The Century of the Self: 3 of 4

There is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads, He must be Destroyed

This series is so great. If you have any interest in communication, advertising or public relations, I highly recommend taking the time to watch. The theme of the series is how Sigmund Freud’s theories have been appropriated by those in power to influence and control society.

The bizarre title of Episode 3 is taken from the slogan of American anti-consumerist student groups in the 1960’s. This episode further documents the rise of consumerism from the 60’s through to the 80’s, and describes how, counter-intuitively, businesses and governments controlled society by appealing to people’s sense of individuality. By incorporating values into their marketing strategies, they appealed to the individual’s sense of self. Operating in this manner, businesses could feed the infinite desires of the self and, therefore, create economic markets capable of limitless demand.

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-6111922724894802811&hl=en&emb=1

Links:
Episode Transcript
Wilhelm Reich
Esalen
Werner Erhard and EST
SRI
Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs