Episode 12: Media Trees

If LOST aired in 2019, would people still watch it in groups - or just stream it alone on Netflix? Is it more common to enjoy or feel contempt toward the music your parents play around the house? Was I really watching Braveheart and Finding Nemo at the same time?

In this conversation, we ponder questions like these about how our relationship with different forms of media has evolved throughout our lives. The “media tree” concept is inspired by Ward Shelley, a New York based artist. His vibrant, experimental work inspired this retrospective study.

Each form of media we studied - television, video games, literature, podcasts, movies and music - all offer a unique experience to the user. Television shows can be in your life for a decade, with character that age with you. Great books that span centuries form a kinship that allows for modern people to understand people of the past. Music that seeps into a young child’s brain through osmosis can become a profound influence on their life choices. Join in our reflections, and make your own diagram!

Referenced Works:

• Media Role Models, ver. 1 24” x 41” - Ward Shelley

• The Letters of Theodore Roosevelt - Selected & Edited by Elting E. Morison

• 101 Things to Do Before You Die - Richard Horne

• Stages in Human Brain Development (ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)

• Hierarchy of Art - Royal Academy