Episode 121: Play and Parenting Styles Help the Medicine Go Where? Mary Poppins (1964) with Jill Swirsky

Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jill Swirsky as they dive into perhaps one of the best musicals put to film, Mary Poppins (1964)! The film stars Julie Andrews in the titular role, with Dick Van Dyke as the lovable Bert. The film follows the Banks family, one in desperate need of a nanny to help not only the kids navigate their growing bodies and responsibilities, but to let George Banks, the patriarch of the family, get back to his playful roots. The discussion picks up this idea of creativity and learning through play with “A Spoonful of Sugar” and continues with “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and “I Love to Laugh.” Some additonal topics include the parenting styles found amongst the lead parental figures and how traditional gender roles, especially with a film set in the early 20th century play a role in parenting rambunctious children. The two were in agreement that the cannon has got to go — call the HOA!

Read Dr. Swirsky’s Psi Chi blog Psychology Pop Culture Corner for contributions on more musicals! Check out the new Journal of Thematic Instruction from Buffalo State University. And don’t forget to check out Jill’s new co-edited book on the Psychology of Star Wars, Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind, 2nd Ed!

If you like this content, you might like my new Audible audiobook/course, A Psychologist Goes to the Movies, available now! It features six films that have been on this show, condensed into 25-30 min essays, researched and analyzed.

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Legal stuff:
1. All film clips are used under Section 107 of Title 17 U.S.C. (fair use; no copyright infringement is intended).
2. Intro and outro music by half.cool (“Gemini”). Used under license.
3. Film reel sound effect by bone666138. Used under license CC-BY 3.0.

Episode Transcription

Go to this link to read a transcript generated by Whisper AI Large V3 Model. Disclaimer: It is not edited and may contain errors!