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The Century of the Self (Full Adam Curtis Documentary)

David Lessig · documentary · Watch on YouTube

Media, journalism & propagandaPsychology & human behaviorDocumentaries & storytelling

What it is

Adam Curtis' multi-part documentary on how Freud's ideas and Edward Bernays' public relations shaped consumer culture and political control. It argues that business and government learned to manufacture desires.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN recommends it often and strongly as an eye-opening account of marketing psychology and the engineering of consumer society.

  • 13 people recommended it
  • 13 different months
  • 6 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “Anyone who hasnt seen "The Century of Self" documentary, please watch it, it will open your eyes”

    Shows how PR and advertising manipulate the public

    urza, 2016-11 · Strong recommendation · in “Is democracy a failure? (1861)”

  2. “which is a fantastic documentary, and definitely worth a watch.”

    Documentary on marketing psychology, including the instant-mix egg story

    stevewillows, 2017-12 · Strong recommendation · in “IKEA Effect”

  3. “I'd highly recommend watching his documentaries. All of them. Absolutely riveting stuff.”

    Adam Curtis documentaries are riveting

    cronix, 2018-12 · Strong recommendation · in “Why Is America So Angry? The Real Roots of American Rage”

  4. “It certainly has had a major effect on the way I view how the world works”

    Compelling documentary on Freud, Bernays and politics that changed commenter's worldview

    mistermann, 2020-04 · Strong recommendation · in “Anatomists of Melancholy in the Age of Coronavirus”

  5. “For the first time in my life I feel like I understood the “why” of how things work in American society.”

    Explains how Freud and marketing reshaped American society

    orasis, 2022-09 · Strong recommendation · in “Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?”

  6. “This documentary shared on HN a while back was eye opening for me”

    Shows how Freud influenced modern capitalist life

    badrabbit, 2023-04 · Strong recommendation · in “The Cult of Sigmund Freud”

  7. “Worth also checking out his 2002 film 'the century of the self'.”

    Adam Curtis film on consumer culture and psychology

    seltzered_, 2017-02 · Recommendation · in “HyperNormalisation (2016) [video]”

  8. “I think all of Adam Curtis' documentaries are worth a watch”

    Top documentary pick; all of Curtis is worth watching

    compcoffee, 2018-09 · Recommendation · in “Ask HN: What are some of the best documentaries you've seen?”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: adam curtis, edward bernays, freud, advertising, psychology

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