Iv got on a bit of a tangent from our podcast but Sonya put me onto an interesting documentary about an important change in consumer culture. Its called "A Century of the Self" and is about Sigmund Freuds nephew utilizing his uncles psychoanalytic theories to basically control and manipulate the masses into the consumer culture that we are today.
It has helped me in understanding the consumerism and post war topics brought up in Stans' Design Theory.
Here's my quick over view of part one;
Edward Bernays (Freuds nephew) is an American who was employed in promoting the American Military though out Europe and was a master of propoganda.
He was shocked at how easily he could control the masses and when he returned to America he changed his label of 'propoganda' and coined the term 'public relations'.
"If you could use propoganda for war, you can use it for peace" - Bernays
I find this noble quote quite funny and ironic when watching further on his attitude turns to wanting to "make money by manipulating the sub-conscious".
He started using Freuds theories to link advertising to our inner desires (sex and power pretty much).
Before this, products were advertised through their function. Nowadays thanks to Bernays we see a huge flock of woman running after a guy who just sprayed on deodorant and we buy it for the completely irrational reasoning that if we have this spray... we will have lots of sex?
With success in his career his family reported him calling nearly everyone imaginable 'stupid' which when we think about how our consumer culture today we cant really deny.
He "shifted America from a need to a desire culture".
Its definately an interesting watch guys.. Get into it.
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