The GOODS from The Waldorf Hotel

Vancouver, BC | Marshall McLuhan knew exactly what the Internet was going to be. The only thing he didn’t know is what it was actually going to look like. It’s why so much of what he said and wrote in the 1960s and 1970s alienated critics. He was trying to be poetic and theoretical about what we now simply call interfaces, links and apps. And now, from the hindsight of 2011, we can surf, via YouTube, our rich collective consciousness as it finally revealed itself online.

Our collective being takes the form of cute cat videos, videos of Japanese devastation, mid-East political revolution, trampoline disasters and…well, would Marshall have been horrified or fascinated? Probably both. Coupland, with the global success of his recent biography of McLuhan (“You Know Nothing of My Work!” James Atlas & Co., NYC) can offer us a more precise look at ourselves via the ultimate manifestation of the global village, YouTube. Expect a back-and-forth experience between the audience, Coupland and the world itself. Details after the jump…

Official Details

Coupland – McLuhan – YouTube
Thursday May 26th
8pm at The Waldorf Hotel’s Cabaret

About Douglas Coupland

Douglas Coupland’s career has been, contrary to initial glance, consistent and methodical. His ongoing focus has been on visual culture, writing, typography, popular culture, essay writing and technology. Douglas Coupland is Canadian, born on a Canadian Air Force base near Baden-Baden, Germany, on December 30, 1961. In 1965 his family moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he continues to live and work. Coupland has studied art and design in Vancouver, Canada, Milan, Italy and Sapporo, Japan. His first novel, Generation X, was published in March of 1991. Since then he has published ten novels and several non-fiction books in 36 languages and most countries on earth. He has written and performed for the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford, England, and in 2001 resumed his practice as a visual artist, with exhibitions in spaces in North America, Europe and Asia.

About The Waldorf Hotel

The Waldorf Hotel
1489 East Hastings, Vancouver, BC
Telephone: 604.253.7141
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.waldorfhotel.com
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The People

Tom Anselmi – Director
Ernesto Gomez – Director
Daniel Fazio – Design and Brand Manager
Nicolas Rossel – General Manager
Cesar De La Parra – Executive Chef
Steve Da Cruz – Beverage Program Director
Kurtis Kolt – Sommelier
Kasha Marciniak – Booker and Production Manager
Lizzy Karp – Communications Director

About The Waldorf

After 63 years in business, East Vancouver’s Famous Waldorf Hotel has been reimagined as a creative compound where contemporary art, music, food and culture convene under one roof. Special events, unique spaces, great food and hospitality. There’s always something happening at The Waldorf.

Press

“While offering a nod to the hotel’s Polynesian lineage, the Waldorf redux has mercifully sidestepped kitsch to emerge as a landmark destination for creative travelers. A haven for artists, musicians and cultural thrill-seekers, the Waldorf offers an experience not easily forgotten, one that makes you feels as though you’re vacationing in New York rather than the heart of Vancouver’s east side.” – Globe and Mail

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