This Is Propaganda

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A show that reveals the invisible influence of propaganda on our culture today. Brought to you by the Chief Propagandists at BRINK.com.

BRINK


    • Sep 18, 2026 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 25m AVG DURATION
    • 25 EPISODES
    • 2 SEASONS


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    Latest episodes from This Is Propaganda

    What Comes Next?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 18, 2026 5:16


    We have a Patreon now. It's free and comes with bonus content including a full debrief on season 2: https://www.patreon.com/thisispropaganda

    S2E5: Hegseth's War on Woke and Women

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2026 19:36


    Pete Hegseth's entire life has been leading to this moment. A war for the very soul of our nation. But can he save the institution responsible for his sense of self from the woke mind virus, or is it too late?  — A production of BRINK Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com — CREDITS  Written, Produced, and Hosted by Malcolm Critcher and Joshua Belhumeur  Co-Producer: Reed Chandler __  Some dialogue and quotations have been condensed, paraphrased, or reconstructed based on contemporaneous accounts, interviews, and other source material. All archival clips from film and television used under fair use, for educational purposes only. REFERENCES “Air Force Denies Retirement Benefits for Some Trans Troops.” Air and Space Forces Magazine, Aug. 2025, www.airandspaceforces.com/air-force-retirement-benefits-transgender/. “‘All for Nothing': Air Force Trans Troops Sue over Revoked Retirement.” Air Force Times, 13 Nov. 2025, www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2025/11/13/all-for-nothing-air-force-trans-troops-sue-over-revoked-retirement/. “Allegories of the Four Continents.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org. “America the Rebellious Slut.” Commonplace: The Journal of Early American Life, commonplace.online. “Amy Sherald Cancels Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship of Trans Artwork.” Hyperallergic, July 2025, hyperallergic.com/amy-sherald-cancels-smithsonian-show-citing-censorship-of-trans-artwork/. “Amy Sherald Withdrew ‘American Sublime' Exhibition from Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Citing ‘Culture of Censorship.'” Culture Type, 29 July 2025, www.culturetype.com/2025/07/29/amy-sherald-withdrew-american-sublime-exhibition-from-smithsonian-national-portrait-gallery-citing-culture-of-censorship/. “The Army Recruiting Ad Featuring a Soldier with 2 Moms Just Got Harder to Find. Here's Why.” Military.com, 16 Jan. 2024, www.military.com/daily-news/2024/01/16/army-delists-calling-ads-making-them-harder-find-youtube-after-years-of-political-blowback.html. Arnold, Tyler. “Does the Navy Endorse Drag Shows? TikTok Video Has Lawmakers Demanding Answers.” EWTN News, 9 May 2023, www.ewtnnews.com/world/us/does-the-navy-endorse-drag-shows-tik-tok-video-has-lawmakers-demanding-answers. “Artist Amy Sherald Has Canceled Her Upcoming Show at the Smithsonian.” NPR, 24 July 2025, www.npr.org/2025/07/24/nx-s1-5479078/artist-amy-sherald-has-canceled-her-upcoming-show-at-the-smithsonian. “Asked to Flag ‘Negative' National Park Content, Visitors Gave Their Own 2 Cents Instead.” NPR, 26 June 2025, www.npr.org/transcripts/nx-s1-5444323. Associated Press. “Sergeant, 23, Is First Woman Awarded Silver Star since World War II.” 16 June 2005. “Before Lady Liberty, There Was Lady Columbia, America's First National Mascot.” Smithsonian Magazine, www.smithsonianmag.com. Ben-Shalom, Miriam. Miriam Ben-Shalom Collection. AFC2001/001.43276, Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/collections/veterans-history-project-collection/serving-our-voices/diverse-experiences-in-service/lgbtq-veterans/item/afc2001001.43276/. Beynon, Steve. “Thousands of Women Serve in Combat Roles. Pentagon Nominee Hegseth Says They Shouldn't.” Military.com, 18 Nov. 2024, www.military.com/daily-news/2024/11/18/thousands-of-women-serve-combat-roles-pentagon-nominee-hegseth-says-they-shouldnt.html. Boyd, E. B. “Lessons from a War.” Princeton Alumni Weekly, 7 Nov. 2007, paw.princeton.edu/article/lessons-war. Brest, Mike. “West Point Apologizes for Sharing Inaccurate Pete Hegseth Information.” Washington Examiner, 11 Dec. 2024, www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/3257116. Brofer, Jennifer. “Marines Conduct ‘Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Training.” DVIDS, 1st Marine Logistics Group, 29 Apr. 2011, www.dvidshub.net/video/114054/marines-conduct-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-training. Carter, Ash. “Remarks on Ending the Ban on Transgender Service in the U.S. Military.” 30 June 2016. U.S. Department of Defense, www.defense.gov. “CHOOSE: Drag Queens or Fatties for US Navy Recruitment.” YouTube, uploaded by BlazeTV, www.youtube.com/shorts/VES0RUssfO8. Craven, Jasper. “Battle of the Sexes.” The Baffler, no. 80, Sept. 2025, thebaffler.com/salvos/battle-of-the-sexes-craven. “‘Cruelty Was the Point': Transgender Troops Look Back on Their Ban as It's Set to End.” Military Times, 15 July 2026, www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2026/07/15/cruelty-was-the-point-transgender-troops-look-back-on-their-ban-as-its-set-to-end/. “Emma.” The Calling, U.S. Army, May 2021. “Executive Order 14004: Enabling All Qualified Americans to Serve Their Country in Uniform.” 25 Jan. 2021. Federal Register, www.federalregister.gov. “Executive Order 14183: Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness.” 27 Jan. 2025. The American Presidency Project, University of California, Santa Barbara, www.presidency.ucsb.edu. “Executive Order 14253: Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” 27 Mar. 2025. Federal Register, doc. 2025-05838, www.federalregister.gov. “Executive Order 14347: Restoring the United States Department of War.” 5 Sept. 2025. Federal Register, www.federalregister.gov. “The Female Combatants, or Who Shall.” 26 Jan. 1776. Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University, findit.library.yale.edu/catalog/digcoll:292042. Fleming, E. McClung. “The American Image as Indian Princess, 1765–1783.” Winterthur Portfolio, vol. 2, 1965. “Fox Commentator Pete Hegseth: If You Want Something, Go After It.” Press Publications, 2015. Fram, Bree. “Media.” Bree Fram, www.breefram.com/media. “Freedom Watch Update.” DVIDS, podcast 72, www.dvidshub.net/podcast/72/freedom-watch-update. “From Wall Street to Iraq: The Pete Hegseth UNCENSORED Story.” Danger Close with Jack Carr, YouTube, uploaded by JackCarrUSA, 24 Oct. 2024, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FD-5dCM-ts. “Full Speeches: Trump, Hegseth Address Military Leaders at Rare Meeting in Quantico.” YouTube, uploaded by Face the Nation, 30 Sept. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhGeNPJlIK4. Gast, John. American Progress. 1872. Autry Museum of the American West, Los Angeles. Halligan, Lindsey. Statement on the National Portrait Gallery. July 2025. Qtd. in LGBTQ Nation, www.lgbtqnation.com. “Harpy Daniels Doubles Down on Navy Drag Queen Backlash: ‘We're Winning.'” YouTube, uploaded by Dave Shadow, www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMPqAopFDAc. “Harpy Daniels: Navy's Drag Queen Digital Ambassador.” YouTube, uploaded by TheDC Shorts, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yK0Y3_S3UtA. “Hegseth Orders Rare Meeting of Top Military Leaders.” YouTube, uploaded by ABC News, Sept. 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=pY4bxfi5paQ. Hegseth, Pete. In the Arena: Good Citizens, a Great Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America. Threshold Editions, 2016. ---. “Remarks to General and Flag Officers.” Marine Corps Base Quantico, 30 Sept. 2025. U.S. Department of War, www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4318689/. Transcript. ---. The War on Warriors: Behind the Betrayal of the Men Who Keep Us Free. Broadside Books, 2024. “Hegseth's ‘Anti-Woke' Changes Likely to Receive Praise and Pushback from Top Leaders.” Sunrise, YouTube, uploaded by The Hill, www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B6T_HdjCHw. “House Approves ‘Department of War' Renaming in Annual Defense Bill.” The Hill, 23 July 2026, thehill.com/homenews/house/5985402-house-ndaa-passage-department-of-war/. “Law School Will Allow Official Recruiting.” The Harvard Crimson, 26 Aug. 2002, www.thecrimson.com. “A Look Back at Hegseth's Local Roots.” Forest Lake Times, Feb. 2025, www.hometownsource.com. Luckey, Palmer. “Palmer Luckey: AI-Powered Autonomous Weapons, Future of Warfare.” Interview. 60 Minutes, CBS, 18 May 2025, www.cbsnews.com. Mayer, Jane. “Pete Hegseth's Secret History.” The New Yorker, 1 Dec. 2024, www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/pete-hegseths-secret-history. McMaster, H. R. “Preserving the Warrior Ethos.” National Review, Oct. 2021. Reprinted by the Hudson Institute, www.hudson.org. ---. “Preserving the Warrior Ethos.” Foreign Podicy, Foundation for Defense of Democracies, 7 Jan. 2022, www.fdd.org. Podcast. “Meet the Navy's Drag Queen, ‘Harpy Daniels.'” YouTube, uploaded by PIX11 News, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eio7p2adUkA. “Military Colonel: ‘We Have an Obligation' to Correct Anti-Trans Rhetoric That Is ‘Factually Untrue.'” YouTube, uploaded by MS NOW, www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EB9BAQDjlk. “National Security Act of 1947.” Harry S. Truman Library and Museum, National Archives and Records Administration, www.trumanlibrary.gov. “National Security Act of 1947.” Office of the Historian, U.S. Department of State, history.state.gov/milestones/1945-1952/national-security-act. “Navy's Drag Queen Recruit: Joshua Kelley's Inspiring Journey.” YouTube, uploaded by Can We Talk? Hosted by Dr. Dan Mason, PhD, www.youtube.com/shorts/9CEaWPXaf_A. “The Navy's Latest Recruiter Is a Drag Queen.” YouTube, uploaded by Michael Knowles, www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdekkMREcDg. Obama, Barack, and Joe Biden. “Remarks by the President and Vice President at Signing of the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010.” 22 Dec. 2010. The White House, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2010/12/22/remarks-president-and-vice-president-signing-dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-a. “Oldest Person Living.” Guinness World Records, www.guinnessworldrecords.com. O'Neill, Robert [@mchooyah]. Post on the U.S. Navy's digital ambassador program. X (Twitter), 4 May 2023. ---. Interview. O'Connor and Company, WMAL, 5 May 2023. Radio broadcast. “Pete Hegseth Medal Flap Puts Focus on What It Takes to Earn a Bronze Star.” The Washington Times, 6 Dec. 2024, www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/dec/6/pete-hegseth-medal-flap-puts-focus-takes-earn-bron/. Pogrebin, Robin. “Amy Sherald Cancels Her Smithsonian Show, Citing Censorship.” The New York Times, 24 July 2025, www.nytimes.com. “The Rant.” The Princeton Tory, Oct. 2002, theprincetontory.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/2002-10.pdf. “Read: Hegseth's Speech to Generals and Admirals.” Air and Space Forces Magazine, 30 Sept. 2025, www.airandspaceforces.com/read-hegseth-speech-generals-admirals/. “Reviving the Warrior Spirit: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Service, Sacrifice and Strength.” YouTube, uploaded by The White House, 2025, www.youtube.com/watch?v=38hwtrnR66k. Ripa, Cesare. Iconologia. Rome, 1603. Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, Inc. 547 U.S. 47. Supreme Court of the United States. 2006. “Saving America's Story.” The White House, July 2026, www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/07/saving-americas-story/. “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth Addresses Generals and Flag Officers.” DVIDS, 30 Sept. 2025, www.dvidshub.net/video/984046. “Senate Committee Backs Department of War Name Change.” Military Times, 11 June 2026, www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2026/06/11/senate-committee-backs-department-of-war-name-change/. Sherald, Amy. Letter to Lonnie G. Bunch III. 23 July 2025. ---. Trans Forming Liberty. 2024, oil on linen. Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, whitney.org/media/62011. Slack, Megan. “From the Archives: The End of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.” The White House Blog, 20 Sept. 2012, obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2012/09/20/archives-end-dont-ask-dont-tell. Talbott v. United States. No. 25-5087. U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. 1 June 2026. GLAD Law, www.gladlaw.org/cases/talbott-v-usa/. “Transgender, at War and in Love.” Directed by Fiona Dawson, The New York Times, 2015. Op-Doc. “Transgender at War.” Vice on HBO, HBO, 2015. “Transgender Troops Face Deadlines to Self-Report under Trump's Ban.” The Washington Post, 22 June 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/06/22/transgender-troops-trump-ban-hegseth/. TransMilitary. Directed by Gabriel Silverman and Fiona Dawson, SideXSide Studios, 2018. “Trump and Hegseth Deliver Charged Speeches at Military Meeting.” YouTube, uploaded by TODAY, www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGb8nBDzIQ0. Trump, Donald J. “Remarks to Military Leaders at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.” 30 Sept. 2025. Compilation of Presidential Documents, DCPD-202500970, U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.govinfo.gov. ---. “Remarks at Marine Corps Base Quantico.” 30 Sept. 2025. Factbase, Roll Call, rollcall.com/factbase/. “Trump, Hegseth Summon Hundreds of Generals to Quantico.” Stars and Stripes, 30 Sept. 2025, www.stripes.com. “Trump Moves to Scrub National Parks Sites of Signs That Cast America in a ‘Negative Light.'” NPR, 17 Sept. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/09/17/nx-s1-5540117/government-moves-to-national-scrub-park-sites-of-negative-history. “Trump Order Targets Transgender Troops and ‘Radical Gender Ideology.'” The Washington Post, 28 Jan. 2025, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/01/28/trump-transgender-troops-military-hegseth/. “Up to 1,000 Transgender Troops Are Being Separated from the Military in New Pentagon Order.” PBS News, 8 May 2025, www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/up-to-1000-transgender-troops-are-being-separated-from-the-military-in-new-pentagon-order. “U.S. Air Force to Deny Early Retirement Benefits to Some Transgender Service Members.” NPR, 8 Aug. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/08/08/nx-s1-5496133/air-force-retirement-benefits-transgender. “Vets for Freedom.” FactCheck.org, www.factcheck.org/tag/vets-for-freedom/. “Vets for Freedom: ‘Finish the Job.'” Secret Money Project, NPR, July 2008, www.npr.org/sections/secretmoney/2008/07/vets_for_freedom_finish_the_jo.html. “Vets for Freedom: ‘I Am the Surge.'” Secret Money Project, NPR, Aug. 2008, www.npr.org/sections/secretmoney/2008/08/vets_for_freedom_i_am_the_surg.html. Wagner, John. “All Hands Update: CFAS Don't Ask Don't Tell Training.” DVIDS, Defense Media Activity, 25 May 2011, www.dvidshub.net/video/116213/all-hands-update-cfas-dont-ask-dont-tell-training. Warren, Elizabeth. Letter to Pete Hegseth. Jan. 2025. United States Senate, www.warren.senate.gov. “White House Calls for a ‘Comprehensive Internal Review' of 8 Smithsonian Museums.” NPR, 12 Aug. 2025, www.npr.org/2025/08/12/nx-s1-5500550/smithsonian-trump-review. “Woman as Symbol, 1590–1800.” American Women: Topical Essays, Library of Congress, guides.loc.gov/american-women-essays/woman-as-symbol. “Woman Soldier Receives Silver Star for Valor in Iraq.” Army News Service, June 2005, www.dvidshub.net/news/538087. “WTF Was That Military Meeting…” YouTube, uploaded by HasanAbi, www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_Pt9NNZBNo. MUSIC ATTRIBUTIONS Playtime Elijah Aaron Licensed from Artlist What You've Been Looking For idokay (feat. Daniel Magen) Licensed from Artlist Quick Boudicca Licensed from Artlist No Man's Land Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur Too Many Steps Oran Loyfer Licensed from Artlist Tempted The Hazelnuts Licensed from Artlist American Dream Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur Moon Mother Richard Farrell (feat. Zephyr Gold) Licensed from Artlist A Propagandist Walks into a Piano Bar Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur Samizdat Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur

    united states america love women new york university california president donald trump art interview freedom los angeles lessons battle media future woman service state new york times phd war story office joe biden foundation strength winning stars radio vice president army barack obama white house rome hbo defense world war ii court sacrifice supreme court military ending wall street letter cbs navy museum speech washington post iraq npr air soldiers rant air force secretary vice betrayal thousands new yorker forum woke statement transgender earn ash wagner restoring surge slack directed signing historians censorship valor warfare academic yale university sunrise preserving american history abc news boyd sanity obligations santa barbara executive orders appeals associated press circuit symbol guinness world records smithsonian readiness vets fleming exhibition mayer compilation uniform pushback reviving performed drag queen ban library of congress stripes american west sergeant pete hegseth secret history remarks generals united states department fram sexes fact check metropolitan museum national archives craven national review united states senate bronze star brest mcmaster washington times democracies renaming washington examiner quantico roll call american progress american art donald rumsfeld cesare national portrait gallery smithsonian magazine hudson institute whitney museum anti woke what it takes smithsonian museum michael knowles admirals top leaders jack carr saving america baffler talbott military leaders mcclung blaze tv halligan federal register fatties ripa can we talk hyperallergic harvard crimson luckey allegories military times records administration danger close reprinted warrior ethos beynon dan mason local roots national security act pbs news ben shalom autry museum four continents lgbtq nation wmal american folklife center veterans history project smithsonian national portrait gallery fiona dawson pix11 news indian princess pogrebin dvids white house blog defense media activity threshold editions
    S2E4: Forever Wars: Embedded Feminism from the Middle East to the Marvel Cinematic Universe

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2026 20:12


    As female soldiers get elevated from object to equal, they become both the army's greatest PR asset, and greatest PR liability.  — A production of BRINK, a narrative studio Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com — CREDITS  Written, Produced, and Hosted by Malcolm Critcher and Joshua Belhumeur  Co-Producer: Reed Chandler __  Some dialogue and quotations have been condensed, paraphrased, or reconstructed based on contemporaneous accounts, interviews, and other source material. All archival clips from film and television used under fair use, for educational purposes only.

    S2E3: Betty Crocker the Psy-Op, Rosie the Riveter, and the Feminist Revolution

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 3, 2026 25:17


    From flappers to factory workers, and suffrajitsu to cold war kitchens, we track how the 20th century woman was imagined time and again to meet the needs of a nation. — A production of BRINK, original productions and branded entertainment Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com — CREDITS  Written, Produced, and Hosted by Malcolm Critcher and Joshua Belhumeur  Co-Producer: Reed Chandler __  Some dialogue and quotations have been condensed, paraphrased, or reconstructed based on contemporaneous accounts, interviews, and other source material. All archival clips from film and television used under fair use, for educational purposes only. No AI this time. Enjoy my Russian accent. 

    S2E2: Hollywood Declares War: From WWII Pinup Girls to Playmates in Vietnam

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2026 26:07


    How propagandists getting into bed with Hollywood caused the military to lose control of what women mean to their warriors. Or: How I learned to stop worrying, and love the military entertainment complex.  — A production of BRINK, original productions and branded entertainment.   Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com — CREDITS  Written, Produced, and Hosted by Malcolm Critcher and Joshua Belhumeur  Co-Producer: Reed Chandler Additional Voice Acting: Rhiannon Lane  __  Some dialogue and quotations have been condensed, paraphrased, or reconstructed based on contemporaneous accounts, interviews, and other source material. All archival clips from film and television used under fair use, for educational purposes only.

    S2E1: Horny for War: The History of How Sex Became A Weapon

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2025 23:43


    White feathers, red light districts, and the rise of the military edging complex. How governments weaponized horniness to win WWI, and began to reimagine what women represent to a nation at war.  — A production of BRINK, original media and branded entertainment   Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: @thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com — CREDITS Written, Produced, and Hosted by Malcolm Critcher and Joshua Belhumeur  Co-Producer: Reed Chandler Additional Voice Acting: Rhiannon Lane  __  Some dialogue and quotations have been condensed, paraphrased, or reconstructed based on contemporaneous accounts, interviews, and other source material. AI Disclosure: We use AI to create custom filters for our voices, but the original performances are our own. We also used AI for a custom composition using our own lyrics for “The Girl Behind The Man Behind The Gun”. All used under commercial license. This is a new frontier for all of us, and we are finding our footing when it comes to AI usage and transparency. We welcome any and all feedback. — ATTRIBUTIONS A CUP OF COFFEE, A SANDWICH AND YOU (00:20)  Performed by Ben Selvin And His Orchestra  Recorded in 1925 Courtesy of The Popular Jazz Archive VALS TRISTE (01:21)  Performed by Ohad Ben Ari and Jean Sibelius  Licensed from Artlist  HORNPIPE (02:13)  Performed by Victor Military Band  Licensed from Artlist WHOLE TONY (02:37) Performed by Southside Aces  Licensed from Artlist  DANNY BOY (03:16)  Written by Frederic Weatherly (1910) MIDI performance transcribed from sheet music. MAKE A MAN OUT OF YOU (03:40)  Performed by Maggie Smith From the film Oh! What A Lovely War (1969) Director Richard Attenborough Distributed by Paramount Pictures Used for educational purposes only. SAMIZDAT (04:36)  Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur  GNOSSIENNE NO. 3 (05:13)  Performed by Romi Kopelman Written by Erik Satie  Licensed from Artlist  MELANCHOLIA (06:15)  Performed by Franscico DeAndrea Licensed from Artlist  A PROPAGANDIST WALKS INTO A PIANO BAR (07:39)  Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur  BACKWARDS (08:24)  Performed by Jane & The Boy  Licensed from Artlist  FORWARD JOE SOAPS ARMY (09:34) Performed by Fitzrovia Chorus & John Mealing Used for educational purposes only. WILL HER EYES SHINE IN GREEN OR IN BLUE (10:25)  Performed by Ziv Grinberg  Licensed from Artlist  BLUE GUM (11:19) Performed by Shahar Haziza Licensed from Artlist   BATTLE OF THE NATIONS (12:19)  Performed by Conways Band  Licensed from Artlist  SALT OF THE SOUND (12:56)  Performed by Coventry Carol  Licensed from Artlist  TENNESSEE I HEAR YOUR NAME CALLING (13:21)  Performed by American Quartet  Licensed from Artlist  LOW END (14:21)  Performed by Magnetic Buzz  Licensed from Artlist  MY GAL SAL (16:06) Performed by Danny Altier Orchestra  Recorded in 1928 ACRYLIC DREAMS (16:54)  Performed by Magnetic Buzz  Licensed from Artlist  NO MAN'S LAND (18:14)  Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur  THE ALCOHOLIC BLUES (20:40)  Performed by Irving Kaufman  Written by Edw. Laska & H. Von Tilzer Recorded in 1920  BEYOND THE ZERO (21:08)  Written and Performed by Joshua Belhumeur  THE GIRL BEHIND THE MAN BEHIND THE GUN (21:54)  Written by Joshua Belhumeur  Sources available at: thisispropaganda.show/season-two/horny-for-war-the-history-of-how-sex-became-a-weapon

    Coming Soon: This Is Propaganda Season 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 1:06


    This Is Propaganda is back, and more patriotic than ever. From WWI posters to TikTok E-Girls, strap in for an immersive narrative investigation into how the military uses sex to define the image of the soldier, and the weird and unexpected ways it has changed our culture. New episode drops October 2025.

    Bot Armies, Dead Internet, and Misinformation Farms with Amil Khan

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 39:43


    With endless bot armies infiltrating social media feeds and harnessing the algorithm to control narratives and public opinion, our media system is becoming increasingly polluted. How long will it be before the internet is officially “dead,” where more comments and views are bots than human? Our conversation this week is with Amil Khan, a former Reuters foreign correspondent and BBC investigative journalist with over two decades of experience in media and communications. Amil is now the CEO of Valent, a firm specializing in countermeasures for organizations under threat from bot networks and disinformation campaigns. Welcome to DoubleThink, conversations inspired by This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, check out the Webby Award–winning first season. — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com

    Media Literacy with Renee Hobbs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 32:14


    The average American's worldview is under constant assault from propaganda. Between the 5,000 advertisements we see daily, for profit journalism, and virtually every post on social media, the gulf between reality and the myths we are surrounded by has never been wider. And with the widespread adoption of algorithms guiding this entire process, we are in desperate need of a new set of skills to navigate the landscape.  This set of skills is widely referred to as media literacy—a concept that extends literacy beyond the ability to read and write, into the ability to understand how and why messages work across different forms of media.  Joining us is special guest Renee Hobbs, media literacy scholar, educator, and founder of the Media Education Lab.  Welcome to DoubleThink, conversations inspired by This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, check out the Webby Award–winning first season. — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com

    Hollywood and The Pentagon with Tom Secker

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2025 33:31


    It probably won't come as much of a surprise that the Pentagon was involved in the making of Top Gun. What may be more surprising is the sheer scope of film and television projects the Pentagon has had a hand in—and just how deeply involved it is in the production process. From Pitch Perfect 3 to the reality show Wife Swap, today we'll explore how the Pentagon became one of the most powerful forces behind Hollywood storytelling—and the long-term impact this influence has had on audiences both in America and around the world. Joining us is special guest Tom Secker journalist author and podcaster. You can learn more about Tom's work at spyculture.com Welcome to DoubleThink, conversations inspired by This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, check out the webby award winning first season — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com

    Guest Episode: Luxury Doomsday with 'American Hysteria'

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2025 59:24


    We're crossposting today's episode from American Hysteria with Chelsey Weber-Smith where our co-hosts Josh and Malcolm were special guests discussing the propaganda behind luxury doomsday shelters. If you're a fan of our pod, you'll enjoy American Hysteria too. Be sure to subscribe where you get your pods. — The hottest new (and embarrassing) trend in the billionaire bubble is luxury doomsday shelters, wildly expensive bunkers that the ultra-rich believe will allow them to live extravagantly in a post-apocalyptic world. Join me, Joshua Belhumeur, and Malcolm Critcher of the podcast 'This is Propaganda' as we enter their futuristic world, try to understand their tech bro mindset, and take a look at the history of prepping to see how unchecked capitalism has transformed the way we think about the end of the world. — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com

    The Death of a Millennial Brand with Eugene Healey

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2025 30:57


    What aesthetics and ideas defined the branded propaganda targeting millennials in the 2010s, and why do they increasingly fail to resonate with Gen Z audiences? Joining us is special guest Eugene Healey, brand strategy consultant and educator. Follow Eugene at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elkhealey This is DoubleThink, conversations inspired by the themes of This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, please listen to the Webby Award season one of the pod. — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com

    Howard Gossage: 20th Century Master of Propaganda with Justin Oberman

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2025 27:54


    San Francisco ad man Howard Gossage (1917–1969) is a bit more under the radar than his Madison Avenue contemporaries, but his work in both consumer marketing and advocacy messaging was brilliant. His unconventional and interactive approaches to advertising felt like a harbinger of what was to come a half-century later with the advent of social media. We discuss his work and what it can teach us about propaganda. With special guest Justin Oberman, longtime advertising creative and social media influencer. Follow Justin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinoberman/ This is DoubleThink, conversations inspired by the themes of This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, please listen to the Webby Award season one of the pod. — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com

    Abortion Messaging in Post-Dobbs America with Amelia Bonow

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 23:28


    Liberal “pro choice” messaging has historically conceded the moral high ground (“safe, legal and rare”). Amelia Bonow helped change that as the leader of the Shout Your Abortion movement. In this episode, she shares her journey and discusses why the persuasion war is far less important than educating people on the options they still and will always have, regardless of legality. Find safe abortions anywhere at: https://www.youalwayshaveoptions.com/ Learn more about Shout Your Abortion: https://shoutyourabortion.com/ This is DoubleThink, conversations inspired by the themes of This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, please listen to the Webby Award season one of the pod. — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com

    David Shields talks Luigi Mangione, Trump and the Art of Cultural Disruption

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 33:13


    David Shields (best-selling author / filmmaker) joins us to dissect the brutal reality of politics as performance. We dive into Trump's media mastery, Luigi Mangione's provocative symbolism, and why the Democrats are stuck playing an obsolete game. Be sure to check out David's latest work, How We Got Here, a film and book companion. This is DoubleThink, conversations inspired by the themes of This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, please listen to the Webby Award season one of the pod. — BRINK media group is re-imagining how brands, causes and artists compete in the oversaturated attention marketplace through original productions and branded entertainment. Website: thisispropaganda.show Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow Email: propaganda@brink.com — Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher

    DoubleThink #3: Nuance has a PR Problem

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 25:25


    This episode unpacks how the Culture War feeds on emotional shortcuts, why complexity and nuance is so hard to embrace, and what it means to navigate a society driven by flattened ideas and radicalized identities. This is DoubleThink, conversations inspired by the themes of This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, please listen to season one of the pod before engaging these conversations.

    DoubleThink #2: The Art / Propaganda Spectrum

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 5, 2024 22:14


    Is art propaganda? Is propaganda art? A free flowing conversation about a spectrum that exists between the two and how modern consumer propaganda might benefit from leaning heavier into art. This is DoubleThink, conversations inspired by the themes of This Is Propaganda. If you haven't yet, please listen to season one of the pod before engaging these conversations.

    DT1: Narratives of the US Election

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2024 32:36


    In this first episode of DoubleThink — conversations inspired by the themes of This Is Propaganda — Malcolm and Josh revisit the “vibe shift” of the US election when President Biden dropped and the world got coconut-pilled by Kamala Harris, along with predictions of what comes next.

    Guest Episode: Inside The War For Your Attention

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2024 43:16


    Co-Hosts of This Is Propaganda Josh and Malcolm were recently special guests on From Startup to Wunderbrand with Nicholas Kuhne. Enjoy their conversation and stay tuned, as new content for This Is Propaganda is coming soon.

    S1E5: Everything Is Propaganda, Even You

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2024 19:18 Transcription Available


    When the value of a product is eclipsed by the value of its branding, the propaganda becomes the vehicle of self-expression. Social media, the ultimate tool of self-expression, is dominated by personal brands. But a brand doesn't have a “self” — it answers only to sales. In a world where market dynamics dictate the entire human experience, where does this trajectory ultimately lead us? Featuring brands like Liquid Death, MSCHF, and Mattel. BRINK is a creative agency dedicated to reshaping the advertising industry through expanding awareness of our impact on the collective conscience and adopting a more humanist approach. Learn more about our work at brink.com   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   “Big Red Boot.” MSCHF. https://mschf.com/shop/big-red-boot/ “Black Panther (soundtrack).” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_(soundtrack) Bradley, Bill. 2022. “US Advertising Sales Projected to Pass $300 Billion for First Time Ever in 2022.” Adweek. https://www.adweek.com/convergent-tv/us-advertising-sales-projected-to-pass-300-billion-for-first-time-ever-in-2022/ Ferere, Cassell. 2021. “Brand Blasphemy? What Nike's Move To Sue MSCHF For Lil Nas X ‘Satan Shoes' Tells Us About Pop Culture.” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cassellferere/2021/03/30/nikes-move-to-sue-mschf-for-its-lil-nas-x-satan-shoes-tells-us-about-pop-culture/?sh=58f905dc55fc Huddleston Jr., Tom, and Zachary Green. 2022. “Liquid Death CEO Mike Cessario: We chose 'the dumbest possible name' for water.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/26/liquid-death-ceo-mike-cessario-we-chose-the-dumbest-possible-name-for-water.html Museum of Broadcast Communications Encyclopedia of Television. 1997. “Colgate Comedy Hour, The.” Television Academy Interviews. https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/colgate-comedy-hour-the Silbert, Jake. 2021. “MSCHF's At All Costs Clothing Line Plays With Prices.” Highsnobiety. https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/mschf-at-all-costs-clothing-line/ Silbert, Jake. 2021. “MSCHF's Guns 2 Swords took The Met Gala, Thanks to Grimes.” Highsnobiety. https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/mschf-guns-2-swords/ Suess, Jeff. 2017. “Our history: P&G put the 'soap' in 'soap opera.'” Cincinnati Enquirer. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2017/10/04/our-history-p-g-put-soap-soap-opera/732149001/ Whitten, Sarah. 2023. “Barbie is highest-grossing domestic film release in 2023.” CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/24/barbie-is-highest-grossing-domestic-film-release-in-2023.html “Your Hit Parade.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Your_Hit_Parade

    S1E4: You Have My Permission to Believe What I Say

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2023 20:35 Transcription Available


    Is it conceivable for a brand to be “authentic” when that authenticity is meticulously constructed? We're inherently skeptical of the messaging disseminated by corporations and politicians, yet we rely on the stories they tell to express ourselves. Authentic propaganda, a paradoxical concept, depends on the audience's voluntary acceptance of a fabricated narrative to reconcile the inner conflict between the desire for authenticity and the belief that it's all a facade. Drawing inspiration from '90s postmodernism and featuring brands like Coca-Cola/OK Soda and Donald J. Trump. Wanna be a guest on our podcast? Hit up Josh and Malcolm at propaganda@brink.com Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Dember, Greg. 2018. “Eleven Metamodern Methods in the Arts.” Medium. https://medium.com/what-is-metamodern/after-postmodernism-eleven-metamodern-methods-in-the-arts-767f7b646cae Dreith, Ben. 2023. “Siegel+Gale creates "authentic" branding for US Army.” Dezeen. https://www.dezeen.com/2023/04/06/us-army-branding-siegelgale/ Flight, Thomas. 2023. “Why Do Movies Feel So Different Now?” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xEi8qg266g McPherson, Steve. 2013. “Image Is Nothing: Grant Hill and His Amazing '90s Sprite Ads.” Grantland. https://grantland.com/the-triangle/image-is-nothing-grant-hill-and-his-amazing-90s-sprite-ads/ “OK Soda: The strange, nihilistic Nineties soda that only lasted seven months.” 2022. MeTV. https://www.metv.com/stories/ok-soda-the-strange-nihilistic-nineties-soda-that-only-lasted-seven-months Resnick, Brian. 2017. “Trump supporters know Trump lies. They just don't care.” Vox. https://www.vox.com/2017/7/10/15928438/fact-checks-political-psychology Salvanto, Anthony, Kabir Khanna, Jennifer De Pinto, and Fred Backus. 2023. “CBS News poll finds Trump's big lead grows, as GOP voters dismiss indictments.” CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-poll-indictments-2023-08-20/ Schulman, Michael. 2014. “Everything is Going to Be OK.” Believer Magazine. https://www.thebeliever.net/everything-is-going-to-be-ok/ Sorgatz, Rex. 2022. “25 Highest-Rated Shows of the '90s.” TV Insider. https://www.tvinsider.com/list/highest-rated-shows-of-the-90s/#show2 “Stress in America 2022: Concerned for the future, beset by inflation.” 2022. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/stress/2022/concerned-future-inflation Wallace, David F. 2000. “David Foster Wallace on John McCain: ‘The Weasel, Twelve Monkeys, and the Shrub.'” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/david-foster-wallace-on-john-mccain-the-weasel-twelve-monkeys-and-the-shrub-194272/

    S1E3: The Sound of One Hand Clapping

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2023 22:07 Transcription Available


    In our fast-paced society, people rely on symbols to guide their decisions. This makes propaganda a powerful force, as it streamlines information processing. Brands capitalize on our need for these cognitive shortcuts by virtue signaling to project shared values, causing consumerism to shift from an act of self-expression to one of tribalism. We discuss cognitive dissonance and societal polarization resulting from the culture war, featuring brands like Disney, Tesla, Budweiser, Dove, Nike, and more. Connect, get merch, and go deeper down the rabbit hole at thisispropaganda.show.   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Bernays, Edward L. 2004. Propaganda. Ig Publishing. “#BrandsGetReal: Brands Creating Change in the Conscious Consumer Era.” 2019. Sprout Social. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/data/brands-creating-change/ Brooks, Khristopher J. 2023. “Ron DeSantis threatens Anheuser-Busch over Bud Light marketing campaign with Dylan Mulvaney.” CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-ron-desantis-bud-light-dylan-mulvaney-anheuser-busch/ “Corporate Social Responsibility: A Brief History.” Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals. https://accp.org/resources/csr-resources/accp-insights-blog/corporate-social-responsibility-brief-history/ Disney Parks. 2022. “Write The Next Chapter Of Your Life With Disney | Storyliving by Disney.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsvA8ZkdL4Q Dockterman, Eliana. 2016. “Budweiser Just Renamed Its Beer 'America.'” Time. https://time.com/4324384/budweiser-america-rename-beer/ “The Dove Self-Esteem Project.” Dove. https://www.dove.com/us/en/dove-self-esteem-project.html Ellul, Jacques. 1965. Propaganda: The Formation of Men's Attitudes. Vintage Books. https://ratical.org/ratville/AoS/Propaganda-JE-Vintage1973.pdf Etcoff, Nancy, Susie Orbach, Jennifer Scott, and Heidi D'Agostino. 2004. “THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT BEAUTY: A GLOBAL REPORT”  Findings of the Global Study on Women, Beauty, and Well-Being.” Club of Amsterdam. https://www.clubofamsterdam.com/contentarticles/52%20Beauty/dove_white_paper_final.pdf Farhi, Paul. 1991. “THE ORIGINAL SPIN DOCTOR.” The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/11/23/the-original-spin-doctor/109f782a-5964-4d99-94f7-b4b666bc1f74/ “15 years of Axe Effect: the world's most sexist advertising campaign.” 2011. This is not ADVERTISING. https://thisisnotadvertising.wordpress.com/2011/11/07/15-years-of-axe-effect-the-worlds-most-sexist-advertising-campaign/ Giardina, Henry. 2023. “Bud Light Has Always Been Super Queer, Actually.” INTO more. https://www.intomore.com/culture/bud-light-has-always-been-super-queer-actually/ Klee, Miles. 2023. “‘Woke' Companies Don't Go Broke, and the Profits Prove It.” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/woke-companies-broke-profits-1234710724/ Luttrell, Andy. 2016. “Cognitive Dissonance Theory: A Crash Course.” YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Y17YaZRRvY “Making a Difference in Racial Equity.” 2020. Walmart.https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2020/06/05/making-a-difference-in-racial-equity Morel, Lindsey. 2009. “The Effectiveness of the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty in Terms of Society and the Brand.” SURFACE at Syracuse University. https://surface.syr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1479&context=honors_capstone Olson, Alexandra, Kate Brumback, and Matt Ott. 2020. “'A slap in the face:' Goya faces boycott over Trump praise.” AP News. https://apnews.com/article/02dc77e29f848bebbc4e1434df056864 Perjurer, Kevin. 2022. “Disney Channel's Theme: A History Mystery.” YouTube: Defunctland. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_rjBWmc1iQ “21st Century Ad Campaigns: See all Top 15 Winners and eBook.” 2015. Ad Age. https://adage.com/article/news/advertising-age-s-21st-century-ads-top-15-ad-campaigns/296525 Wamsley, Laurel. 2023. “In a new video, Dylan Mulvaney says Bud Light never reached out to her amid backlash.” NPR. https://www.npr.org/2023/06/30/1185356673/trans-influencer-dylan-mulvaney-bud-light-backlash Youn, Soo. 2018. “Nike sales booming after Colin Kaepernick ad, invalidating critics.” ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/Business/nike-sales-booming-kaepernick-ad-invalidating-critics/story?id=59957137

    S1E2: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, It Will Be Sold

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 15:59 Transcription Available


    The transformative impact of the 1960s counterculture on American society was driven by the post-WWII population explosion known as the baby boomer generation. As violence marred the social movements of the ‘60s, the emergence of the Human Potential Movement replaced the need for collective action with self-expression and radical individualism. Propaganda followed suit with lifestyle branding, creating associations between products and individual values. By blurring the line between self and brand identity, hippies were converted into the largest demographic of consumers in history. If you've enjoyed this podcast so far, be sure to leave us a review. If you hated it, share it with your enemies, they sound like smart people.   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Beens, Robert E. 2021. “We must stop the sale, manipulation, or theft of our data.” Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90597583/data-privacy-startpage-founder Bernays, Edward L. 2004. Propaganda. Ig Publishing. Curtis, Adam. 2020. “The Century of the Self - BBC Documentary (2002).” YouTube: Gnosis Documentaries https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jymMjNc0igI “First Measured Century: Interview: Daniel Yankelovich.” PBS. https://www.pbs.org/fmc/interviews/yankelovich.htm Greenberg, Udi. “Freud and the Miseries of Politics.” The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/165265/freud-miseries-politics-samuel-moyn-civilizations-discontents-review Hampton, Fred, and Black Panther Party. “I Am A Revolutionary” speech. “Human Potential Movement.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Potential_Movement “Mechanisms of Social Movement Suppression – Defend Dissent.” Oregon State University. https://open.oregonstate.education/defenddissent/chapter/social-movement-suppression/ Munteanu, Cătălin C., and Andreea Pagalea. 2014. “Brands as a Mean of Consumer Self-expression and Desired Personal Lifestyle.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 109 (January): pgs. 103-107. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813050593 “1980s: Commerce.”  Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/1980s-commerce Rafferty, John P. “America's Boomer Generation.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/americas-boomer-generation “7 Lessons From the Golden Age of Advertising That Still Apply.” MoreBusiness.com. https://www.morebusiness.com/lessons-from-the-golden-age-of-advertising/ “Statistical Abstract of the United States 1982-83.”  U.S. Census Bureau. https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/1978tvsets.pdf

    S1E1: After the War, I Could Really Use a Cigarette

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2023 25:45 Transcription Available


    Edward Bernays, often hailed as the "Father of Public Relations," was a master propagandist, not a pioneer of PR. His work during WWI exposed him to the potency of propaganda, inspiring him to apply its techniques to private industry. His most notable achievement was encouraging women to smoke publicly, linking it to feminism through the "Torches of Freedom" campaign. Bernays' legacy lies in his application of Freudian psychoanalysis to create associations between products and existing desires to influence public opinion, shaping the advertising industry as we know it today. BRINK is a creative collective dedicated to helping activist brands change minds. Learn more about Josh, Malcolm, and the podcast at thisispropaganda.show.   Website: thisispropaganda.show Email: propaganda@brink.com Instagram: instagram.com/thisispropagandashow YouTube: youtube.com/@thisispropagandashow Slack: bit.ly/propaganda-slack Reddit: reddit.com/r/thisispropaganda   Cohosts: Josh Belhumeur and Malcolm Critcher Producers: Jaclyn Hubersberger and Reed Chandler Story Editor: Matt Decker Additional Audio Engineering: Paul Injeti Original music: Josh Belhumeur   Ambar, Saladin.  “Woodrow Wilson: Foreign Affairs.” Miller Center. https://millercenter.org/president/wilson/foreign-affairs Barnes, Bart. “PUBLIC RELATIONS PIONEER EDWARD L. BERNAYS DIES.” Washington Post, March 10, 1995. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1995/03/10/public-relations-pioneer-edward-l-bernays-dies/985793a8-4bb2-4a98-b54f-7efdf892f5f6/ Beens, Robert E. 2021. “Companies are selling, manipulating, or stealing data. It's time to do something about it.” Fast Company. https://www.fastcompany.com/90597583/data-privacy-startpage-founder Bernays, Edward L. 2004. Propaganda. Ig Publishing. “The Brutal Realities of World War I.” 2020. Facing History & Ourselves. https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/brutal-realities-world-war-i Buffalo News. “EDWARD L. BERNAYS, 103, DIES; WAS PIONEER IN PUBLIC RELATIONS.” March 10, 1995. https://buffalonews.com/news/edward-l-bernays-103-dies-was-pioneer-in-public-relations/article_53e7d43b-e323-5c8b-a682-32925d29d061.html Curtis, Adam. 2020. “The Century of the Self - BBC Documentary (2002).” YouTube: Gnosis Documentaries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jymMjNc0igI Daly, Christopher B. 2017. “How Woodrow Wilson's propaganda machine changed American journalism.” The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/how-woodrow-wilsons-propaganda-machine-changed-american-journalism-76270 “EAA: Timeline.”  Duke University Libraries. https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/scriptorium/eaa/timeline.html “Edward Bernays – the Father of 'Spin'” 2017. Global Policy Institute. https://gpilondon.com/publications/edward-bernays-the-father-of-spin Fedewa, Joe. 2023. “Here's Why You'll Never See Movie Villains Use iPhones.” How-To Geek. https://www.howtogeek.com/832279/heres-why-youll-never-see-movie-villains-use-iphones/ Greenberg, Udi. 2022. “Freud and the Miseries of Politics.” The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/165265/freud-miseries-politics-samuel-moyn-civilizations-discontents-review Gregersen, Erik. 2023. “Edward Bernays | Propaganda, Public Relations & Advertising.” Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edward-Bernays Hatcher, Dan. 2015. “The Father of Spin: Edward L. Bernays and the Birth of Public Relations” by Larry Tye.” The Siding Spring. https://thesidingspring.com/2015/09/04/the-father-of-spin-edward-l-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-by-larry-tye/ Held, Lisa. 2009. “Psychoanalysis shapes consumer culture.” American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2009/12/consumer “History of advertising.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_advertising. The Independent. 1995. “OBITUARY: Edward Bernays” March 22, 1995. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-edward-bernays-1612237.html Lubin, Gus. 2013. “Birth of Consumer Culture.” Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/birth-of-consumer-culture-2013-2 “Milestones: 1914–1920 - The League of Nations, 1920.” Office of the Historian. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1914-1920/league The New York Times. “Edward Bernays, 'Father of Public Relations' And Leader in Opinion Making, Dies at 103.” March 10, 1995. https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/10/obituaries/edward-bernays-father-public-relations-leader-opinion-making-dies-103.html NPR. 1995. “Edward Bernays.” March 11, 1995. https://www.npr.org/1995/03/11/1005340/edward-bernays O'Toole, Patricia. 2018. How the US Government Used Propaganda to Sell Americans on World War I | HISTORY. https://www.history.com/news/world-war-1-propaganda-woodrow-wilson-fake-news “Purity, Pornography, and Eugenics in the 1930s (Parts I & II).” 2022. Textbook History. https://textbookhistory.org/purity-pornography-and-eugenics-in-the-1930s/ Reeve, Michael. 2018. “Smoking and Cigarette Consumption | International Encyclopedia of the First World War (WW1).” 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/smoking_and_cigarette_consumption Smith, Erika C. 2018. “Organization of War Economies (USA).” 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/organization_of_war_economies_usa Statement by the President in Address to the Nation. 2001. George W. Bush White House. Tye, Larry.  “The Father of Spin.” The New York Times. https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/first/t/tye-spin.html “Women and smoking.”  Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_and_smoking#cite_note-15 “World War I casualties.”  U.S. Census Bureau.https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/reperes112018.pdf  

    Season 1 Trailer

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2023 0:32 Transcription Available


    In Season 1 of This Is Propaganda, co-hosts Josh & Malcolm from the creative agency BRINK will deconstruct the collective delusion about what we do as marketers so that we, as an industry, can be more thoughtful about how we do it. We'll explore propaganda's historical significance, omnipresence across generations of media, and profound influence on our culture. Learn more at thisispropaganda.show.

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