Talking Tombstones and Other Tales of the Media Age

Talking Tombstones and Other Tales of the Media Age by Gumpert, Gary. paperback edition. ISBN: 9780195056518.

Gary Gumperts provocative and entertaining study assesses how the communications media and their related technology have altered, reinforced, de-emphasized, and redefined our societys values and beliefs. Gumpert argues that the coming of the electronic age has made us much more reliant on "media relationships" in defining our values than in previous times when we resolved and taught our values through the traditional institutions of family, school, and church. Uncovering often-hidden media dependencies, Gumpert discusses topics ranging from the intrusion of Muzak into the doctor-patient relationship to the way new audio technology has transformed our perceptions of a great performance. Observing how the advent of the new media has "rocked and tested" our values, he offers a lively meditation on where we have been and where we might be going.