Pop Psychology Scott and Jared Parker
-
- TV & Film
-
We use insights from psychology to understand characters from pop culture.
-
Inside Out - Conditions of worth, depression, and mourning
The guys are still holed in their Covid safety bunker, and they talk about Riley from Inside Out. Is Riley depressed? Is her sense of her worth tied up in her being happy all the time? What happens if our mind-trains fall into the forgetfulness hole? They also talk about mourning, the phenomenology of depression, Carl Rogers, and Osmosis Jones. They also discuss mini-beefs with the film, and Scott and Jared quibble about the nature of the unconscious. Also, there is a parrot.
-
Grab Bag 1 – Ross from Friends, two movie reviews, Michael Scott, the Truman Show Delusion
The guys lock themselves in the basement to escape the ‘rona and do a grab bag episode where they talk about the following: Ross from Friends (he has attachment problems), A Dangerous Method, an R.D. Laing bio-pic, Michael Scott (not a narcissist, doesn’t have a personality disorder), and the Truman Show delusion. Also, there is a parrot, so how bad could things be?
-
Iron Man 1 – quantum change, conversion experiences, William James, and Kierkegaard
Tony Stark goes into the cave a selfish bastard and comes out with a deep concern for mankind. These types of changes are pretty common in media, but they are actually pretty miraculous if you think about it. What do psychologists have to say about sudden personality changes like this? The guys talk about quantum change, conversion experiences, and brainwashing, and they discuss the ideas of William James (as usual) and Kierkegaard.
-
Grizzly Man – mania, paranoia, addiction recovery, sublimation, and projection
The guys watch the Werner Herzog film Grizzly Man and talk about bipolar disorder, mania, addiction recovery, sublimation, and projection. They also talk about the strengths and weaknesses of DSM diagnoses, and, son of a gun, they talk about William James, Freud, and Jung again. They also read some dope quotes from Jean-Paul Sartre and David Foster Wallace.
-
Thanos – delusion, repetition compulsion, trauma, splitting, and Melanie Klein
Does Thanos make more sense as a character who is a little off his rocker? The guys talk about delusions, borderline and narcissistic personality disorders, repetition compulsions, trauma, splitting, philosopher Merleau-Ponty, and psychoanalyst Melanie Klein. Also, (sorrynotsorry) they read some Freud.
-
Frozen - ice powers, repression, and unconditional positive regard
In this episode, we talk about panic disorder and OCD, repression, the nature of interpretation, and Freud, Rogers, and Jung.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic insight for all!
Funny to happen upon a podcast taught by a former teacher of mine but it happened here. The Parker brothers take characters we all know and love and make it even easier to understand them on a deeper level. Accessible to those who know nothing about psychology whilst remaining thought provoking to those pursuing it as a study/career path. 100% worth the listen.
Top notch podcast experience
Jared and Scott manage to be both accessible and educational throughout this podcast all the while maintaining their dry humor, fast-pace and thoughtful analysis. They watch movies and tv the way any good psychology student does — analyzing the characters’ pathology, using what they analyze to teach others about various theories and disorders within the human condition. I’m always left feeling like I just had a wholesome and enriching conversation with some college friends. Keep up the good work guys!
Great podcast
Interesting, informative, thought provoking.