Wilson Bryan Key

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Wilson Bryan Key
BornJanuary 31, 1925
DiedOctober 8, 2008
Alma materUniversity of Denver
SubjectMedia theory, propaganda

Wilson Bryan Key Ph.D. (January 31, 1925 – October 8, 2008) was the author of several books about subliminal messages and subliminal advertising.

Career[]

Key obtained his doctorate in communications from the University of Denver and taught journalism for a short period of time at the University of Western Ontario. He was a colleague and friend of Marshall McLuhan.

In a 1990 Reno, Nevada, court case against Judas Priest regarding subliminal messages and a suicide pact between two young men gained international attention. Key advised the plaintiffs lawyer to hire Bill Nickloff, an audio engineer, to find the subliminal messaging;[1] however, the Judge found that the band and the label, CBS Corporation.,[2] were not responsible.

Death[]

Key died following complications resulting from surgery. He is interred at the Northern Nevada Veteran's Memorial Cemetery in Fernley, Nevada.[3] He was survived by his wife and three daughters.

Criticism[]

His results and conclusions have been challenged, in books including the following:

  • Boese, Alex (2006). Hippo Eats Dwarf: A Field Guide to Hoaxes and Other B.S.. Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0-15-603083-7.
  • Moore, Timothy E. (Spring 1992). "Subliminal Perception: Facts and Fallacies". Skeptical Inquirer. 16 (3): 273–81. Reprinted in Encounters with the Paranormal: Science, Knowledge, and Belief, edited by Kendrick Frazier, Prometheus Books, 1998, 253-63. ISBN 1-57392-203-X
  • Pratkanis, Anthony R. (Spring 1992). "Myths of Subliminal Persuasion: The Cargo-cult Science of Subliminal Persuasion". Skeptical Inquirer. 16 (3): 260–72. Reprinted in Encounters with the Paranormal: Science, Knowledge, and Belief, edited by Kendrick Frazier, Prometheus Books, 1998, 240-52. ISBN 1-57392-203-X

Bibliography[]

  • Subliminal Seduction: Are You Being Sexually Aroused By This Picture? a.k.a. Ad Media's Manipulation of a Not So Innocent America (1974). Introduction by Marshall McLuhan. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 73-5421.
  • Media Sexploitation (1976). Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN 9780135730065
  • The Clam-Plate Orgy: And Other Subliminal Techniques for Manipulating Your Behavior (1980). Signet.
    • reissued as Subliminal Ad-Ventures in Erotic Art (1992). Branden Books. ISBN 0828319510
  • The Age of Manipulation: The Con in Confidence, The Sin in Sincere (1989). H. Holt. ISBN 0819186538, 9780819186539

See also[]

  • Programming the Nation?
  • The Secret Sales Pitch: An Overview of Subliminal Advertising (2004), by August Bullock. Norwich Publishers. ISBN 0-9742640-0-8.

References[]

  1. ^ Solotaroff, Ivan (June 28, 2014). "The Stacks: The Judas Priest Teen Suicide Trial". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  2. ^ Grow, Korey (August 24, 2015). "Judas Priest's Subliminal Message Trial: Rob Halford Looks Back". RollingStone.com . Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  3. ^ "Wilson Bryan Key". Find a Grave. Retrieved June 20, 2014.

External links[]

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