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I love Adam Curtis documentaries. The century of self, Power of nightmares, The trap and Hypernormalisation were all amazing. I might not agree with everything

I love Adam Curtis documentaries. The century of self, Power of nightmares, The trap and Hypernormalisation were all amazing. I might not agree with everything he says, but there is no denying that they are thought provoking, beautifully narrated and spectacularly well edited films. If you haven't watched them yet, I would encourage you to do so.

opnitro 6y ago
Just watching Bitter Lake, fascinating one!
- clircle 6y ago
  Bitter Lake's got to be my favorite!
lovemenot 6y ago
>> I love Adam Curtis documentaries. Me too. But I think you have to enjoy them as a performance. People looking for historical detail and justification can be frustrated by his very broad sweeps.
- mrslave 6y ago
  When we're trying to make sense of things in the big picture, forest from the trees sort of thing, we have to take broad sweeps. We should be able to address counter-points when making high level arguments. Their existence doesn't mean broad sweeps are useless or incorrect. Arguments in the weeds are disingenuous when they're not challenging the actual pattern. They believe to invalidate an argument as if by demonstrating an axiom in a mathematics proof false, when they may actually demonstrate ignorance of variance.
- Fricken 6y ago
  Adam Curtis films are horror movies to me. Existential horror, the worst kind. I haven't found conventional horror films to be scary since my mid-teens, but Adam Curtis knows how to keep me awake at night.
- CoolGuySteve 6y ago
  They're like Michel Foucault books, fascinating history with a clear slant that serves a central thesis.
lukifer 6y ago
Especially relevant to the HN crowd is AC's "Machines of Loving Grace" [0], critiquing a sort of techno-utopianism endemic to Western culture generally, and Silicon Valley specifically. While I'm still bullish on technology (sometimes!) making the world a better place, AC's perspective provides an insightful counterpoint. [0] https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x60xjdl https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x60xjdl
- whatshisface 6y ago
  >AC's perspective provides an insightful counterpoint. As the saying goes, nothing cools you down like AC.
- rrrrrrrrrrrryan 6y ago
  I don't know if I'd call it pessimistic. I felt like he wanted to highlight how we've failed thus far at realizing the (techno-utopian) dreams of the early pioneers of computing. He wanted to show how technology was supposed to be a force to set us free, but somehow we lost our way, and by reminding us of that earlier vision we might be able to get back to work at realizing it.
  - varvar 6y ago
    Democracy + Capitalism was supposed to bring freedom to the world.. instead it bought domination, and realization, that it all comes down to who holds the power. The typical classical reality fundamentals. Techno-utopianism was supposed to bring freedom to the world... instead it bought domination by the Big Tech, and realization that it all comes down to who holds the power. The classical reality fundamentals. There are a few more cases.. it's Faust all over again, that turns into kind of a half-scam along the way to attract VC money or your money, then culminates into a power grab. "The next revolution in X"!, blah, blah.. blahblah.. blah. "We're no better than believing in or living in a Harry Potter novel sometimes" is more like his message - but it's a fact that societies like to look at the least of all facts. After all, that might prevent the next high-yield psychotic mass scam from occurring. I don't know - I'm not a westerner, so perhaps it's "normal" for high IQ individuals to create or mis-use abstract mini-ideologies, mini-religions really, dress them as a New world, a Revolution really, to exploit individuals like workhorses over the span of many decades, until they realize that this was an illusion. Btw we can't spin it like "Ooh, but if it wasn't for this silliness, we wouldn't have computers or the internet now". I disagree. You can't know that. Perhaps the ideology wasn't needed at all for technological development. Maybe it made for inspiration here and there, but that's it. So.. I don't think that "try again" is his message at all. Watch more of his documentaries and it will become clear.
patrickk 6y ago
His piece on conspiracies[1], mistrust of the ruling class and the early days of Rupert Murdock bugging conversations of powerful people is fascinating too. He also did an interview after he snuck into Bohemian Grove with Alex Jones (yes that one). He maintained that Jones made up a bunch of stuff about what was going on there afterwards. [1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/8b69a786-56d5-317b-b8f4-461f6ebc1b70 https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/8b69a786-56d5...
- drcongo 6y ago
  Are you not thinking of Jon Ronson sneaking into Bohemian Grove with Alex Jones?
  - patrickk 6y ago
    Yes, indeed you're right, my apologies!

opnitro 6y ago

Just watching Bitter Lake, fascinating one!

clircle 6y ago
Bitter Lake's got to be my favorite!

lovemenot 6y ago

>> I love Adam Curtis documentaries. Me too. But I think you have to enjoy them as a performance. People looking for historical detail and justification can be frustrated by his very broad sweeps.

mrslave 6y ago
When we're trying to make sense of things in the big picture, forest from the trees sort of thing, we have to take broad sweeps. We should be able to address counter-points when making high level arguments. Their existence doesn't mean broad sweeps are useless or incorrect. Arguments in the weeds are disingenuous when they're not challenging the actual pattern. They believe to invalidate an argument as if by demonstrating an axiom in a mathematics proof false, when they may actually demonstrate ignorance of variance.
Fricken 6y ago
Adam Curtis films are horror movies to me. Existential horror, the worst kind. I haven't found conventional horror films to be scary since my mid-teens, but Adam Curtis knows how to keep me awake at night.
CoolGuySteve 6y ago
They're like Michel Foucault books, fascinating history with a clear slant that serves a central thesis.

lukifer 6y ago

Especially relevant to the HN crowd is AC's "Machines of Loving Grace" [0], critiquing a sort of techno-utopianism endemic to Western culture generally, and Silicon Valley specifically. While I'm still bullish on technology (sometimes!) making the world a better place, AC's perspective provides an insightful counterpoint. [0] https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x60xjdl https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x60xjdl

whatshisface 6y ago
>AC's perspective provides an insightful counterpoint. As the saying goes, nothing cools you down like AC.
rrrrrrrrrrrryan 6y ago
I don't know if I'd call it pessimistic. I felt like he wanted to highlight how we've failed thus far at realizing the (techno-utopian) dreams of the early pioneers of computing. He wanted to show how technology was supposed to be a force to set us free, but somehow we lost our way, and by reminding us of that earlier vision we might be able to get back to work at realizing it.
- varvar 6y ago
  Democracy + Capitalism was supposed to bring freedom to the world.. instead it bought domination, and realization, that it all comes down to who holds the power. The typical classical reality fundamentals. Techno-utopianism was supposed to bring freedom to the world... instead it bought domination by the Big Tech, and realization that it all comes down to who holds the power. The classical reality fundamentals. There are a few more cases.. it's Faust all over again, that turns into kind of a half-scam along the way to attract VC money or your money, then culminates into a power grab. "The next revolution in X"!, blah, blah.. blahblah.. blah. "We're no better than believing in or living in a Harry Potter novel sometimes" is more like his message - but it's a fact that societies like to look at the least of all facts. After all, that might prevent the next high-yield psychotic mass scam from occurring. I don't know - I'm not a westerner, so perhaps it's "normal" for high IQ individuals to create or mis-use abstract mini-ideologies, mini-religions really, dress them as a New world, a Revolution really, to exploit individuals like workhorses over the span of many decades, until they realize that this was an illusion. Btw we can't spin it like "Ooh, but if it wasn't for this silliness, we wouldn't have computers or the internet now". I disagree. You can't know that. Perhaps the ideology wasn't needed at all for technological development. Maybe it made for inspiration here and there, but that's it. So.. I don't think that "try again" is his message at all. Watch more of his documentaries and it will become clear.

patrickk 6y ago

His piece on conspiracies[1], mistrust of the ruling class and the early days of Rupert Murdock bugging conversations of powerful people is fascinating too. He also did an interview after he snuck into Bohemian Grove with Alex Jones (yes that one). He maintained that Jones made up a bunch of stuff about what was going on there afterwards. [1] https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/8b69a786-56d5-317b-b8f4-461f6ebc1b70 https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/adamcurtis/entries/8b69a786-56d5...

drcongo 6y ago
Are you not thinking of Jon Ronson sneaking into Bohemian Grove with Alex Jones?
- patrickk 6y ago
  Yes, indeed you're right, my apologies!