RTV Theory and Practice - Special Issue

As if on some primordial screen Narcissus, espying his image (reflection) in the sOvery waves of the source, started to desire himself. But it was in vain that this youth who could not communicate with the world outside his reflection tried to catch his image in the water. Possibly out of empty admiration for the »medium which is a message into itself«, Ovid said; »He does not know what he sees, but he bums with desire at the sight of it«. It seems as if Ovid knew all about the passions and crazes of television.

So Narcissus vainly tried to capture his elusive, false image, his 1 reflected image. He at last had what he wanted but this treasure made him роог. This lasting state of non-communication with what made him live and real became agonisingly unbearable. And Narcissus said at last: »Oh, that I could separate rnyself from my body!« If this analogy between the fate of Narcissus and television has апу foundation, then Ovid offers us an extraordinary vision of the future of television, for it seems to suggest that there will be a tendency in future for the television image to become absolute, yet in direct contrast to this, there will also be a tendency to aboiish television (or perhaps replace it with something else). This vision of the future is hinted at by three details from Ovid’s touching story of Narcissus. 1) Narcissus desired that his image live on after him - this would make his image absolute. 2) He abandoned this desire and asked with some hesitation whether »both could die in one soul« - in other words, destruction of his consciousness of the image. 3) He rent his tunic, wailed and beat his breast until Echo took pity on him and granted him sleep which transformed him into a flower here the medium of the absolute picture allows itself to be changed

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