Understanding Media with Andrew McLuhan: Part Three

Understanding Media: Part Three is a 13-part intensive look at the last third of media theorist Marshall McLuhan‘s major 1964 work Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man taking place online over the course of 13 weeks. Taught by Andrew McLuhan, Director of The McLuhan Institute, UMI III will focus on chapters 21-33 of the book. In an age where our media environment conditions and structures our reality in increasingly potent ways, Understanding Media provides important foundational knowledge on how our cultural traumas and tropes are embodied in technologies. This course will provide lecture and discussion on Part Three of the book, which puts forth a set of tools for exploring human technologies and innovations as a means to regain agency in the midst of our increasingly disorienting online lives. This online course follows UMI Part One and Two, which ran in the winter of 2025. UMI III picks up at the beginning of Chapter 21, and will conclude at the end of the book, with Chapter 33. Lectures will include explorations and explanations of never-before-seen author annotations, historical documents, and personal accounts. A scrapbook of materials around the publication of the book in 1964 compiled by Marshall’s wife Corinne McLuhan, containing reviews and interviews, will add further context to how the book was received and provide insight into the material under discussion. Classes will be streamed live on Wednesdays, from September 3, to December 10, 2025, starting at 5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EDT, and ending no later than 8:00pm PST / 11:00pm EDT. Dates: Wednesdays, from September 3 – December 10, 2025 Times: 5:00pm – 8:00pm PT / 8:00pm – 11:00pm ET Live Access – $600 Live Access is full access to UMI Part Two classes as they happen, includes recordings to review what’s been covered already this term, live chat and engagement in weekly classes. Audit Access – $360 Audit Access is access to UMI III as view/listen only. This is ideal for those in time zones which do not agree with that of the class, and is also a lower-cost option. Audit Access is also ideal for those who did not attend UMI Part One and Two but want to join now. We also offer Diversity Scholarships. Apply here. No refunds. View our FAQ page for more info. • Computer/device to watch or listen to lectures and participate in Q&A. • Participants are asked to use a physical copy of the 2003 Gingko Press “Critical Edition” of Understanding Media as it includes both of Marshall McLuhan’s introductions, and for easy reference to page numbers, as well as to receive full benefit from deep immersion in printed text. You can purchase the Abe Books version here. Though our classroom is virtual, it is led from The McLuhan Institute’s library and archives, which contains all the ancillary materials used in UMI, located in Bloomfield, Ontario, Canada. Gray Area will also provide a dedicated online classroom for the duration of the course. This will make it possible for the room to be used by students outside of class time for meetups to discuss the class, UMI, or just to socialize. Week 1 – September 3 • Chapter 21 – The Press: Government by News Leak Week 2 – September 10 • Chapter 22 – Motorcar: The Mechanical Bride Week 3 – September 17 • Chapter 23 – Ads: Keeping Upset with the Joneses Week 4 – September 24 • Chapter 24 – Games: The Extensions of Man Week 5 – October 1 • Chapter 25 – Telegraph: The Social Hormone Week 6 – October 8 • Chapter 26 – The Typewriter: Into the Age of the Iron Whim Week 7 – October 15 • Chapter 27 – The Telephone: Sounding Brass or Tinkling Symbol? Week 8 – October 22 • Chapter 28 – The Phonograph: The Toy that Shrank the National Chest Week 9 – October 29 • Chapter 29 – Movies: The Reel World Week 10 – November 12 • Chapter 30 – Radio: The Tribal Drum Week 11 – November 19 • Chapter 31 – Television: The Timid Giant Week 12 – November 26 • Chapter 32 – Weapons: War of the Icons Week 13 – December 3 • Chapter 33 – Automation: Learning a Living Week 14 – December 10 • Rain Day The objective of the course is to provide participants with a deeper appreciation and understanding of McLuhan work in general, this material in particular, facilitated by Andrew McLuhan, drawing on his 20+ years of experience with the text and work, and aided by the introduction of artifacts such as Marshall McLuhan’s annotated copies of the book, other books, and materials from Eric McLuhan’s library. It is expected that community engagement in the discussion groups will be of added benefit as like-minded people engage in mutual exploration and respectful dialogue. Participants will be challenged to take their time in reading and reflecting on the material. Part of the reason for the 13-week pacing is to allow time for reflection and absorption of the material – to become comfortable, accustomed to the style and sensibility. It is increasingly difficult for people to experience text in this way, so one aim of this course is to cr