documentary · general · evergreen
The Century of the Self - Part 1: "Happiness Machines"
JustAdamCurtis · Jun 20, 2016 · 58m 46s
What this video covers
The first part of Adam Curtis' documentary series on Sigmund Freud and his nephew Edward Bernays, who invented public relations. It shows how Bernays used Freud's ideas to link mass-produced goods to unconscious desires and create modern consumer persuasion.
Why it surfaced in Hacker News
HN commenters recommend it constantly in threads about advertising, propaganda and manipulation as the origin story of the consumer society.
- 13
- distinct recommenders
- 9
- recommendation months
- 4
- strong recommendations
Recommendation context
Short excerpts from positive mentions. Open the source to read the full Hacker News discussion.
“It is truly fascinating and horrific -- all 4 or 5 hours of it!”
“There's a great four-part documentary by Adam Curtis about Edward Bernays”
“I highly recommend the documentary, Century of the Self”