Hollywood Psych: Difference between revisions

[[Did Not Do the Research|Research is hard.]] While this is generally true of [[Hollywood Science|all science]], psychology in particular is vulnerable, as it's a very, ''very'' new field still under heavy development. Only recently has psychology emerged as a mature science with robust theories, and supposed "facts" of the past are [[Urban Legends|still in popular culture]] despite being [[Science Marches On|debunked]]. Writers fail to recognize this, and the [[Informed Ability|supposed professionals]] in their stories will quote woefully out-of-date representations of [[All Psychology Is Freudian|Sigmund Freud's]] theory of the unconscious, Carl Jung's collective unconscious [[archetype]]s, or Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs. This is the equivalent of a modern physicist [[You Fail Physics Forever|discussing luminiferous aether]], or a biologist believing [[Lamarck Was Right]].

 

 

Naturally, there is some [[Truth in Television]]. Freud is still relevant, he is simply not the state of the art, but rather, one of the beginnings (similar to the way Newton's Laws are still used alongside Einstein's). While many or even most of the theories of Freud, Jung, and other early psychoanalysts [[Science Marches On|have been refuted scientifically]], their work shaped and continues to shape psychology and the popular mind. Concepts like projection, defense mechanisms, and the like are still used in therapy... simply not in their antique form. For instance, Hollywood is woefully unaware of the refinements suggested by Anna Freud (Sigmund's daughter) and his other students.

== Comic Books ==

* The arc in ''[[X-Men (Comic Book)|X-Men]]'' where Emma Frost seduced Scott Summers, is a clear case of bad psychiatry (probably an intentional one). Not only was she treating him when she made advances, when Jean brought up that her husband was being taken advantage of, to Xavier, who has [[Informed Ability|been an actual psychiatrist]] for years, he tells Jean she is overreacting, and doesn't even consider Emma just might be violating ethics. And as a double blow to actual psychiatry, Scott is now portrayed in a happy relationship with Emma.

** To elaborate, this "Super-Sanity" is that Joker remakes himself every day because he finds the flow of modern life too stressful and overpowering. Now, firstly, there is no universally agreed definition of sanity, but generally speaking it is understood by psychologists to be ones ability to function normally in everyday life, and how "normal" you are. So the idea that being ''Super'' sane means that the world is crazy is a contradiction in terms. The second thing is that what the psychologists are describing is actually more like an extreme form of Dissociation, a psychotic break from reality caused by trauma and/or an inability to deal with life's stresses. So Morrison and his shrinks are wrong twice over (assuming, again, that Morrison didn't just intend the doctors to be talking out of their asses).

*** Subsequent writers have occasionally made use of the term "Super-Sanity", as well, though the meaning seems to have shifted somewhat. Usually it just means he's at least slightly [[No Fourth Wall|aware of the fact he's a comicbook character]].