Adam Curtis - Oh Dearism
Why Hacker News recommends it
Shared as a compact critique of how news framing breeds passivity and despair.
What it is
A short Adam Curtis clip on what he calls oh dearism, the habit of news reporting that presents events as a stream of sad, inexplicable happenings. He argues this leaves viewers passive and unable to imagine action.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2014 to 2020.
What Hacker News said
Recommends joosters · 2017-07 · on “All Watched Over by Machines of Loving Grace (2011)”
As well as the long multi-part documentaries, Adam Curtis wrote short five minute clips for the show NewsWipe, which are also worth watching, e.g. his talk about news reporting and "oh dearism" - [this video]
Cites alecco · 2014-02 · on “Ask HN: What are pressing issues that will affect humanity this decade?”
1) Drought, expensive food, lack of freshwater (e.g. California, Nevada, Pakistan) NASA video on groundwater reserves [LINK] 2) Big Data takeover by government (citizen profiling) and private sector (financial and health discrimination) 3) Youth-based uprisings changing the political landscape (driven by unemployment) But I think all these issues will play a wake-up call. Societies will become less self-centered, with less nationalism, less exceptionalism, and with more involvement and cooperation. There is already a rise in positive social activism. Kids are watching less TV and young people don't read newspapers, I love that! Lies are quickly demystified on places like Twitter. The negativ
Cites pizza · 2020-05 · on “Secessio plebis”
I have a sense part of that is the "Oh Dearism" - we just watch sad news each day and it makes us think all that can be done is say "oh dear" - reflected in this short video by Adam Curtis - [this video] (also featuring Charlie Brooker, creator of Black Mirror)