Pontypool: Transmission of Language Virus
Radio, telephone, and electronic amplification play an important part in sustaining the virus. How can these mediums be understood as mediatized forms of orality?
Pontypool is regarding a emergency event impacting the population of Pontypool. The show takes place entirely within a radio booth where the host Grant Mazzy investigates through calls ins and affiliated producers. Slowly as chaos continues to be heard to the listener, we discover that the virus is spreading through language, specifically English language, and can spread in person or over analogue and digital means such as cell phones and radio. While the subject of this show within a show speaks volumes regarding the power and transmissibility of sound it relates greatly to Couldry and Hepp’s History as Waves of Mediazation. At the core Couldry and Hepp argues that the media environment can be largely defined through its evolution in profound waves of mechanical, electric, and digital (Couldry & Hepp, 2015). Mechanical allowed for sound to be recorded and replayed, electrical brought in radio allowing for instant mass communication, and digital has greatly increased the efficiency and availability of sound media communication. The Pontypool virus clearly demonstrates its ability to transmit itself through these various forms of mediatization mixed with an inconclusive ending led to the suggestion that the virus will become a world-wide pandemic. Furthermore, the show puts into question how sound is often treated as a non-threatening medium. The downfall of Grant and his collogues is due to their carelessness in listening to call ins despite early warning signs showing the vector of transmission.
This leads to the second question.
Using, McLuhan’s medium theory of the human sensorium as a framework, consider whether it is possible to argue that there is something about speech as a medium and orality as communicative practice that creates the possibility of the ‘language virus’ that afflicts the anglophones in Pontypool?
McLuhan argues that the medium in which media traverses is as significant as the media itself (McLuhan, 1964). Pontypool embodies this theme as the virus exists both as a word in the English language but as a radio wave, vocal vibration, and loudspeaker together. Similarly to biological viruses the symptoms and effects of said virus are largely dependent on how the virus enters, reproduces, and transmits itself which at heart is a media.
This can be compared in modern day with how news spreads through sound via radio, podcast, and television. How quickly sound bites travel despite being taken out of context or incomplete are nearly instantaneously accepted and repeated through social media or syndicate radio shows, similarly to how the Pontypool virus repeats itself through human hosts. Additionally, the Pontypool viruses forces its hosts to repeat a single word over and over. The question I want to ask the class is how does the virus compare to the spread of information in both the way in which words and phrases become repeated over and over and how it is transmitted within the current media manifold?
Couldry, N. & Hepp, A. (2015). The Social World as Communicative Construction. The Mediated Construction of Reality.
McLuhan, M. (1964). The Medium is the Message. In Understanding media: The extensions of man.
McGraw-Hill.
You brought up some really interesting points throughout your post. I particularly found your comment on the downfall of Grant and his colleagues to be thought provoking. They knew the dangers of continuously speaking not only to a mass audience but also to each other. For instance, when Sydney tries to speak French to Grant to avoid getting infected, he eventually gives up and speaks English regardless, subsequently resulting in both of their infections. I think this speaks to society's addiction to social media; we know it's bad for us and yet we continuously use it. The virus is almost reminiscent of memes or catchphrases found on social media that are repeated in normal conversation. I am constantly quoting Tik Toks or popular sayings. I wonder, then, if we could consider this a type of language virus in and of itself that we are suffering from?
ReplyDeleteI think this idea can also be connected to the question you asked. We know how quickly the current media landscape can spread information. Things are spread instantaneously, making it difficult to decipher what is real and what isn't. With social media specifically, you can see hundreds of posts on the same topic which eventually cause you to believe it's true. Much like the infected words get repeated over and over, lies and rumours get repeated to the point that they are believed by mass audiences.
I think you bring up some really great points in your post! I really liked how you pointed out that sound may not be a "threatening" medium, I think this is such an interesting concept. It definitely speaks to the complexity of the Pontypool clip itself, but there are also countless examples in our own lives that could contribute to this idea. Bouncing off of what Amelie said, it's easy for us to disregard problematic sounds or sayings that we hear and repeat, because they are constantly around us. There are so many songs and radio stars that take advantage of sound's non-threatening facade and ephemerality, and it provides such an interesting discussion as Communications students to consider how this impacts our daily experience of oral forms of media.
ReplyDeletei like how you compared the language virus with a biological virus because it seems that it spreads in a similar way. I'd like to go a step ahead and say that just as a biological virus, this language virus is also hard to contain and once it spreads, it could be catastrophic. To answer your question, news companies have moved online to better engage with their target readers. If any misinformation is posted, it is spread globally withing seconds. this could lead to major issues especially if it concerns other people. to correct their mistake would be next to impossible because even if they take it down, the viewers have already taken screenshots and spread it to their networks. A way I have seen this being rectified is when news channels upload an apology post or a new one stating the previous one was a mistake.
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