Adam Curtis: UK Politics is a Psycho Witch Hunt and Other Sordid Tales (Best of Office Hours)
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- Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
- UK documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis discusses the current state of politics in England and his new BBC documentary series “TraumaZone” which covers the fall of the Soviet Union.
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Adam Curtis is the oracle of 21st century. An amazing man with an incredible ability to describe our super complicated world with detailed knowledge and reassuring sobriety
Agree 100%
Curtis went to an elite university and works for the BBC. He's not telling the whole story on any topic he covers.
Yes, but he uses contingency a lot, which has been proven with Nietzsche and Foucault to not have that much methodological integrity and he also often uses inductive reasoning where broad conclusions are made from one or two pieces of evidence instead of the opposite with deductive reasoning.
I have all his documentaries and enjoy them a lot, but you have to bear that in mind when watching them.
@@futureskeletons66669 LOL, you're just as easily manipulated as that hammer moron if you make blanket statements like that about stuff you clearly don't even understand. That's not how the world works and leads to being hammer illegal, living out of his friend's garage watching youtube to "find out" about the world.
He's been to a good university, meaning he's lying, lel, that's so pathetic and insecure. I don't want to know that about you, so stop being so transparent in public.
@@Oscuros yeah i guess things intended to be watched must be watchable 😅
Adam Curtis changed my life. Not even joking
same. So did Tim when I was a kid but now he's lost the plot.
Yes, me too. Changed my way of thinking for sure (along with Dr Iain McGilchrist).
Curtis is brilliant Hypernormalisation is one of my all time favourite documentaries
Bitter lake is better but both good .
Hmmm...don't know about documentary. It was an interesting narrative he created though
Predicted Trump's ascent when no one else gave him a chance. But the commentary on Putin was even more prescient
The Mayfair Set is monumental
His earlier work is much better.
This episode was ridiculously insightful. Hats off to both Adams. It's so rare to hear people intelligibly parse through the madness of whatever the fuck is going on right now
I can't believe y'all got Adam Curtis on, legends
I first got turned on to Adam Curtis with The Century of Self and I’ve not looked back. Brilliant work I’ve watched them all and only just found out he directed a few of the episodes of a documentary series we used to stay up with our parents to watch on a Thursday night called ‘just another day’ which was bloody brilliant - a day in the life of Waterloo train station or Selfridges - stuff like that. I think Glynn Worsnip or someone used to narrate - great memories - come to think of it, I credit those films in the early 80s with my lifelong curiosity for people and interest in the humanities. Thanks Adam for making us look at the world properly.
Whut….. how did this happen?! If you had told me ten years ago I would be watching an interview with Adam Curtis and the Spaghett guy I would have called you a madman
And what the viewers believed was that they lived in a comfortable reality. One in which Tim would continue to make whimsical comedies like Tom Goes to the Mayor forever and ever.
But this was a fantasy.
I see what you did there!
Why did I hear this in Adam Curtis‘s voice?
@@seanmellows1348 Because what Sean Mellows had predicted about the UA-cam comment section was a farce.
And the real powers behind the comments.
Were far more dangerous and unpredictable than anyone could ever have anticipated.
@@Elcore (atmospheric and ominous music builds)
And then something very peculiar began to happen
A true visionary. Thanks for having him on again Tim!
a "vision" of what? do you know what the word "visionary" means? telling history and current events is not a vision of the future. do we need to go over how time works too?
@@bkbj8282 Oh for god's sake. 'Visionary' is a term that can very much be applied to any auteur's work, isn't it? As in its meaning as per art is literally - 'Having great ambition, imagination or foresight when thinking about the future'.
Curtis' work is entirely preoccupied with looking at the pre-modern and modern as a means to speculate about the future, or rather the larger systems within societies that repeat at wider, even 'historical' cycles, so of course it isn't out of the realms of reasonableness to use the term 'visionary' when referring to his work (especially stuff like Hypernormalisation).
But no go on do tell me all about how it's worthless junk and no one has any right calling him (all artists?), visionaries for blah blah blah reason. Just say it - you're a pedant.
I have been watching the documentaries of Adam Curtis for 3 decades and I give much credit to him for waking me up to what the really is really like. The one that really woke me from the Matrix was "The Trap" - I have seen that 3 part series 23 times and each time I still learned something new. That's how deep his work is. If you are dumbfounded by the world then take the red pill and watch the films of Adam Curtis. But I warn you; there is no gong back. All he is offering is the truth.
That’s not how “the truth” works. He’s offering his POV. “The Truth” is often murky and complicated.
@@jnnx All anyone can ever do is offer their POV. How can anyone come outside of their own consciousness? Even so I think Adam Curtis's films do indeed show that the truth is exactly that; murky and complicated. That fact that he is highly respected, has won several awards, and that millions of people who admire his work and connect to it, is some evidence that he POV is quite accurate. If you feel you can portray "the truth" in a better way then I suggest you could also make your own films to show that perspective, I would be the first in line to watch them.
Adam Curtis is maybe the most important documentarian of the last 30 years. Gotta hold that dumb isht down though a bit more with some guests guys. Still, great you got him on Tim. Biggup from UK
Tim Heidecker interviews Adam Curtis! Yes, i'll watch this.
Adam Curtis is really on point with the COS playing journalist now a days. IT is why i don't use twitter.
Never thought I would see Adam Curtis and Adam Conover on the same show, it's brilliant
The power of nightmares series was one that struck home when I first saw it
Same here, thought I was tuning into a documentary about dreams, but glad to find out otherwise! He refers to that on at 19.10
The Way of All Flesh
Wow, Adam even allowed himself to relax and have a laugh. How cool/rare is that! :) When he spoke to Russell Brand, he kept his serious the whooole time because he didn't want to get played. The fact that he joined in the fun is an absolute sign of respect from Curtis.
Anyone with more than a neuron on his head would never take Russell seriously.
@@LuisManuelLealDias i don’t really know, i just watched his Adam Curtis interview and Adam was very different: Brand called Adam a friend and Adam called Brand the primary example of a narcissist 😁
@@lau_dhondt Oh you misread me, I wasn't saying that Adam would find Russell funny, I was saying the very opposite, that he would see through Russell's narcisism and fail to completely see the funneeey in it. Correctly.
@@LuisManuelLealDias oh no worries, thats what i assumed you meant. The impression in that interview was indeed that Curtis was very wary of Brand.
I don't think he has a problem with cutting loose and joking around with the right person. When he had the interview with Russel Brand, this was when Brand was at the height of his 'Don't vote or engage with mainstream politics' phase in the UK, and I think Adam could see the narcissism at the heart of that pose.
I can't get my head around Tim interviewing Adam Curtis?! Like one of my favourite comedians and documentary makers from SUCH different fields! Together! Wow! Good job! 😉
I love that you seek out and can get such a legendary filmmaker!
Wow, you have been getting some incredible guests lately. Looking forward to watching this one later
Hypernormalization is sensational. Didn't expect this interview!
I don't saw this a lot but Hypernormalization changed my life. It came at a general turning point in my life and was an integral part in a complete paradigm shift for me, it's such an amazing experience to have.
I truly, deeply started to realize back then that I actually do. not. know. anything. about. anything. I was deep down the bell curve of the Dunning-Krueger effect. I started dropping misconceptions and stepping away from political affiliations, re-examining why I think the way I think. I've been watching most of his work ever since and most of them just kept blowing my mind.
Also I had to look twice to make sure this is actually Tim Heidecker interviewing Adam Curtis. Two worlds colliding in a truly unexpected way.
this was a struggle. poor adam
Well, now I have a 7 hour deep dive into the USSR to watch thanks to OHs.
I am so glad you guys got Adam Curtis on.
Thanks very much, great conversation with a great film maker. Cheers.
Been watching TraumaZone the past day, and it was as a result of watching a PoliticsJoe video on the subject in an interview with Curtis. He is new to me but his framing is familiar from my own. Difference is that he is a genius at telling stories with art. Inspiring.
Strongly recommend Hypernormalisation, Power of nightmares, and the trap
@@stevea9794 I've seen Hypernormalisation before I realised how prolific the guy is by dropping onto TraumaZone and a whole slew of interviews and films. I will search the other two you mention.
I like how Adam is finally breaking America 👏👏👏👏👏
great to have someone like Adam Curtis on the show to talk about UK politics, which is confusing as hell right now and so easy for people to get misinformed when they're looking from the outside and getting their takes from twitter (the queen memes were good tho tbf)
mind baffling how literally every response t what Adam says goes in a completely different direction to the interesting point hes tryna make
can you give an example?
love Adam curtis!
Needed. A discussion between Jeffrey Sachs & Adam Curtis.
How is this the only interview with Adam Curtis about Trauma Zone on UA-cam and why the fuck is it Tim Heidecker?
There is another one, but I can’t remember who did it. But I listened to it and it was much more sedate and serious than this one.
Gotta get this man on the oscar special. I love all of Adam's work. Makes me proud of the BBC. Should of got him to help you with ZERO HOUR
hahahah Proud of the BBC??? Give it a rest. Tory Propaganda. Fox News in nicer colours
@@UnclePhillyMyAss BBC have some of the best science docs in the world.
@@rossleeson8626 That too
Adam Curtis is brilliant the other guys are ....
Adams speak the truth
What a cool find. I completely grew up with this guy. My group of friends passed around century of the self way back in the mid 2000s and I’ve been following him ever since.
Learned more about the current situation in the UK watching this than watching the BBC
surprisingly, one of the best discussions on the future of politics...(& it's on tim heidecker's office hours channel !?)
omg this is like the crossover of my dreams
Two ACs in one office? Woah, it’s cold in here.
Adam is the number one journalist and thinker, basically he is the Goat of our century
Politics became Entertainment. The masses want celebrities not grown ups who will tell them the truth.
The Documentary was very immersive indeed. The images needed no narration at all. I found it fascinating.
A crossover I had no idea could even happen
An incredible conversation, thank you.
The first thing this man had to comment on regarding Trauma-Zone was how cold it looked in Russia. my head. it hurts
Everyone has the attitude of that's not my job, meanwhile everything is everyone's job.
Superb Analysis
😊🏴☠️
Thanks for interrupting him at 20:01
Trauma Zone's great, and I get what Curtis is saying, but I miss his VO (which I've never mistaken for a 'hot take'). Great interview.
I love politics. Politics is so fun and gives me hope for the future. I love thinking about it all day, I especially love our leaders. I love the people who vote for them. Politics is the way of enlightenment. I can't wait to vote for my favorite politician. Politicians are going to save the world. I can't wait for the next debates!
What a great crossover
I usually sympathize with Curtis's point of view BUT, I'm pretty certain the Royal Family didn't seem to 'control' emotion after the Queen died, they were worried that there would be much less when compared to Di's death. They tried to manufacture woe and despair! It didn't work and was spotted by anyone here over 60!
That's effectively what he said, he just put it more lightly.
Great insights. High intelligence.
This is the good corner of social media
The cat at number 10 should be the new PM.
I want more of the 2 Adam's
amazing 🙏🙏
love him
One hell of a crossover
Great job!
great job just to get him to interview ..
Tim receives payment from the same people who fund Info Wars.
On a surface level, they seemed like they were in opposition to one another, but this was merely stage craft.
Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain pulling the levers 🌈🧙
Which people?
Yes, both are controlled opposition.
How is UK politics affecting the average Brit?
Lemme tell you that it's traumatising and exhausting, and like I'm living in a Kafkorwellian dream. So confusing that I literally don't know what and who to believe anymore.
I'm watching this in the middle of the Palestinian genocide by the way, and Alexei Navalny just 'died from poisoning' in a Siberian gulag.
Britain and the 21st century world is absolutely insane.
Wow, Tim has lost a bunch of weight!
I'm a massive Adam Curtis fan, but all I could think watching this was "Damn, Tim looks fiiiine"
A phyco witch hunt? That sounds remarkably accurate.
Adam Curtis is great and all but he doesnt touch half the controversial topics that Decker does. Decker is the true American hero.
Casey Tatum x Adam Curtis
I am being hypernormalised right now in the UK, and I don't even know what THAT means.
This irritated me so much that he could not let the guest on the phone finish his narrations and clipped him out to let anybody know his ideas. He should just listen when Curtis speaks!
Curtis: "We have had 4 or 5 Prime Ministers in the UK in the last 6 years and none of them have been elected". Nope. Theresa May elected, Boris Johnson elected and of course David Cameron was was elected twice. In reality, one was recently sacked and another has taken their place, mid government term. This entirely derailed your point, which unfortunately was somewhat true.
It's about to be 3 with Rishi and with Nicola Sturgeon there has been the feel of 2 or 3 more via the proposed breakaway Scotland.
It feels like there has been more and the joke lands on four wheels tbh
@@owenhunt Curtis Yarvin is no Mencius Moldbug
It's all true.
As much as one can respect and appreciate the work of Adam Curtis, it’s difficult to overlook how he presents Trump as someone who “just reduced taxes for the wealthy”. There’s nothing *just* about his policies and role in politics. It all had a resoundingly negative impact, including his pandering to reactionary culture wars narratives. Then we have his anti-intellectual stance on climate change and what he did with the EPA, paired with the fact that he turned the Supreme Court into a theocratic, backward apparatus with the judges he picked, one of them being pushed through when Trump was a lame duck president. All this despite the fact that Republicans shrieked that lame duck presidents shouldn’t be making such picks when Obama was in the last year of his presidency, and prevented his nomination of a milquetoast centrist like Merrick Garland from going through by not having the relevant hearings and causing the nomination expire.
Of course, broadly speaking, Adam Curtis isn’t wrong: the conditions for a Trump and various other populist demagogues have been in place and fomenting over the last fifty years. He wasn’t some anomaly and his phenomenon is a product of those conditions. However, it is without doubt that Trump had a serious impact on a host of things and his actions as president, as well as an agitator, played a notable part in things deteriorating the way they have.
Are you arguing with yourself?
Wow , The British accent is way much more appealing than the American ones .
I'M NOT USED TO TIM BEING NORMAL IS THIS SATIRE?
Normality is the satire.
The great Adam Curtis...if you have a short attention span but want to be more informed than PhDs....watch -all watched over by machines of loving grace part 3 monkey in the machine- covers imperialism,genetic evolution and capitalism in one hour.
Did Adam Curtis say in passing at the end of the interview say that he actually "support"s the Conservative Party? What?!? Did he misspeak??
edit: Forgot to say "say".
He is a conservative
@@organiccomposition Really? How do you know this? I did a cursory search and what I found contradictory assertions of his political alignment.
I really like his documentaries, although I understand some of the criticisms of him. The documentaries of his I've seen really don't seem to be coming from a conservative mindset, but perhaps he's one of those rare instances of an objective documentarian (despite possibly being a conservative).
I wish Tim asked him to elaborate on that statement, but I think he was probably trying to avoid any tension.
@@SoccerPizza I legitimately think he is a soft left conservative communitarian. I know that he has said that he a neocon and a libertarian in the past, I can't know the trustworthiness of his clame but the vibe I get from his work is that it a mixture of anti new left individualism; in favour of soft consevative communiterianism and post war reformist social domocracy and cold war liberalism
@@organiccomposition Those are some ideologies I'm not familiar with. Thanks for giving me something to look into and keep in mind as I get through the Russia-related documentary.
I'll admit that my understanding of political theory is extremely weak, although I think I have a relatively firm grasp of how current events affect society. Also, there was an element or two of Hypernormalization that felt like a possibly conservative undertone.
I'm curious what your personal political disposition is, and what your personal opinion on his documentaries is. I promise I'm not trying to bait you. I want to understand your own worldview better. I do plan to research those terms I'm unfamiliar with, however.
I don't think he meant support in an ideological sense, more in the sense that he doesn't want to see any government forced into a leadership change by the markets.
I think you were asking about the UK? England doesn't have a PM or even its own government.
Hey Guys!
Book rec if you liked the series: “Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets”
Constitutionally, the pm is just the "first among equals"
Just the person who can form a government, ie get laws passed.
The electorate just vote for representatives, MPs
So any one of those MPs could become PM, if they can get enough support
adam(s) heads rejoice!
Which full episode is the Curtis interview from?
Found it, 225
i like Curtis as a kind of visual stylist that works on media but that's it. A guy able to find incredible lost footage in the BBC archive, anecdotes and make engrossing montages out of it all. But it's scary how he barely knows anything about politics.
What in poltics do you believe Curtis is ignorant about?
I feel like he probably holds back to keep his sweet BBC gig.
16:40 The China Connection
I can’t believe I only found out There was a master film maker called Adam Curtis this year at 38 yrs old. And I’m kinda glad I did, I feel I’ve been beaten up by life quite tenderly in which it helps me really appreciate the work that goes into his work.
Mrs Curtis you are an absolute legend
how much have you watched ? you can go back to the 80's where the docs get less and less trade mark Curtis but still interesting :) i'd recommend league of gentlemen by curtis from the 90's as my favourite
@@richardclark2290 I seen it few weeks ago, the segment about Mohamed Al fayed was so interesting, lol those MP’s are fucking crooks he says 😂 it’s incredible the history we seem to be made to forget about how shit that is today was made and tested only a few decades ago. For the worse
This is one of most typical American interviews where the "host" (and his sophomoric crew members) can't restrain themselves from either interrupting or wisecracking the guest.
It's called comedy,bud.
@@josef2012 It's called "amuricaaa"
It’s a comedy show about workplace foibles.
I think Tim does a good job actually, bc Adam Curtis does talk (in interview) in incredibly long paragraphs, and most hosts just nod away.
@@josef2012 you laughed at this, bud? I’ll take two of what you’re drinking
awkward start. childish snickering.
So, when did we really end up in a rut, unable to meet our challenges and devolving into consumption monkeys of passivity with no future?
century of self is pretty dope, yes
It's good to know we're not the only f'd up country politically
So so so so, Mr Curtis is going to do his next project on Britain Brexit until the next election maybe? I would love to see how he analyses people's frustration and schadenfreude while politicians are mercilessly put down and the hysteria over covid and the utter mania of 2022 with three Prime-Ministers and two Monarchs and how dumfounded everyone is. I found out while at a bus-stop and when in the bus someone behind me asked me whether she was gone and looked completely joyously exasperated at the @~?£ed up situation we are in. However, he is so correct with rail and everything, the ordinary joe is like, what exactly is going wrong?
Sidekick dude: "Oh this sounds great. I have to see this!" Well, how about before interviewing the creator and commenting on the work and situations, you take an hour out to actually watch the first part at least? Otherwise, interesting stuff.
Great guest wasted on grown men acting like teen boys at a sleepover....speaking of cosplay 🙄
Cosplay journalism is rife over here- opinion pieces that the writer clearly doesn't believe... politics is a game to so much of our political and media class.
I feel like Adam Curtis would appreciate the work of Vic Berger IV
He’d much more prefer the works of Vic Berger I-III. . .
it's cool that the jerry maguire kid grew up and pretends to read
Very difficult to listen to and a missed opportunity. Every time they start discussing a topic and Adam gives a remark which could lead to a thought-provoking conversation, it has to be explained to the host due to him not knowing events in the last few years in the UK and therefore not running with it.
The opening/ intro cringed me out so much that I had to to pause and drink a stiff cup of Earl Grey.
@22:50 The World Economic Forum?