September 12 is a very special date, because it was on that date in the year of our lord nineteen hundred and forty-four that a special man was born. A man whose bass-baritone voice, soulful grooves, and silky-smooth string arrangements would serve as the soundtrack for many a romantic evening. Who knows, his voice might even have accompanied (and possibly inspired) your very conception, which would be a beautiful and wondrous thing to consider, if not for the fact that it also meant you’d have to acknowledge that your parents were getting their freak on. But it would be worth it, because it would mean that your addition to this mortal coil was heralded by no less of a legend than Barry White. Marcus wishes him a happy birthday and pays tribute to his legacy with such suitably grandiose and over-the-top prose that Esme had to turn away from the mic to avoid snort laughing directly into it.

For her part, Esme reveals a shocking discovery about a common cosmetic procedure that would only be shocking to someone who hasn’t recently received that cosmetic procedure. Because it turns out that receiving a procedure that renders one’s facial expression somewhat muted for a period of time might also impact their ability to feel surprise, joy, sadness and any number of other emotions. Esme shares what she has learned, acknowledges she has only scratched the surface of available research, and teases the possibility of returning to the subject on a full-length episode of Crazy Together in the near future. 

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WARNING: It’s part 2 of Crazy Together’s exploration of the research and legacy of Elizabeth Loftus, PhD and emotions are running high! 

Loftus, as you’ll no doubt recall from last week’s episode, is best known for her contributions to our understanding of the malleability and fallibility of human memory. She’s also well known for consulting with and providing expert testimony at trial for the defense in some of the most high profile cases in recent memory. And not just any cases, mind you. Cases in which it looked like some of the absolute worst people in recent memory were finally going to face justice. 

Why does she do it, and what are some of the far reaching impacts of her continued endeavors in the criminal justice system? Well, that was the topic Marcus and Esme planned on tackling in this episode. And the funny thing is, they really felt like they had a plan heading into part 2. They had an outline with time slots reserved for discussing Loftus’ rationale as well as a summary of some of the criticism that has been leveled against her. It seemed pretty straightforward.

But  that plan went straight out the window as they began parsing out Loftus’ rationale and considering the implications of all the criticism she’s received. Before long, it became apparent that their plan for capping their discussion of Loftus’ work with the same nuance and perspective they tried to bring to last week’s episode was a pipe dream. Now, they’re just pretty pissed off, so much so that one of the hosts has had to recuse themselves from today’s episode. 

What has them so upset? You’ll have to listen to find out. 

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There is a strong connection between dopamine and the things we find entertaining. Our brains release dopamine when we anticipate we’re going to enjoy something, like playing a game or watching a movie. It pushes us to take action. When we find something we like, we get another little shot of dopamine to reinforce the behavior. But, when it turns out we don’t enjoy that which we pursued, well, cue the sad trombone.

In this week's HYPERFOCUS BONUS, Marcus and Esme discuss some recent experiences they’ve had while chasing that rewards anticipation cycle. In Marcus’ case, he describes his lifelong interest in a 600-year-old English legend that has NEVER ONCE delivered for him, no matter how much he hopes it will. For her part, Esme shares her relative success with two British shows she discovered recently.

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How would you react if someone told you they could link such seemingly disparate topics as the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and ‘90s, the discrediting of a once popular form of psychotherapy, and the criminal trials of Robert Durst, Harvey Weinstein, and Ghislaine Maxwell all in one podcast episode? Would you say “that’s crazy”?

Well, it’s not crazy. It’s Crazy Together. 

Please enjoy the sudden burst of goosebumps.

In today’s episode, Marcus and Esme discuss the work of Elizabeth Loftus, PhD. Dr. Loftus, in addition to being the link to the aforementioned topics above, is best known for her contributions to our understanding of the malleability and fallibility of human memory. Through decades of research and advocacy, she has reshaped how the mental health and the criminal justice system now thinks about repressed memories and recovered memory therapy. These contributions have helped exonerate a great number of people who had been falsely accused and convicted of crimes they did not commit.

She has also provided expert testimony for the defense in the trials referenced previously. You read that right: defense attorneys for Epstein and Maxwell hired Loftus to provide expert testimony at trial about the unreliable nature of human memory. They then used her research and findings as part of their efforts to discredit survivors’ accounts of the abuse they suffered at the hands of the most prolific sex traffickers in modern history. 

Oh, and she also sold her services to the defense team who represented that guy who burped a murder confession into a hot mic. 

So . . . yeah, it's probably fair to say she has a complicated legacy. And in today’s episode (and next week’s episode for that matter, because there’s a lot of ground to cover), Marcus and Esme try to discuss that legacy with the nuance and perspective it deserves. 

However, they also acknowledge that . . . dude, this sh*t just feels wrong. This is the second high profile and highly influential mental health professional they’ve covered in relatively short order who – one might argue* -- have commoditized their life’s work for financial gain**. And so Marcus and Esme find themselves asking: a) What is the role of mental health professionals when it comes to identifying and calling out the systemic injustices that are negatively impacting people’s mental health and wellbeing, and, b) What should we expect mental health professionals to do when their treatments or research are used by the wealthy and powerful for their own purposes (e.g., exploiting workers, avoiding accountability, etc.)? 

*Additional notes

*These Em dashes are NOT AI generated. They were entered by someone who thinks and writes in asides and REFUSES to sacrifice much needed punctuation marks just to prove he’s not a frickin’ robot.

** See episodes 131 and 133 about the rise and fall of Positive Psychology for the first example.

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It’s time for another Movie Night! What are Marcus andEsme watching, and why have they decided to leave the name of the film out of the episode title? 

Well, it’s not that they don’t trust you. They are just a little worried that their audience, who they know to be educated, refined, and highly responsive to specific stimuli and subject matter, might hesitate to press play if they knew what (and who) the movie was about..

They know this because it’s the same experience Marcus ran into when he first attempted to get Esme to watch the very same film. “A documentary about [REDACTED]? Why would I want to watch that?”

Fortunately, Esme has a good heart and an open mind, because watch the documentary they did. And now it’s one of their all-time favorites. 

It tells the story of three emotionally stunted but successful (and, yes, talented) artists who find themselves at a turning point in their careers. Their audience’s tastes are changing and they’ve made their fair share of enemies. To make matters worse, they’re also realizing that after 20 years of working together, they might not know each other or themselves all that well. So the stakes are clear: they need to figure out how to continue working together, overcome some personal demons, and find age-appropriate hairstyles or break up and, most likely, fade away. 

And the truly amazing thing is, they’re successful! They meet their challenges head on and, with a little bit of professional support, achieve some honest to god emotional growth in the process. It is an unlikely feel-good story, even if you’re not a fan of the biggest thrash metal band in the world. 

Shoot. That’s a bit of a giveaway. Oh, well. Whatever. Just listen. You’ll like it.

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What does it mean to go all in on something? Well, sometimes you have to go all in if you want to get all out. And even though the previous sentence made absolutely no sense whatsoever, we’re keeping it in the description because writing introductory paragraphs can be difficult.

In this week’s HYPERFOCUS BONUS, Marcus and Esme share two stories of going all in to achieve a goal. In part 1, Esme shares some strategies she’s employed to overcome the painting inertia she described in last week’s episode. That’s right. In one week, Esme identified and developed a strategy to keep the dopamine flowing so she could follow through on not one but multiple watercolor projects. Suck it, executive function issues! She also explains how she has been helping their daughter get ready to go back to school, which can always be a challenge for those of us who have trouble switching gears or dealing with the sensory overload of seasonally themed shopping excursions.

In part 2, Marcus tries to get to the bottom of a question that’s been bugging him for some time now. Why did the city of Lancaster, PA. go all in on gothic, medieval, and fantasy themes? He shares his research, all of which is backed up by firsthand accounts and information from mostly reputable sources. He also shares some original research on the movie Witness (1985), and the origins of the Amish community in Lancaster County. Warning: his findings from the latter research feel somewhat less reliable, but are still worthy of entertaining.

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WARNING! This episode discusses the positive psychology movement’s fall from grace. As such, listeners who have endured the “horrors” wrought by positive psychology in schools and in the workplace might feel some degree of Schadenfreude, a fancy German word that means you’re happy because someone or something else is getting the shaft. Then again, you’re the one who’s been forced to bottle up your emotions and put on a fake smile, so maybe your joy won’t be quite so shameful. 

In part 2 of their series on positive psychology, Marcus and Esme discuss the fall of the popular field of inquiry and movement. In doing so, they explain how Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, was influenced by his own contributions to the theory of learned helplessness . . . some of which, it turns out, were eventually proven wrong by decades of neuroscientific research. 

They also identify what they believe is positive psychology’s biggest flaw: a seeming lack of regard or consideration for the impacts of trauma, genetics, and environmental factors on peoples’ mental health and wellbeing. Some problems can’t be fixed with a smile and a can-do attitude.

Finally, Marcus and Esme share their thoughts on how we can begin to move forward in (what they hope will be) a post-positive psychology world, and what we might be able to salvage from the movement. 

They also share their contact information if, for some unlikely reason, Martin Seligman hears about this episode and wants to yell at them.

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Sources for this episode include:

13 June 2024, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dont-forget-the-basil/202406/is-this-the-end-of-positive-psychology. 

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In defiance of the laws of grammar and common sense, Marcus and Esme ask the question, “What is the difference between two things that are very similar to one another, except in the ways in which they are different?”

In Esme’s case, she explores the ways in which two activities (watercolor painting and landscape design) can share very similar goals (artistic and aesthetic enhancement) but trigger her hyperfocus differently.

In Marcus’ case, he describes how the act of realizing two different pieces of art or entertainment are thematically linked compels him to compare the two and determine which one is “better.” By way of example, Marcus pits multiple pieces of thematically similar content in head-to-head match-ups and declares a “winner” for each one. Who’s on the card? In round one, we have Bruce Springsteen’s Thunder Road vs. Bob Seger’s Night Moves. In round two, Hamlet vs. The Lion King. And finally, for the main event, it’s the various Game of Thrones tv series vs. The Last Kingdom series on Netflix. Who will win? You’ll have to listen to find out.

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Do you feel pressured to maintain a super positive attitude in the workplace? Are you sick of engagement surveys? Do you wish that the word “grit” was only used to describe the relative coarseness of sandpaper?  

If you answered yes to any of the questions above, you might have a bone to pick with a scientific discipline and research movement known as positive psychology. 

According to Psychology Today, “positive psychology is the study of optimal human functioning.” It’s also the brainchild of psychologist and former president of the American Psychological Association Martin Seligman. Seligman believed psychologists should do more to study and promote the factors that make life more meaningful instead of only focusing on the more ‘negative’ aspects of mental health and treatment (such as alleviation of suffering). 

That sounds okay, right? Well, it might have been; but then the movement's most passionate and industrious followers decided to turn their beloved science into a commodity. Research and education soon gave way to the development of plug-and-play solutions that could be sold to schools and corporations. As a result, what began as a scientific discipline about human flourishing became part of a corporate ideology that prizes efficiency above all else. Positive psychology became a tool employers could use to demand that employees put on a happy face, ignore structural problems, and manage their crippling anxiety and depression with breathwork during bathroom breaks. 

BUT! As Marcus and Esme discuss in this week’s episode, the tide appears to be turning on positive psychology. A new generation of psychologists and researchers have begun questioning the movement, its methodologies, and its motivations. Could this be, at long last, the end of this influential, disruptive, and (somewhat conveniently) business-friendly endeavor? 

That’s the question Marcus and Esme will try to answer in this two-part episode of Crazy Together. In part one, they identify the origins of positive psychology and discuss factors that encouraged its spread. They also explore how corporate America ultimately weaponized positive psychology in ways that served organizational efficiency over any concept of human well-being or flourishing.

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Sources for this episode include:

13 June 2024, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/dont-forget-the-basil/202406/is-this-the-end-of-positive-psychology. 

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Has Esme been lying about an important biographical detail? 

Longtime listeners will know that Marcus and Esme both come from the same county in southeast Pennsylvania, but they grew up on “different sides of the tracks.” For her part, Esme grew up in a part of Delaware County she lovingly refers to as “Deep Delco,” and enjoys pointing out the many ways in which Marcus’ upbringing was far cushier than her own.

However, a recent article from a fancy travel site casts a shadow of doubt over Esme’s street cred. According to Islands.com, Upper Darby Township, PA, a town so close to Esme’s hometown that it actually surrounds it on all sides, is a tourist hot spot, and well worth the cost of adding a few days to your itinerary the next time you visit Philadelphia.

So, has Esme been lying to us this whole time? Probably not. Marcus and Esme make a few educated guesses about how this strange article came to be published. And, while they acknowledge that calling Upper Darby a tourist destination is a bit of a stretch, they refuse to take any shots at the township or its people. They even wax nostalgic about the old Tower Theater, a legendary live music venue located in the heart of Upper Darby that closed its doors in 2022 because Live Nation hates you, hates music, and hates the idea of you listening to your favorite music in a venue with less than 50,000 seats.

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