Edward Bernays

Deconstructing Edward Bernays’ ‘Propaganda’ (Part 9)

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“Possibly the effectiveness of women’s organizations in American politics to-day is due to two things: first, the training of a professional class of executive secretaries or legislative secretaries during the suffrage campaigns, where every device known to the propagandist had to be used to regiment a recalcitrant majority; secondly, the routing over into peacetime activities of the many prominent women who were in the suffrage campaigns and who also devoted themselves to the important drives and mass influence movements during the war.” ~E Bernays

EdwardBernaysThere is perhaps no truer application of the adage ‘actions speak louder than words’ than in examining the life and work of ‘The Father of Public Relations’, Edward Bernays. While on one hand, Bernays seemingly supported women’s liberation, his advertising techniques contributed heavily to making smoking a socially viable and desirable activity for women.

Episode 81 of the Smells Like Human Spirit Podcast focuses on Chapter 7 (‘Women’s Activities and Propaganda’). Past attitudes to women’s smoking, Bernays’ influence, and the long-term effects of his strategies are all discussed; and in the end, you may see that the more that things have changed, the more that they have stayed the same.

BONUS: This show contains an interview with Dr. Jerry Kroth, Professor Emeritus at Santa Clara University, on the topic of propaganda techniques. Enjoy!

Click here to download this podcast.

Chapter 7 Transcript – “Women’s Activities And Propaganda”

Women in contemporary America have achieved a legal equality with men. This does not mean that their activities are identical with those of men. Women in the mass still have special interests and activities in addition to their economic pursuits and vocational interests.

Women’s most obvious influence is exerted when they are organized and armed with the weapon of propaganda. So organized and armed they have made their influence felt on city councils, state legislatures, and national congresses, upon executives, upon political campaigns and upon public opinion generally, both local and national. Continue reading →

Deconstructing Edward Bernays’ ‘Propaganda’ (Part 8)

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“The political leader of to-day should be a leader as finely versed in the technique of propaganda as in political economy and civics. If he remains merely the reflection of the average intelligence of his community, he might as well go out of politics.” ~E Bernays

EdwardBernaysGuy Evans finishes breaking down Chapter 6 (‘Propaganda and Political Leadership’) of Edward Bernays’ seminal text ‘Propaganda’. In a mammoth 93 minute edition of the show, find out how Bernays predicted that the politicians of the future would originate from the same social circles; discover how the techniques developed in his era to pique public interest in prominent personalities are still utilized today; and enjoy a special guest interview from Vasko Atanasoski of the Macedonian band ‘Bernays Propaganda’!

Click here to download this podcast.

Chapter 6 Transcript – “Propaganda And Political Leadership III”

THE great political problem in our modern democracy is how to induce our leaders to lead. The dogma that the voice of the people is the voice of God tends to make elected persons the will-less servants of their constituents. This is undoubtedly part cause of the political sterility of which certain American critics constantly complain.

No serious sociologist any longer believes that the voice of the people expresses any divine or specially wise and lofty idea. The voice of the people expresses the mind of the people, and that mind is made up for it by the group leaders in whom it believes and by those persons who understand the manipulation of public opinion. It is composed of inherited prejudices and symbols and cliches and verbal formulas supplied to them by the leaders.

Fortunately, the sincere and gifted politician is able, by the instrument of propaganda, to mold and form the will of the people.

Disraeli cynically expressed the dilemma, when he said: “I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?” He might have added: “I must lead the people. Am I not their servant?”

Unfortunately, the methods of our contemporary politicians, in dealing with the public, are as archaic and ineffective as the advertising methods of business in 1900 would be to-day. While politics was the first important department of American life to use propaganda on a large scale, it has been the slowest in modifying its propaganda methods to meet the changed conditions of the public mind. American business first learned from politics the methods of appealing to the broad public. But it continually improved those methods in the course of its competitive struggle, while politics clung to the old formulas. Continue reading →

Deconstructing Edward Bernays’ ‘Propaganda’ (Part 7)

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“It is obvious that politics would gain much in prestige if the money-raising campaign were conducted candidly and publicly, like the campaigns for the war funds. Charity drives might be made excellent models for political funds drives. The elimination of the little black bag element in politics would raise the entire prestige of politics in America, and the public interest would be infinitely greater if the actual participation occurred earlier and more constructively in the campaign.” ~E Bernays

EdwardBernaysWhat does it mean to be a leader? According to Edward Bernays, the ‘Father of Public Relations’, a leader is most effective when acting as a dictator. In this episode of the Smells Like Human Spirit Podcast, Guy Evans begins to break down Chapter 6 of Bernays’ magnum opus ‘Propaganda’ – revealing the author’s distorted view of leadership, and his widely shared belief that the public’s apathy results in their own oppression. A great episode as ever so download, share with your friends, and peace!

Click here to download this podcast.

Chapter 6 Transcript – “Propaganda And Political Leadership”

The great political problem in our modern democracy is how to induce our leaders to lead. The dogma that the voice of the people is the voice of God tends to make elected persons the will-less servants of their constituents. This is undoubtedly part cause of the political sterility of which certain American critics constantly complain.

No serious sociologist any longer believes that the voice of the people expresses any divine or specially wise and lofty idea. The voice of the people expresses the mind of the people, and that mind is made up for it by the group leaders in whom it believes and by those persons who understand the manipulation of public opinion. It is composed of inherited prejudices and symbols and cliches and verbal formulas supplied to them by the leaders. Continue reading →

Deconstructing Edward Bernays’ ‘Propaganda’ (Part 6)

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“Present-day politics places emphasis on personality. An entire party, a platform, an international policy is sold to the public, or is not sold, on the basis of the intangible element of personality. A charming candidate is the alchemist’s secret that can transmute a prosaic platform into the gold of votes.” ~E Bernays

EdwardBernaysWhat does it mean to be a leader? According to Edward Bernays, the ‘Father of Public Relations’, a leader is most effective when acting as a dictator.

In this episode of the Smells Like Human Spirit Podcast, Guy Evans begins to break down Chapter 6 of Bernays’ magnum opus ‘Propaganda’ – revealing the author’s distorted view of leadership, and his widely shared belief that the public’s apathy results in their own oppression. A great episode as ever so download, share with your friends, and peace!

Click here to download this podcast.

The great political problem in our modern democracy is how to induce our leaders to lead. The dogma that the voice of the people is the voice of God tends to make elected persons the will-less servants of their constituents. This is undoubtedly part cause of the political sterility of which certain American critics constantly complain.

No serious sociologist any longer believes that the voice of the people expresses any divine or specially wise and lofty idea. The voice of the people expresses the mind of the people, and that mind is made up for it by the group leaders in whom it believes and by those persons who understand the manipulation of public opinion. It is composed of inherited prejudices and symbols and cliches and verbal formulas supplied to them by the leaders.

Fortunately, the sincere and gifted politician is able, by the instrument of propaganda, to mold and form the will of the people.

Disraeli cynically expressed the dilemma, when he said: “I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?” He might have added: “I must lead the people. Am I not their servant?” Continue reading →

Deconstructing Edward Bernays’ ‘Propaganda’ (Part 5)

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“If you turn on a television set, you see in one minute that the goal of advertising is to create uninformed consumers making irrational choices.” ~Noam Chomsky

EdwardBernaysGuy Evans examines Chapter 5 of Edward Bernays’ ‘Propaganda’. Chapter 5 features several recurring topics; notably, aspirational culture, the manufacture of new customers, and controlling the public mind.

Guy looks at each of these key themes, and with the help of Mad Men‘s Don Draper investigates the strength of the emotional connection between ourselves and the products that we buy.

Click here to download this podcast.

Chapter 5 Transcript – “Business And The Public”

THE relationship between business and the public has become closer in the past few decades. Business to-day is taking the public into partnership. A number of causes, some economic, others due to the growing public understanding of business and the public interest in business, have produced this situation. Business realizes that its relationship to the public is not confined to the manufacture and sale of a given product, but includes at the same time the selling of itself and of all those things for which it stands in the public mind.

Twenty or twenty-five years ago, business sought to run its own affairs regardless of the public. The reaction was the muck-raking period, in which a multitude of sins were, justly and unjustly, laid to the charge of the interests. In the face of an aroused public conscience the large corporations were obliged to renounce their contention that their affairs were nobody’s business. If to-day big business were to seek to throttle the public, a new reaction similar to that of twenty years ago would take place and the public would rise and try to throttle big business with restrictive laws. Business is conscious of the public’s conscience. This consciousness has led to a healthy cooperation. Continue reading →