter 4 " Kids' TV: Slip it in their milk,"
Rushkoff enlightens to the subtle satirizing of "Mister Rogers
Neighborhood" in Pee-wee's Playhouse, and explores the many
nuances bombarding our kids in that play house. Guaranteed to
leave you incensed. But very much informed.

What did you think of Beavis and Butt-Head? Did you perceive
any thing there other than a sense of contempt for their antics
and strange dialogue? In Chapter 5 of "Media Virus: The MTV
Revolution; Warfare in the simulacre" you will be fascinated by
what you'd missed. Were these two really a danger to Americas
kid, or was it the case that adults didn't understand what these
two were putting out.

As the author puts it. "To appreciate the media as facilitator rather than hypnotizer, we must learn to decode the infor-
mation coming into our homes."