Hi Brian. Have nearly finished (re-) watching the series myself. (Watched it when it was broadcast, but couldn’t remember much.) In its focus on Bernays, it might have been over-egging his influence on the development of the PR Industry. There’s a review at PR Watch of a book by one of the series’ contributors, Stuart Ewen, that I found helpful – http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1996Q4/ewen.html – and that seems to have had a significant influence on the director’s narrative. Interestingly, the series was produced by RDF, the miserable outfit behind the BBC’s queen portrait fiasco and the Great Global Warming Swindle…
I am going to try and carve out some time this weekend to watch. My mother got me a book from Cambridge University Library a couple of years ago but it was due back before I got a chace to read it properly – called ‘The Father of Spin’. I think much of the programme is based on that book – certainly, it puts forward Bernays as a central figure in moves to manufacture consent via materialism and the creation of a soceity based on the american dream and mass-consumption.
The genius of unfettered consumerism. I’ve been finding all sorts of gems on Amazon, and am especially enjoying the ability to buy out of print stuff second-hand very cheaply.
Saturday, November 17, 2007 at 7:09 pm |
Must come back to this – thanks for posting, particularly interested in the Edward L Bernays story, great that the whole programme is uploaded.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 11:09 am |
Hi Brian. Have nearly finished (re-) watching the series myself. (Watched it when it was broadcast, but couldn’t remember much.) In its focus on Bernays, it might have been over-egging his influence on the development of the PR Industry. There’s a review at PR Watch of a book by one of the series’ contributors, Stuart Ewen, that I found helpful – http://www.prwatch.org/prwissues/1996Q4/ewen.html – and that seems to have had a significant influence on the director’s narrative. Interestingly, the series was produced by RDF, the miserable outfit behind the BBC’s queen portrait fiasco and the Great Global Warming Swindle…
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 4:07 pm |
I am going to try and carve out some time this weekend to watch. My mother got me a book from Cambridge University Library a couple of years ago but it was due back before I got a chace to read it properly – called ‘The Father of Spin’. I think much of the programme is based on that book – certainly, it puts forward Bernays as a central figure in moves to manufacture consent via materialism and the creation of a soceity based on the american dream and mass-consumption.
Amazingly, Amazon now have this book:
http://www.amazon.com/Father-Spin-Edward-Bernays-Relations/dp/0805067892
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 at 4:40 pm |
The genius of unfettered consumerism. I’ve been finding all sorts of gems on Amazon, and am especially enjoying the ability to buy out of print stuff second-hand very cheaply.