Adam Curtis - Can't Get You Out Of My Head, Feb 11th

[pigamus]

But Lawrence Fox... was an agent... of social control.

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

Would love to see some Al animations in an Adam Curtis doc!

The dream* mate.

























*In reality the dream was a nightmare.

[thugler]

The lack of any mention of Corbyn in Hypernormalization was strange. I think Curtis couldn't figure out a way to incorporate the resurgence of the Labour left into his thesis so he just ignored it entirely.

Even in interviews with Curtis - such as this lengthy one with The Economist, Jeremy Corbyn is the glaring elephant in the room. I don't expect Curtis to be particularly sympathetic to Corbyn's politics but to not even acknowledge him, even dismissively, is odd.

This is true, but I think he doesn't like to cover anything too current as it's too soon to decide what it means and with distance he has more of a chance to explore the wider context etc. I do think he would be capable of doing a show about the insane media treatment of him.

I remember him saying before about stuff like the occupy wall street protests and suggesting that they don't have a clear message and don't know what they want. Now i'm not sure this was true then, but it's certainly the opposite now and there is a pretty consistent set of beliefs and demands across left movements. Really confusing how he can't seem to see this.

[pigamus]

People thought that Joe Wicks would make them thin. But all this was an illusion.

[jaydee81]

From his interviews on podcasts, I think his attitude to the last few years and Corbyn is 'the left haven't been able to come up with a new solution to what is wrong, just more of the same' (not saying I agree with that.)

One of those 'right or wrong, Brexit is genuinely an attempt to do something different' approaches.

Hypernormalisation was all about how we're in a trap, but we don't know what the trap is and what the solution is, which is a good way of not having a solution to your thesis.

[jaydee81]

I mainly base this off his Adam Buxton and Russell Brand podcast interviews. I listened to the Russell Brand podcast the other day, they have a truly strange dynamic, where Brand is trying to impress Curtis with how much he knows, and Curtis has an almost resigned weariness with Brand.

[Icehaven]

I remember him saying before about stuff like the occupy wall street protests and suggesting that they don't have a clear message and don't know what they want.

He also said he thought the Occupy movement gave up far too soon, and compared it unfavourably with US race protests in the 60s which went on for years rather than weeks. But as you say that's implying that movement has already run it's course, when it's more that it's changing/morphing into something else. Which may or may not be good for their cause but is worth noting if you're commenting on it, rather than treating it as if it was an isolated group that came and went.

[KennyMonster]

From his interviews on podcasts, I think his attitude to the last few years and Corbyn is 'the left haven't been able to come up with a new solution to what is wrong, just more of the same'

One of those 'right or wrong, Brexit is genuinely an attempt to do something different

Fuck him and his wilful ignorance.

BBC establishment hack.

[thugler]

From his interviews on podcasts, I think his attitude to the last few years and Corbyn is 'the left haven't been able to come up with a new solution to what is wrong, just more of the same' (not saying I agree with that.)

One of those 'right or wrong, Brexit is genuinely an attempt to do something different' approaches.

Hypernormalisation was all about how we're in a trap, but we don't know what the trap is and what the solution is, which is a good way of not having a solution to your thesis.

Yeah with regards to a 'new solution' that supposes that any solution must be entirely novel, when really what's required and is being advocated for are measures that are akin to what has been successful in the past. Why is he demanding novelty? Besides i think there are genuinely novel and interesting policies and approaches out there, there were a few good ones in the 2019 manifesto.

[KennyMonster]

Yeah with regards to a 'new solution' that supposes that any solution must be entirely novel, when really what's required and is being advocated for are measures that are akin to what has been successful in the past. Why is he demanding novelty? Besides i think there are genuinely novel and interesting policies and approaches out there, there were a few good ones in the 2019 manifesto.

Its not even fucking true.

"Green New Deal"

A journalist like Curtis dismissing something like that is a right c*nt in my book.

[dissolute ocelot]

He's bizarrely promoting his new project by giving the Guardian a list of his favourite cover versions. Relevant, or lazy?

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/feb/05/from-massive-attack-to-miley-cyrus-adam-curtiss-favourite-cover-versions

[BlodwynPig]

He's bizarrely promoting his new project by giving the Guardian a list of his favourite cover versions. Relevant, or lazy?

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2021/feb/05/from-massive-attack-to-miley-cyrus-adam-curtiss-favourite-cover-versions

Another hero of the lentil munchers...

[Bently Sheds]

In preparation for this new one I watched two out of three YouTube vids (the second one has been blocked by the BBC) of his 1995 series "The Living Dead" about history and the effect it can have on the present. The third one - "The Attic" - about Thatcher and her Churchill obsession, is a particularly interesting watch today. From the off it made some points about British History and how politicians distort it for their own ends (often disastrously) that resonated really strongly with events from the last 5 years...

Also it's good fun to look up all the old Tories he interviews and read that they're all dead.

[selectivememory]

Enjoyable interview with him on the latest episode of the Blindboy podcast: https://play.acast.com/s/blindboy/adamcurtis

[privatefriend]

I see this is available today, should this not be on TV rather than just iplayer?

[Sebastian Cobb]

I think iPlayer only is how they did Hypernormalisation as well.

They could've easily stuck it on BBC Four, but the BBC are idiots and seem to want to flat-pack that channel.

[Al Tha Funkee Homosapien]

Damn, each episode is over an hour long.

[Old Thrashbarg]

If it's anything like what they did with Bitter Lake (and Hypernormalisation possibly) they'll have the full-length version on iPlayer for a bit then show a shorter cut on BBC Two.

[GoblinAhFuckScary]

Going to watch this against my better judgement.

Title card is a screengrab of death note. huh

[Dr Syntax Head]

Watching this right now. Not really learning much but that's not the point. I get to tell people that I watched a Adam Curtis film when I go into work and they ask what I've been up to on my days off. And I can feel all intellectual and clever as they bang on about whatever kickball thing is happening.

Actually I'm loving it. But could do with some Skinny Puppy on the soundtrack though.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Are we human?
Or are we toilet?

[BlodwynPig]

Lots of filler just to get to "OOOOOHHHH (Shang)AI"

Did you know that Mao's oldest daughter is still alive and shot President Kennedy.

[wooders1978]

There were some shocking barnets doing the rounds back then

[mobias]

Harsh but fair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1bX3F7uTrg&feature=emb_logo

[wooders1978]

We're into conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories territory now

[BlodwynPig]

We're into conspiracy theories about conspiracy theories territory now

Bandwaggoning, wasn't it.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Glibness aside, I thought Ep 1 was fairly well-focused in comparison to the less coherent (if still depressing and terrifying) Hypernormalisation.

As a thinking piece, good, as a piece of curated visual art, good. Soundtrack, excellent, choice of attack good, in some places predictable. It was both television entertainment, philosophy, and art. Got to be satisfied by that.

I was in the mood for this sort of thing, which also helps.

[RDRR]

strikes me as one of those things that 'doesn't need pushback'. if you enjoy adam curtis films you'll probably enjoy it, and if not, not. of course he's repetitive but that's true of anyone with a distinctive style. i don't really see that he's the centrist establishment hack that's been made out.

worth enjoying for what it is. there's lots of old videos of people dancing except set to contemporary/ambient music which is funny because dancing, particularly when choreographed, is fundamentally weird. there are interesting tidbits (and some fascinating characters), pretty visuals, and handforth parish council/cat lawyer presumably do not feature

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

of course he's repetitive but that's true of anyone with a distinctive style.

The message has themes deliberately carried over from previous works but each time you feel like he is building on his previous realisations or reordering them to try and make sense of them.

This is a serious amount of material though. I feel like taking several days before watching the next episode.

[Dr Syntax Head]

Harsh but fair.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1bX3F7uTrg&feature=emb_logo

Spot on. Skinny Puppy CD hahaha

Adam Curtis is the Beck of documentary makers