Edward Bernays

[Michelle420]

Propaganda by Edward Bernays (1928)

"Edward Bernays, born in Vienna in 1891 and famously the nephew of Sigmund Freud, was perhaps the pioneer in the field of Public Relations, and highly influential in providing the framework for modern advertising. His work aimed to convince people to want things that they didn’t need, and in the process, link their unconscious desires to the consumption of mass produced goods. This in turn, it was theorized, could be used to control the masses, as by keeping them distracted on frivolous happenings and relatively unimportant wants, they wouldn’t interfere with the activities of what he called ‘the important few’.

All the while, he was remarkably candid about his intent. In one of his first books, ‘Propaganda’ (1928), he coined the term ‘engineering of consent’ to describe his technique for controlling the masses. In this podcast series, Guy Evans examines just how influential these ideas were, and details the resulting impact in relation to public relations, advertising, celebrity culture, and democracy itself." Edward Bernays | Propaganda | Transcript | Podcast | Public Relations

Interesting guy

 

[Michelle420]

Just a little trivia: Bernays mom was Sigmund Freud's sister, and His dads sister was married to Freud.

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, and Bernays's public relations efforts helped popularize Freud's theories in the United States. Bernays also pioneered the PR industry's use of psychology and other social sciences to design its public persuasion campaigns. "If we understand the mechanism and motives of the group mind, is it not possible to control and regiment the masses according to our will without their knowing about it? The recent practice of propaganda has proved that it is possible, at least up to a certain point and within certain limits." (Propaganda, 2005 ed., p. 71.) He called this scientific technique of opinion-molding the "engineering of consent." Edward Bernays

 

[Michelle420]

After a brief stint as a journalist, Bernays focused his career on the emerging field of public relations, using the self-styled title of “public relations counselor.” From 1913 until 1917, he worked on his first promotional campaigns for theatrical producers and the New York Metropolitan Opera. In 1918 he became a member of the now infamous United States Committee for Public Information, also known as the “Creel Committee.” He was mainly responsible for propaganda material sent to Latin America, but also helped to organize propaganda for Polish and Czechoslovakian freedom fighters and against the German leadership within Germany. Officially he was the head of the Export Section and co-head of the Latin American Section of the Foreign Press Bureau. In this capacity, he was sent to the Versailles Peace Conference, but the Creel Committee was unable to play a significant role there due to the public debate surrounding the Committee’s alleged deception of the American public during the war years—something the Republicans in Congress claimed promoted censorship in support of President Wilson.

Edward L. Bernays

 

[Michelle420]

I just read this book about him, if anyone is interested in reading more

http://www.amazon.com/The-Father-Spin-Bernays-Relations/dp/0805067892&tag=ff0d01-20

 

[Michelle420]

He also was behind the feminist march, "Torches of Freedom" to get female socialites to march on easter parade and light up a cigarette as a form of rebellion against the policy that only men could smoke outside. But what they didn't know is that he worked for the american tobacco company and was using the movement to get women to smoke. He also used the idea that sweets make you fat and smoking makes you slender and then paid magazines to print pictures of slim and less curvy women and write articles about men preferring skinny to curvy.


"After WWI, Bernays was hired by the American Tobacco Company to encourage women to start smoking. While men smoked cigarettes, it was not publicly acceptable for women to smoke. Bernays staged a dramatic public display of women smoking during the Easter Day Parade in New York City. He then told the press to expect that women suffragists would light up “torches of freedom” during the parade to show they were equal to men. Like the “You’ve come a long way, baby” ads, this campaign commodified women’s progress and desire to be considered equal to men (relevant clip starts at 3:00):"

Torches of Freedom: Women and Smoking Propaganda - Sociological Images

 

[Tehon]

When Woodrow Wilson decided the US should enter WWI, he needed to convince the American people as they had voted him into office on his anti war stance. For this task Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Bernay's was part of this committee that helped sway public sentiment in favor of the war. This is where he got the idea that he could manipulate the masses.... even in peacetime.

 

[Pogo]

Propaganda by Edward Bernays (1928)

"Edward Bernays, born in Vienna in 1891 and famously the nephew of Sigmund Freud, was perhaps the pioneer in the field of Public Relations, and highly influential in providing the framework for modern advertising. His work aimed to convince people to want things that they didn’t need, and in the process, link their unconscious desires to the consumption of mass produced goods. This in turn, it was theorized, could be used to control the masses, as by keeping them distracted on frivolous happenings and relatively unimportant wants, they wouldn’t interfere with the activities of what he called ‘the important few’.

All the while, he was remarkably candid about his intent. In one of his first books, ‘Propaganda’ (1928), he coined the term ‘engineering of consent’ to describe his technique for controlling the masses. In this podcast series, Guy Evans examines just how influential these ideas were, and details the resulting impact in relation to public relations, advertising, celebrity culture, and democracy itself." Edward Bernays | Propaganda | Transcript | Podcast | Public Relations

Interesting guy

This documentary is absolutely riveting. Lays a background for so much of the past, and the present. Full documentary in four hours here -- not great video quality but the message gets through:

​

Everybody should watch this or learn about it. Literally everybody.

​

 

[Picaro]

Cultural hegemony - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Another propagandist, born the same year as Bernay, and promoted the same sort of tactics, only for a different agenda.

Antonio Gramsci - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[jasonnfree]

Thanks for reading, watching material everyone.

 

[Picaro]

When Woodrow Wilson decided the US should enter WWI, he needed to convince the American people as they had voted him into office on his anti war stance. For this task Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Bernay's was part of this committee that helped sway public sentiment in favor of the war. This is where he got the idea that he could manipulate the masses.... even in peacetime.

Well, he didn't have to work hard, since the Germans made a point of annoying the Neutrals by launching unrestricted sub warfare and sinking over 140 ships, including ships just outside New York harbors, so he obviously didn't have to stay up past dark working on that 'manipulation'. But I suppose there is a big giant conspiracy theory' already made up to spin it into ridiculous propaganda; probably several.

 

[Michelle420]

Cultural hegemony - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Another propagandist, born the same year as Bernay, and promoted the same sort of tactics, only for a different agenda.

Antonio Gramsci - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I did read some of the Prison notebooks. I like the interpretation of Gramsci but there was too much for me to read on him. I research his work and ideological hegemony.

What is the Hegelian Dialectic?

 

[Tehon]

When Woodrow Wilson decided the US should enter WWI, he needed to convince the American people as they had voted him into office on his anti war stance. For this task Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Bernay's was part of this committee that helped sway public sentiment in favor of the war. This is where he got the idea that he could manipulate the masses.... even in peacetime.

Well, he didn't have to work hard, since the Germans made a point of annoying the Neutrals by launching unrestricted sub warfare and sinking over 140 ships, including ships just outside New York harbors, so he obviously didn't have to stay up past dark working on that 'manipulation'. But I suppose there is a big giant conspiracy theory' already made up to spin it into ridiculous propaganda; probably several.

Downplay it all you want. The CPI was created to influence public opinion on American participation in the war. That is not a conspiracy theory.....it is fact.

 

[Picaro]

Cultural hegemony - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Another propagandist, born the same year as Bernay, and promoted the same sort of tactics, only for a different agenda.

Antonio Gramsci - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I did read some of the Prison notebooks. I like the interpretation of Gramsci but there was too much for me to read on him. I research his work and ideological hegemony.

What is the Hegelian Dialectic?

Yes, he wrote extensively. You can see it in practice every day, though, here on USMB.

 

[Picaro]

When Woodrow Wilson decided the US should enter WWI, he needed to convince the American people as they had voted him into office on his anti war stance. For this task Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Bernay's was part of this committee that helped sway public sentiment in favor of the war. This is where he got the idea that he could manipulate the masses.... even in peacetime.

Well, he didn't have to work hard, since the Germans made a point of annoying the Neutrals by launching unrestricted sub warfare and sinking over 140 ships, including ships just outside New York harbors, so he obviously didn't have to stay up past dark working on that 'manipulation'. But I suppose there is a big giant conspiracy theory' already made up to spin it into ridiculous propaganda; probably several.

Downplay it all you want. The CPI was created to influence public opinion on American participation in the war. That is not a conspiracy theory.....it is fact.

And so what? In your tiny mind, that conflates to legitimatizing the entire war or something and makes Wilson somehow 'dishonest'??? Or is just that white propaganda is far more effective than the amateurish crank revisionism you like to believe and regurgitate?

 

[Tehon]

When Woodrow Wilson decided the US should enter WWI, he needed to convince the American people as they had voted him into office on his anti war stance. For this task Wilson created the Committee on Public Information (CPI). Bernay's was part of this committee that helped sway public sentiment in favor of the war. This is where he got the idea that he could manipulate the masses.... even in peacetime.

Well, he didn't have to work hard, since the Germans made a point of annoying the Neutrals by launching unrestricted sub warfare and sinking over 140 ships, including ships just outside New York harbors, so he obviously didn't have to stay up past dark working on that 'manipulation'. But I suppose there is a big giant conspiracy theory' already made up to spin it into ridiculous propaganda; probably several.

Downplay it all you want. The CPI was created to influence public opinion on American participation in the war. That is not a conspiracy theory.....it is fact.

And so what? In your tiny mind, that conflates to legitimatizing the entire war or something and makes Wilson somehow 'dishonest'??? Or is just that white propaganda is far more effective than the amateurish crank revisionism you like to believe and regurgitate?

So nothing, I'm just stating facts and haven't a clue where you are coming from.

 

[whitehall]

There are a ton of socially awareness courses available to high school students but none of them are worth more than a condom on a cucumber or racial envy and hatred. Here we are in modern society manipulated by Freud's successors in the ad industry and their ain't a single high school or college course for that matter that cares to enlighten American kids about how they can determine the difference between the truth and bull shit and how they have been manipulated by downright lies by big brother, the media, politics and the private sector since they were kids. It's no secret that ad agencies employ forensic psychologists to sell crap to the dumb assed multitude. It's a free Country and the dumb assed multatude should have the same resources to understand how to determine half truths from reality.