Review of Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992) by Paul K — 04 Oct 2008

Inspiring. Subversive. Unsettling. Empowering. I really enjoyed this documentary. It actually went really well with a book that I was reading at the time by the social psychologist Erich Fromm. Chomsky is a teacher and the best kind at that.

Fromm discusses the need for teachers for not only information transference, but also for conveyance of spiritual attitudes. One can't help but wonder if Chomsky would have been one of the spiritual leaders among Fromm's list of outstanding contributors to human culture.

It's fascinating that a man like Chomsky, who is ultimately expressing his belief in the high sensitivity and potential for high functionality in human beings, is met with so much negative criticism and attitudinal obstruction.

Much of the documentary is reflective of this sort of interference, but also of the amount of effort Chomsky and his supporters put into the underlying research. For this reason the documentary is rather long, broken down into two comprehensive pieces.

So if one were to sit down and watch, it would be best to heed the presented suggestion of intermission to fully appreciate the scope of this phenomenal contribution to the humanist philosophy. Be warned.

You will likely be offended if you fall under any of the following attitudes: complacent conformist, jingoist, and/or sports fanatic!