The 2002 Adam Curtis documentary "The Century Of The Self" is a comprehensive deep dive into Bernays and his influence, for those who are interested in learning more.
Curtis's documentaries are unusual by the standards of 'mainstream' media programming. But there are systemic problems with them which are discussed in depth in a number of articles on the Media Lens website (run a search on 'Adam Curtis'). A few of these articles also include exchanges with Curtis.
For example, 'The Century of the Self' is analysed here:
'typically for the BBC and other mainstream media, The Century of the Self ended its review of Guatemalan history where Western responsibility for mass murder begins.'
We concluded:
'Ask why The Century of the Self gave so much detailed attention to Guatemalan history, and yet failed to mention U.S. responsibility for the 150,000 civilians killed in its assault on Guatemala. Ask why the series focused on this isolated U.S. intervention without mentioning that it was a small part of similar interventions elsewhere in Latin America and in the Third World generally. Is this wider pattern not central to understanding the real significance, and costs, of corporate control of domestic and foreign societies in the 20th and 21st centuries?'
There is an exchange with Curtis here in which we challenged his benevolent framing of the motivations and actions of post-war politicians and planners:
There are similar fundamental problems with Curtis's 'The Power of Nightmares':
===
In his 2002 series, The Century Of The Self, Curtis claimed that politicians and planners had “set out to find ways to control the hidden enemy within the human mind” to ensure that “the unleashing of these instincts that had lead to the barbarism of Nazi Germany” could never surface again. In The Power Of Nightmares, Curtis spins more tall tales, claiming that the neocons are intent on using America’s power aggressively “as a force for good” in order to “help spread democracy around the world.”
The well-documented reality, of which Curtis is himself aware – that US leaders have long projected massive economic and military force in a conscious attempt to maximise profits and power, often regardless of the untold cost in human suffering – was nowhere to be seen.
Is it really such a surprise that Curtis’s work is so well-received by the elite corporate media?
Great article Ted. You led me to read a bit about him and was not surprised that the Nazis stole a few things from his play book. Hitler and company knew the power of symbols and mass psychology. In turn you point out the relevant links to what is happening in the world today.
First of all, excellent article. I'm sharing it to my readers. Second, one of the greatest moments of my academic career occurred when I pulled up Sigmund Freud's bio on Wikipedia to show to my Astronomy class, durng a lesson on bad science (and bad resources), and all 250 of us discovered at the same time that some editor with an astonishing sense of humor, not to mention irony, had changed "Sigmund" to "Poopie" and "Freud" to "Head."
For decades I've considered Jacques Ellul's "Propaganda" as the source on the necessity of propaganda with examples mainly from Communism. While clearly written, the translation uses the word "man" so much that it isn't readable by many today. Also, it states the rule, denied by all, but true: 'the more educated one is, the more manipulable by propaganda.' This may be an important difference from the 1934 book. BTW the examples in Ellul's book is stunning - a classic of the 1960s.
Vance Packard’s “The Hidden Persuaders” was an examination of the use of covert psychological techniques in advertising. But of course Packard was not advocating for them but trying to expose them.
Packard does in fact refer to Bernays several times. I hadn’t recalled him because I didn’t know he was related to Freud and Packard’s references to him are generally disparaging (“the famed publicist”, “motivational enthusiast”).
I first learned of Bernays from Chomsky, who talks a lot about him in The Manufacture of Consent and elsewhere. Remarkably I never heard about Bernays when getting a PhD in communication in the late 1980s and early 90s.
Bernays is a major figure for sure, but psychoanalysis’s influence in creating the modern consumer economy has been more profound and subtle than his stunts, Ernest Dichter’s ‘Strategies of Desire’ of equal historical importance to ‘Propaganda’, then there’s the centrality of psychoanalytic thought to semiotics, especially Lacan, and the rise of commercial semiotics into mainstream brand marketing, there’s probably a case to be made that Bernay’s insights got blended into the contemporary behavioral data science nudge guys too.
The 2002 Adam Curtis documentary "The Century Of The Self" is a comprehensive deep dive into Bernays and his influence, for those who are interested in learning more.
A very good one of the many Adam Curtis documentary series.
Curtis's documentaries are unusual by the standards of 'mainstream' media programming. But there are systemic problems with them which are discussed in depth in a number of articles on the Media Lens website (run a search on 'Adam Curtis'). A few of these articles also include exchanges with Curtis.
For example, 'The Century of the Self' is analysed here:
https://www.medialens.org/2002/the-unspoken-rule-of-media-reporting-the-bbcs-the-century-of-the-self/
in which we pointed out that:
'typically for the BBC and other mainstream media, The Century of the Self ended its review of Guatemalan history where Western responsibility for mass murder begins.'
We concluded:
'Ask why The Century of the Self gave so much detailed attention to Guatemalan history, and yet failed to mention U.S. responsibility for the 150,000 civilians killed in its assault on Guatemala. Ask why the series focused on this isolated U.S. intervention without mentioning that it was a small part of similar interventions elsewhere in Latin America and in the Third World generally. Is this wider pattern not central to understanding the real significance, and costs, of corporate control of domestic and foreign societies in the 20th and 21st centuries?'
There is an exchange with Curtis here in which we challenged his benevolent framing of the motivations and actions of post-war politicians and planners:
https://www.medialens.org/2002/the-bbcs-the-century-of-the-self-sp-89086145/
There are similar fundamental problems with Curtis's 'The Power of Nightmares':
===
In his 2002 series, The Century Of The Self, Curtis claimed that politicians and planners had “set out to find ways to control the hidden enemy within the human mind” to ensure that “the unleashing of these instincts that had lead to the barbarism of Nazi Germany” could never surface again. In The Power Of Nightmares, Curtis spins more tall tales, claiming that the neocons are intent on using America’s power aggressively “as a force for good” in order to “help spread democracy around the world.”
The well-documented reality, of which Curtis is himself aware – that US leaders have long projected massive economic and military force in a conscious attempt to maximise profits and power, often regardless of the untold cost in human suffering – was nowhere to be seen.
Is it really such a surprise that Curtis’s work is so well-received by the elite corporate media?
===
https://www.medialens.org/2004/the-power-of-nightmares-and-the-real-politics-of-fear-part-2/
Indeed - and it seems shocking that Ted doesn't mention this at all.
Indeed.
Great documentary! This really pulled back the curtain for me.
The sad thing is these societies for rational research and argument, debate clubs, eventually morphed into terrible schools of sophistry and cynicism (Lifelong Liars Clubs) which give us some of our most toxic politicians: https://harpers.org/archive/2022/09/both-sides-now-domination-and-abuse-on-the-high-school-debate-circuit/
I'm surprised you didn't use the word "sophistry" even once in this article. You missed a good tie in with you're earlier post.
Great article Ted. You led me to read a bit about him and was not surprised that the Nazis stole a few things from his play book. Hitler and company knew the power of symbols and mass psychology. In turn you point out the relevant links to what is happening in the world today.
sounds like some agitprop brainwashing to me...(oops, ha!)
Most "art" today is agitprop. Universities are selling indoctrination. Politics is a zero-sum game; you lose, you die.
First of all, excellent article. I'm sharing it to my readers. Second, one of the greatest moments of my academic career occurred when I pulled up Sigmund Freud's bio on Wikipedia to show to my Astronomy class, durng a lesson on bad science (and bad resources), and all 250 of us discovered at the same time that some editor with an astonishing sense of humor, not to mention irony, had changed "Sigmund" to "Poopie" and "Freud" to "Head."
And his sauce isn't bad either.
For decades I've considered Jacques Ellul's "Propaganda" as the source on the necessity of propaganda with examples mainly from Communism. While clearly written, the translation uses the word "man" so much that it isn't readable by many today. Also, it states the rule, denied by all, but true: 'the more educated one is, the more manipulable by propaganda.' This may be an important difference from the 1934 book. BTW the examples in Ellul's book is stunning - a classic of the 1960s.
Wow fascinating! I knew nothing of this. Thanks for posting.
Vance Packard’s “The Hidden Persuaders” was an examination of the use of covert psychological techniques in advertising. But of course Packard was not advocating for them but trying to expose them.
Packard does in fact refer to Bernays several times. I hadn’t recalled him because I didn’t know he was related to Freud and Packard’s references to him are generally disparaging (“the famed publicist”, “motivational enthusiast”).
I first learned of Bernays from Chomsky, who talks a lot about him in The Manufacture of Consent and elsewhere. Remarkably I never heard about Bernays when getting a PhD in communication in the late 1980s and early 90s.
I sort of 5% knew about this. Wow. This was amazing. You make a compelling argume....hey wait a minute that's probably the propaganda talking!
It's very rare and exhilarating to learn something you didn't know that is a new take on something you thought you knew AND significant.
Thanks!
Anthony Young
Santa Monica CA
Bernays is a major figure for sure, but psychoanalysis’s influence in creating the modern consumer economy has been more profound and subtle than his stunts, Ernest Dichter’s ‘Strategies of Desire’ of equal historical importance to ‘Propaganda’, then there’s the centrality of psychoanalytic thought to semiotics, especially Lacan, and the rise of commercial semiotics into mainstream brand marketing, there’s probably a case to be made that Bernay’s insights got blended into the contemporary behavioral data science nudge guys too.
MIT Press recently came out with a book on the topic. https://thereader.mitpress.mit.edu/masters-of-crowds-the-rise-of-mass-social-engineering/