Although McLuhan's pronouncements concerning the automobile bear scrutiny in this context — particularly those involving the ways in which we "wear" our vehicles or the fact that cars have become "carapaces, the protective and aggressive shell of urban and suburban man," — IMO, J.G. Ballard (who readily acknowledges his debt to The Media Man) better functions as our go-to guy here:
"The car as we know it is on the way out. To a large extent, I deplore its passing, for as a basically old-fashioned machine, it enshrines a basically old-fashioned idea: freedom. In terms of pollution, noise, and human life, the price of that freedom may be high but, perhaps the car, by the very muddle and confusion it causes, may be holding back the remorseless spread of the regimented electronic society."
Tom Vanderbilt, in his review of Brian Ladd's Autophobia: Love and Hate in the Automotive Age," prefers to cite Woodrow Wilson or Hitler's call for vehicular de-luxurisation, an argument Detroit or Windsor might wish to revisit in light of its terminally dark days as well as the fact the industry's been driven to begging its respective governments for a boost to rescue it from the jaws of death.
That said, Vanderbilt does quote Ladd's understanding that autophobia's a two-way street: Not only does it stand for a fear of cars, it is also refers to "an obscure psychiatric diagnosis" describing "fear of oneself."
(When I get behind the wheel, it's not yours truly I fear, it's all those road-rageous motor-maniacs who scare the bejeebus outta me.)
I keep thinking of Ballard's novel "Crash," singularly one of the most disturbing novels I've ever read. Some of the throw-away social commentary in that novel prefigures a great deal these other thoughts. I knew Ballard had acknowledged McLuhan's influence, a few times, in his work. But it seems more and relevant, ennit?
ReplyDeleteNo kidding. It was the first thing that skidded through my brain when I saw the piece. You're so right about Ballard's work; before it was a treatment in a director's eye, I'd been affected by that book, especially its Introduction. It takes a long time to learn patience behind the wheel and I never ever allow anything I see on the road to affect me; I don't take it personally; rather, I turn up the cassette player and sing (which scares most people away; or, at least, startles them enough they're speechless or, more to the point, screechless).
ReplyDeleteWhenever someone tailgates me, I just pull over and let them go floor it; talk justice: They're so meek when they're giving the officer their licence (since, I know exactly where the cops sit in these har parts, I've got radar radar, IOW).
No, I don't sniggle; I just look so sad . . .