S2 Episode #8: A Century of Influence – Propaganda's Transformation

AI Deepfakes, Edward Bernays, and What’s Next on The Century of the SelfHost Kodie, joined by Arthur and Joe, announces upcoming episodes on Edward Bernays and Adam Curtis’s The Century of the Self, noting the recordings were spread across March and late April and outlining a schedule that includes a deep dive on parts one and two, a discussion of modern PR and the Trump PR machine, and a later episode on parts three and four. The group discusses AI propaganda using examples including a Senate Republicans in Texas deepfake of James Talarico reading real tweets, an AI-created Lego-style propaganda video from Iran, and a satirical Epstein-related clip, focusing on intent, audiences, deception, and growing difficulty distinguishing AI from real footage, as well as proposed but failed political advertising regulations. Kodie reads a 2023 EBSCO article summarizing Bernays’s background, his rebranding of propaganda as public relations, “engineering of consent,” and major campaigns and clients, with brief discussion of parallels to Mad Men, and the episode ends promoting Thursday’s documentary deep dive.00:00 Show Cold Open00:40 Season Preview02:31 Quote Quiz Goebbels04:24 AI Deepfake Examples08:35 Ethics And Regulation15:33 Flood The Zone18:04 Sponsor Skit Focus Frame19:43 Bernays Series Kickoff21:23 Bernays Bio Primer24:01 Mad Men Comparison27:06 Bernays Greatest Campaigns31:52 Sponsor Skit Waterless Bath33:17 Wrap Up And Next EpisodeResources for Next Episodehttps://www.youtube.com/@justadamcurtis9178