Personally I agree with August about the impact Adam Curtis films have, that i find similar for myself. I would like to add that I saw The century of the self only last year. I never knew about the linear connection between Freud and "the Freudians" and PR/Advertising industry. I simply found those informations as presented mind blowing. Many things fell into places thereafter. I suggest all to watch that film too.

Just today the big winner of the italian regional election's movement leader, Beppe Grillo, is suggesting to is elected people not to talk in TV. Is a bit the same that happens with other "virtual parties" also much more sneaky media fueled inventions as PVV in Holland... The movement of Grillo has to talk only on the net. Like if it becomes the expression of a single intelligence, were it is (or pretends to be) the expression of a nework, partially disembodied into social activity on the network. Is not utopian anarchism, neither representative socialsim or fascism. Is something different. But is somewhere else that in the "sociee du spectacle". Is inside the society of information? Interesting times ahead. Let's keep our eyes open.

I wander how to render obsolete the "I" and the "We" in the future poetry of utopia. Is quite obvious to me that individualism is obsolete too.

Thanks!

f


On May 9, 2012, at 4:12 PM, august wrote:

>
> Hi,
>
> This is an interesting thread. I often share these documentaries with
> friends to try and suss out what they think of the films. I've seen
> them all twice by now and am still left in a dizzie.
>
> In general, I read all three as a critique of the "Californian
> Ideology", especially of its more utopian hippy roots.
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Californian_Ideology
> http://www.mendeley.com/research/californian-ideology/
>
> However, I don't read much more than a light, somewhat superficial,
> critique in the films. And, I see this as a good thing. What the films
> do for me is connect a number of disparate ideas together that I might
> not have seen before (Ayn Rand, neoliberalism , cybernetics, the
> perceived balance of ecology, hippies etc.). Well, I might have seen
> them before, but not under the same lens as what the films provide.
>

> I know some read the hypnotic pace of the images as being more
> propagandistic than argumentative.  However, I don't see that.  I read
> the images (except for the interviews with diagetic audio) as almost a
> separate layer.  The narrative argumentation also reminds me a lot of
> "Das Netz", another film worth watching.  http://www.t-h-e-n-e-t.com/    

>
>
> -august.
>
>
>
>
>> Hey Felipe,
>>
>> Great to hear from you!
>>
>> I, too watched "All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace" and I
>> found them very relevant. Of course, Curtis's style is invigorating
>> but imprecise - but it's interesting that anyone who examines the
>> dominant proposition behind global societies (which seems to be
>> alarmingly close to, "human beings are defective components in an
>> otherwise perfect system") is seen as alarmingly radical and even
>> dangerous.
>>
>> There's a real question as to whether humanity does indeed have any
>> form of collective awareness and criticality when it comes to
>> technology and society.
>>
>> As well as thinking about the sinister possibilities of technologies
>> that are being implemented, it's also interesting to consider
>> technological solutions which have NOT been implemented - but which
>> already exist, and which could solve huge problems at a stroke.
>>
>> I never cease to be amazed that some solutions, which are cheap, low
>> impact and straightforward, and which often have numerous benefits,
>> (the bicycle, for example, is effective, pollution-free urban
>> transport with many added bonuses in terms of mobility, fitness, and
>> reduced accidents). So what gets implemented, and what remains a
>> minority activity? Only when technologies present the "get rich
>> quick" opportunity for business do they roll out with enthusiasm.
>> What this seems to indicate to me is that human wellbeing is
>> significantly de-prioritised in favour of "get rich quick" and
>> "winner takes all" memes. To call this a shame is an understatement
>> of the massive social tragedy involved.
>>
>> So how could a society have a healthy priority list? How could it
>> develop mechanisms which implement those priorities fairly and
>> effectively? How could they suppress the unpleasant side-effects of
>> "gaming" the system?
>>
>> These are big questions - and while we can identify the lack of
>> collective consciousness which allows the problems of
>> techno-industrial society to emerge, that doesn't mean we have
>> systemic solutions. Or do we? I am beginning to feel that the answer
>> is on a personal level - that each of us, as an individual, needs to
>> take greater responsibility for the actions we take (in terms of
>> consumption, production, interaction and impact) and allow a
>> suitable framework to emerge to support our individual decision
>> making.
>>
>> Enough philosophy - I had better get on with some more work! There
>> are people at Access Space who need introducing to each other!
>>
>> Best Regards,
>>
>> James
>> =====
>>
>> On 07/05/12 23:45, Felipe Fonseca wrote:
>>> Hi Bricos
>>> I've been keeping quiet here... lots going on these days. Got back
>>> to studying after a decade, moved temporarily another city,
>>> struggling to keep on doing things and simultaneously make a
>>> living. I always keep an eye on brico-discussions, but have little
>>> time to write nowadays.
>>>
>>> Anyway, last week I watched the whole three episodes of a doc made
>>> last year by adam curtis + bbc, "all watched over by machines of
>>> loving grace":
>>>
>>> http://www.archive.org/details/AdamCurtis-AllWatchedOverByMachinesOfLovingGrace
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm still trying to digest all the seemingly valid and needed
>>> criticism distilled along those three ours of videos and would
>>> like to ask if any of you has watched it and would have comments
>>> to spare.
>>>
>>> ----
>>> Meanwhile in Brasil: I'm coming this week to Mauá for the
>>> Tecnomagias meeting Vicky is also attending; then by the end of
>>> the month there's the Hipertropical MetaReciclagem meeting in
>>> Ubatuba - brico-scent, brazilian accent. Next month we're
>>> organising Cigac, the international conference on "collaborative
>>> environmental management", trying to bridge academia, activist
>>> networks and appropriate technologies. Just after that there is
>>> Labsurlab in Quito, Ecuador. And that's only two months ;)
>>> ----
>>> Also, my research project is about 'experimental labs' (media labs
>>> and beyond). I'll soon ask for help here about the history of
>>> medialabs and interesting people/places to get to know.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Best from Campinas,
>>>
>>> efe
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> Brico mailing list
>>> Website on http://www.bricolabs.net
>>> Unsubscribe: http://lists.dyne.org/mailman/listinfo/brico
>>>
>>
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