After watching the video "Century of Self", it was pretty interesting hearing about how consumerism, if linked to what Freud called the "irrational mind" could cause people to act irrationally. I especially thought it was interesting how the cigarette, was seen as a symbol of the "penis" of sorts that represented male dominance and how this societal perception lead to the inappropriateness of women smoking. In this, an interesting irony formed, in that what Freud saw as something that confined or limited women, women used it as a "torch of freedom" in the pursuit of independence.