The Century Of The Self + Psychoanalysis task

Full documentary above

Important points raised in "Happiness Machines", the first half our of the documentary 

• Primitive and sexual forces hidden deep inside our unconscious and repressed minds of all human beings. If not controlled lead individuals and societies to chaos and destruction
• Those in power using Freud's theories to try and control mass crowds in an age of democracy
• Bernay's was at the forefront of selling consumers things they didn't need. Linking products to their unconscious desires.
• Making the masses happy and docile.
• Vienna, Austria. Repressed feelings of the masses, afraid to show their feelings. Freud was Australian. His studies were never really accepted, maybe out of fear.
• Psychoanalysis - analysing dreams. Unearthed powerful sexual forces. Feelings we repressed as they were too dangerous. A barrier within our mind which prevents these forces from emerging.
• Examples of unleashed primitive forces in human beings - the wars.
• Propaganda displayed Woodrow Wilson as a liberator of the people. A hero. Bernays wondered if they could do the same time of mass persuasion, but in peacetime. "If you could use propaganda for war, you could certainly use it for peace." Propaganda got to be a bad word. So he invented the word - Public Relations.
• Bernays' most popular experiment was to persuade women to smoke. At the time it was a taboo. One of his clients was president of American Taboo Association, said he was losing half of his market. Asked Bernays. Studied what cigarettes mean to women through psychoanalysis - told cigarettes were a symbol of the penis, male sexual power. If women smoked, they'd feel independent and have their own penis. Bernays persuaded debutants to hide cigs under their clothes, he then called them "Torches of Freedom". Cigarettes became socially acceptable, sales rose. Sold the idea of a woman being more powerful if she smoked. Idea that smoking made women more free was irrational  but it made them FEEL free. Products became a powerful way of manipulating how you're seen by others
• You don't need this car or piece of clothing, but you will feel better after you do. Bernays' arguably originated this notion of advertising. This fascinated America's corporations. Industrialisation and danger of overproduction and people stop buying. The majority of products were for necessities, shoes, cars. Were promoted for their durability, just their practical features nothing more.
• Transition from American workers and citizens, to American consumers.
• Glamourised American women magazines, created product placements of his clients. Product placements in movies. Dressed stars at premieres with clothes and jewellery of other clients. Sold cars as male sexual power symbols. Fashion shows at department stores. Buying things to express your inner self to others.
• Mrs Stillman - Psychology of dress. Wearing the same hats and the same coats, looking at you in the street you all look so much the same. "Express yourself better, in your dress" Women wearing clothes to be sexual and attractive, desires.
• Bernays' persuaded 34 film stars to visit the White House. Politics became involved with public relations. 
• Freud became pessimistic about human beings, moved to the Alps in the 20's. Started to write about group behaviour. Aggressive forces in human beings being triggered in crowds. Believed human beings were far more dangerous than he originally thought.
• Tapping into peoples deepest desires or fears. President Hoover realised consumerism had become a central fabric of America. Transformed people into constantly moving "happiness machines" machines critical to democratic progress. Made the economy work, stable society and happy and docile.

Psychoanalysis applied to some examples of mass media advertising:

Joop! Poster campaign, 2010-2011

I think this is a good example of selling a product through desires, instead of needs. Something such as mens perfume isn't an essential product or a necessity, but instead a luxury or something you'd perhaps gift to someone or treat yourself with. In the simplest sense, perfume is a scent. On paper, it's not directly linked to sex and pleasure but through this Joop poster campaign the connection is made. When a consumer buys this product, they are unconcsciously buying it to also live the lifestyle sold in the posters. To be attractive, to attract attractive women and to be intimate and sexual. 

The colour pink itself is an interesting choice for mens perfume. It's almost challenging previous perceptions and tempting men to buy the product to almost be proud and powerful, to be a real men even if you buy something that's pink and 'feminine'. In the same sense I think these ads are also targeted for women too, using the male body to attract females attention and to in a way, maybe to gain their male partners attention by buying them this product as a gift.

SKYY

The male in this scene for SKYY Vodka shows the man being dominant and fully dressed while the female is semi naked and almost vulnerable. I think theories of penise envy or the castration complex can be applied to this to portray the woman as the gender that is lacking or kind of envious of the fact that the man has a penis. The composition of the ad directly focuses on the mans penis, along with the woman almost looking towards the area in surprise, as if she's pulled her shades up to get a better view. I think the idea of the gaze can also be applied to this poster, we can see the woman and see her in a vulnerable state, although the man is pretty mysterious and hidden. Look but not be looked upon. This is especially evident in another poster in the SKYY poster series...

There's usually a pattern in adverts of masculinity and femininity with the male's being assertive while the female's tend to be passive throughout history. The man is in seated in the cup-like chair, we can't see him yet we can see the attractive woman in a revealing outfit perfectly placed for us to see. "The pleasure of looking" Gazing but not being gazed upon. The composition too, the way the woman has her legs kind of open, and the mans assumed line of sight point to sexual desires. It also sells a lifestyle of living the high life and male dominance, if you buy this vodka. The woman is serving the man the alcohol with the shaker, so she's serving the man, almost seeking his approval.