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Episode 058: Can I Persuade You To Stop Smoking? Thank You For Smoking (2005) with Ed Hansen
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Ed Hansen in a discussion of the various psychological concepts in the hilarious and sardonic dark comedy Thank You For Smoking (2005). The film was written and directed by Jason Reitman, and stars Aaron Eckhart, Maria Bello, David Koechner, Cameron Bright, J.K. Simmons, William H. Macy, and Robert Duvall — a ton of huge names in a tight film that explores major health psychology and persuasion concepts. How does the film parody one of the leading causes of death for decades? How is Nick Naylor SO GOOD at talking and getting people to think he’s an amazing person?…
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Episode 057: Conditioning Kids to Not Chop Down Trees — The Lorax (2012) with Kiersten Baughman
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Kiersten Baughman as they discuss the many clear learning principles in Dr. Seuss’ beloved classic The Lorax (2012), or more directly, the modern retelling of the classic, featuring songs! They discuss classical conditioning, operant conditioning, and social learning theory, all found within the main story of conservationism and anti-capitalism! I know marshmallows are lovely, but they are worth cutting down all the trees, my little bear friends! As the Lorax says, “I speak for the trees, and they say could you f-in’ not?!”
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Episode 056: How Did Psychology Hurt Scott Calvin? The Santa Clause (1994)
Join Alex as he discusses a timeless Christmas classic, The Santa Clause (1994), starring Tim Allen in one of his more-famous roles. Watch as he becomes Santa after being tricked into it by magical law — this sounds like real life — and as he spends the entire runtime throwing psychiatry and psychology under the bus! It’s almost like the real Tim Allen put in his own disdain for an entire professional field into the movie! But don’t forget about all the great examples of belief perseverance and belief revision amongst the characters! Just press play on this episode — your ears will know what to do!…
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Episode 055: Autism and a Better Life for Cattle — Temple Grandin (2010) with Sara Bagley
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Sara Bagley as they embark on a discussion of Autism Spectrum Disorder and visual eidetic memory in the lovely and inspiring biopic of the real-life ASD advocate AND cattle-life revolutionary, Temple Grandin in HBO’s Temple Grandin (2010)! They discuss the basics of ASD, what the film gets right and what the film ditches for the sake of the narrative, as well as Dr. Grandin’s amazing shift in the cattle industry’s practices. They include nuggets of visual storytelling so that the viewer can feel and experience Temple’s internal struggle and brilliance, expertly portrayed by Claire Danes!…
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Episode 054: Fatphobia and Misogyny in a Romantic Comedy? That Can’t Be! Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) with Jordan Wagge
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Jordan Wagge (Twitter: @jorowags) as they take a closer look at the problematic themes and issues in 2001’s Bridget Jones’s Diary! A successful vehicle for Renee Zellweger, which spawned two sequels, it does have strong “romantic comedy” vibes, which includes things like fatphobia, misogyny, sexual harassment, and a lot more! Would it hold up today? Probably not, and not just because of those things — just look at how many people are smoking cigarettes on film AND inside!
More information on CREP, the Collaborative Replication Education Project.
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Episode 053: False Memories AND a Trip to Mars? Sign Me Up! Total Recall (1990)
Join Alex as he discusses a timeless sci-fi classic from Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger, Total Recall (1990)! Of course, this movie is all about how you might implant memories into a person, giving them the experience without the experience! We follow Doug Quaid, having an existential crisis in his life, realizing he got his memories changed into false ones by a criminal syndicate called the Agency. Do these false memories, from Rekall Inc., really mean he’s a new person? Join the discussion of the 90s best — yeah, we said it — sci-fi jaunt from Phillip K. Dick and Verhoeven.…
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Episode 052: We Might Love David If He Wasn’t So Creepy — A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001) with Jim Davies
Join Alex and guest host Dr. Jim Davies in a discussion of the portrayal of artificial intelligence, consciousness, and love in Steven Spielberg’s Pinocchio-esque film, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence (2001)! We explore the idea of artificial intelligence, what it means to be conscious or sentient, and how well the film works on these fundamentally hard-to-define fronts. Though Jim is a cognitive scientist, Alex also asks him about the film’s idea of love and what it means to be loved, which hits at The Velveteen Rabbit‘s ideal of what it means to be real and who is worthy of love! Listen, we think David, who was played so well by Haley Joel Osment, could be loved if he just didn’t act so oddly.…
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Episode 051: Hans Landa is a Psych Case Study—Inglorious Basterds (2009) with Jason Spiegelman
Join Alex and returning guest host Jason Spiegelman as they discuss a one of Quentin Tarantino’s classic westerns… set during World War II, and in France, Inglorious Basterds (2009). Rather than naming specific psychological principles in this discussion, a focus is on the characters, their motivations, and the scenes in which those motivations are readily apparent. What does it mean to express unfettered glee at the death of Nazis? Why would a German soldier really think using the wrong number three means spies? And why is Hans Landa one of the most terrifying movie villains in a good decade or so?…
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Episode 050: Self-Discovery Right Before a Wedding is Ill-Advised — The Philadelphia Story (1940)
Join Alex as he discusses a solid romantic screwball comedy from the early film days, The Philadelphia Story (1940), starring Golden Age of cinema heavyweights like Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, and James Stewart! In this episode, we’ll explore how Katherine Hepburn’s character, Tracy, comes to learn more about herself through social psychological principles regarding the formation of the SELF. Alex also dives into the portrayal of gender roles, as this movie revolves around Tracy’s very important wedding. Alex also gushes about the Mid-Atlantic accent, a highlight of films in this era! It’s positively lovely…
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Episode 049: Birthdays Are Random, Folks — Born on the Fourth of July (1989) with Anthony Zoccolillo
Join Alex and returning guest host Dr. Anthony Zoccolillo as they discuss the middle film of Oliver Stone’s Vietnam trilogy, Born on the Fourth of July (1989). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), patriotism, and activism are fantastic topics to explore in this war film based on the life of a real Vietnam veteran that went from blind patriot to leading antiwar activist, Ron Kovic. It really puts events of today in perspective, sheesh…
Check out 50 States of Terror episode that Zocc was on for Mental Health Awareness Month, May 2022!
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