Dead Media Watch: Polaroid film

So you may have seen the news that Polaroid is discontinuing Polaroid film. For all it’s greatness, that little 2.5 inch screen on the back of your digicam, has killed that old analog analogue. It’s a known law of media that all new new media must replace an old. But every new media is never a perfect replacement, some particular character or ‘flavour’ of the old medium is always lost. This is why we have nostalgia, and how we use old flavours to trigger old memories and emotions.

This is also why dead media are a rich vein for the exploration of new media, for there is another rule that says: Any new media must retrieve an archetype (or flavour) of a dead (or more than one) dead media.

Just the other day, someone took a great polaroid of Michele and I, dancing (ok slightly goofy/maniacally) at a friend’s party. A perfect frozen moment now gracing the fridge. I’ll post the picture here when I get a chance. Just as soon as I can snap a photo of if with my digicam.

In the meantime, remember the polaroid kids, remember to stock up, and Shake it, Shake it like a polaroid picture.

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