THE CENTURY OF THE SELF (BBC, 2002) This series is about how those in power have used Freuds theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy. ~ Adam Curtis introduction to the first episode. The Century of the Self is a 2002 four part award winning documentary series, produced by the BBC and written and directed by Adam Curtis. It primarily focuses on how the theories and associated techniques of psychoanalysis were applied by propagandists, P.R. consultants and advertizing executives so that their corporate and government clients could effectively analyze, deal with, and control people. Adam Curtis acclaimed series examines the rise of the all-consuming self against the backdrop of the Freud dynasty. To many in both politics and business, the triumph of the self is the ultimate expression of democracy, where power has finally moved to the people. Certainly the people may feel they are in charge, but are they really? The Century of the Self tells the untold and sometimes controversial story of the growth of the mass-consumer society in Britain and the United States. How was the all-consuming self created, by whom, and in whose interests? The Freud dynasty is at the heart of this compelling social history. Sigmund Freud, founder of psychoanalysis; Edward Bernays, who invented public relations; Anna Freud, Sigmunds devoted daughter; and present-day PR guru and Sigmunds great grandson, Matthew Freud. Sigmund Freuds work into the bubbling and murky world of the subconscious changed the world. By introducing a technique to probe the unconscious mind, Freud provided useful tools for understanding the secret desires of the masses. Unwittingly, his work served as the precursor to a world full of political spin doctors, marketing moguls, and societys belief that the pursuit of satisfaction and happiness is mans ultimate goal. Part One: Happiness Machines Runtime: 58 Minutes Part one documents the story of the relationship between Sigmund Freud and his American nephew, Edward Bernays, the man who in the early 20s was responsible for the re-invention of propaganda as Public Relations and was the first person to apply the techniques of psychoanalysis to manipulation of the masses. Link: vimeo/85948693 Part Two: The Engineering of Consent Runtime: 58 Minutes Part two explores how Politicians and planners came to believe the psychoanalytical premise that deep within all human beings were dangerous and irrational desires, and how those in power in post-war America used these ideas about the unconscious mind to try and control the masses. Link: vimeo/48842898 Part Three: There is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads: He Must Be Destroyed Runtime: 58 Minutes Part three documents how in the 1960s, a radical group of psychotherapists naively attempted to create a psychology that sought to create new people, free of the psychological conformity and how this idea came to serve business and political interests. Link: vimeo/104802555 Part Four: Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering Runtime: 58 Minutes Part four explains how at the end of the 20th century politicians turned to the same techniques used by business in order to read and manipulate the desires of the masses. Link: vimeo/75784765
Posted on: Sun, 25 Jan 2015 18:40:23 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015