A:  McLuhan was an odd character, and his 
rebellion against university life contributed to his 
ability to think in public and become a public figure 
and make public points. Most people who work at 
universities are trained to support their ideas with 
research and testing. Marshall did not believe in 
research; he did not believe in testing. If someone 
appeared to contradict his ideas, he would simply 
change the subject rather than testing it and 
pushing it and altering it. He would just change the 
subject. Just as you can’t contradict a poem, you 
can’t contradict a painting, you couldn’t really 
contradict one of his ideas. Nor could you test it. 
His whole life, he was being educated and re-