The Mixed Media Affect

The Mixed Media Affect

From Alan Weiss's The Uncomfortable Truth® by Alan Weiss

June 11, 2026 · 6 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the phenomenon of the 'mixed media affect' where celebrities comment on issues outside their expertise.

SHOW NOTES: Long ago the Canadian sociologist and business expert, Marshall McLuhan, talked about the "mixed media affect," meaning that experts in one area often migrated to other areas where they are not expert. So you had athletes, entertainers, artists, actors, and random "celebrities" pontificating in fields where they are not expert at all. Barbra Streisand was representative of this phenomenon, with continual political commentary on her web site, at concerts, and in guest appearances. I was in attendance once in Boston Garden, where, in addition to her song lyrics (she couldn't remember them) on the Jumbotron hanging from the roof, was her political "patter" and jibes at the Bushes. (This prompted Laura Ingraham's book, Shut Up and Sing.) At the recent Tony Awards, always great because these are stage actors who don't expect teleprompters and second "takes," a surprise winner for featured actor was Ali Louis Bourzgui for "Lost Boys." He pulled a couple of sheets from his jacket and condemned fascism, racism, misogyny, colonialism, stolen lands, and it seemed also mosquitos and loud noises. It never ended. Fortunately, it was the exception on a stage where the mixed media…

People in this episode

Host: Alan Weiss

Topics covered

  • mixed media affect
  • celebrity commentary
  • political engagement
  • sociology
  • cultural critique

Keywords

  • mixed media
  • celebrity
  • politics
  • sociology
  • cultural commentary

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The View, Boston Garden, Tony Awards, Lost Boys

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