The name is absent

the extreme amount of signs that we have constructed. In Denzin’s words:
‘members of the contemporary world are voyeurs adrift in a sea of symbols’
(Denzin, 1991: vii). This multiplicity of representation is illustrated by the
fact that the reality reproduced by new formats of television is being
perceived by audiences through the filter of other media, such as cinema and
videogames. In this sense, Cronenberg’s highly intertextual work reflects the
effects of technological media on humanity, paradoxically using technological
media to communicate with his audience. Ambiguity is indeed a key concept
in Cronenberg’s productions. The technological anxiety portrayed in
Videodrome is evoked by something that is not already present and
identified, but that represents the terror of what we may become.
Concerning this, Scott Bukatman discusses Videodrome, observing: ‘initially
the image functions as a reflection of a basic reality. Cleary until the
hallucination begins, the viewer trusts the image as the sign of truth’
(Bukatman, 2002: 90). This is a fear of mutations of the human form and
psyche, as well as of the future of the individual once economic institutions
other than the state command humanity. The protagonist of Videodrome, Max
(James Woods), loses control of his own will at the end of the film. This is a
useful metaphor for identifying the enemy of our advanced technological
society: it is not a particular entity but the ‘totalitarian’ influence of
economic agents in our decisions, and the loss of individuality as a
consequence of the development of technology, specifically visual media.

2.2 Digitalization

In the last decade digital media has gained remarkable relevance as a
new way to produce audiovisual material. The influence and potential of this
new medium is only just beginning to become apparent, yet, with the ability
to transform, modify and erase reality, the digital medium undoubtedly has a
marked effect on the portrayal and perception of reality amongst audiences.
Recently, predictions about the rapid development of digital technologies
have provoked a split amongst analysts, similar to the historical technological
polarity generated with the introduction of the telegraph, photography,

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