BBC Documentary - “The Century of the Self”
This documentary talks about the roots of Freud’s study of psychoanalysis. It deals with the effect the media has on us and the ability it has to tap into our unconscious desires. The classic example of the press using photographs of women smoking in public to challenge male authority, started a revolutionary movement, all because of the power of an image. Edward Berne’s idea of using advertising to persuade the public to buy products that would then make people “feel good” started a trend which today dominates the media in almost every form. By tapping into the unconscious, society quickly transformed from the conventional “needs-based” to the “desire-based” consumerism. The use of product placement advertising works just as well. For example, I’m noticing that the MacbookPro seems to be the laptop of choice in many newer movies and TV shows. Desires for a certain good often are led in by the users we see, just like how many ads often portray some form of sex to sell clothing or other items. Just take a walk through any mall today and check out the billboards, or any clothing magazine. For many products, good advertising techniques will often skyrocket sales, and can even lead to a cultural norm in some cases. A great example of this would be the iPod, whose success was based almost exclusively on marketing techniques. Who could forget the early days of the black shadow with the white headphones dancing around the television screen? Believe it or not there are many other mp3 players out there, but how often do we see them? For better or worse, media really shapes our world, and it is up to us to interpret what we see and hear the right way.
