THE LATEST CRAZE: A Forensic Analysis of Pop Culture

The Beauty

Beauty can be a dangerous thing. That’s the message coming through loud and clear in Ryan Murphy’s [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Murphy_(producer)] recent series “The Beauty,” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bDmmK15CNY] streaming on FX. Never one to be subtle, Mr. Murphy’s story takes a twisted look at how people’s pursuit of physical perfection can be taken to the extreme. Even as a rollicking work of fiction, “The Beauty” tackles many relevant cultural issues and certainly encourages some introspection. Join Dr. Karen and Josh as they unpack a wild, grizzly trip into the psychology and sociology of looking good. Additional Links: GLP-1 https://diatribe.org/diabetes-medications/how-ozempic-became-celebrity-weight-loss-sensation [https://diatribe.org/diabetes-medications/how-ozempic-became-celebrity-weight-loss-sensation] https://medicine.washu.edu/news/study-identifies-benefits-risks-linked-to-popular-weight-loss-drugs/ [https://medicine.washu.edu/news/study-identifies-benefits-risks-linked-to-popular-weight-loss-drugs/] Nip/tuck https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361217/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361217/] The Substance https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/22/the-substance-review-demi-moore-is-fearless-in-visceral-female-body-horror-coralie-fargeat [https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/22/the-substance-review-demi-moore-is-fearless-in-visceral-female-body-horror-coralie-fargeat] “Eye of the Beholder” - Twilight Zone episode https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734568/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0734568/] Black Mirror https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/?ref_=fn_t_1 [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2085059/?ref_=fn_t_1] Body Image, NY Times article https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/style/the-year-of-manufacturing-the-body-and-booty-and-boobs.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/25/style/the-year-of-manufacturing-the-body-and-booty-and-boobs.html] The Beauty https://medium.com/@kbrosenb/beauty-as-danger-in-the-beauty-and-other-ryan-murphy-works-7f1bed76219d [https://medium.com/@kbrosenb/beauty-as-danger-in-the-beauty-and-other-ryan-murphy-works-7f1bed76219d] https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33517752/ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33517752/] Music by ROSSER [http://thebandrosser.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com [https://thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Neurological Conformity

Good science fiction has always been a reflection of the cultural moment we live in, depicting the fantasies and possibilities of our collective future. Recently, we’ve witnessed the birth of a new sci-fi microgenre, in which the future is directed inward, hewing much closer to our current world, but with much more psychological and philosophical questions at it’s core. In this episode, we’ll discuss the common theme of two new shows, Pluribus [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/pluribus/umc.cmc.37axgovs2yozlyh3c2cmwzlza?itsct=atvp_brand_omd&itscg=MC_20000&mttn3pid=Google+AdWords&mttnagencyid=a5e&mttncc=US&mttnsiteid=143238&mttnsubad=OUS20191235_1-782391322753-c&mttnsubkw=195168186868_kwd-312161913759__&mttnsubplmnt=_adext_] and Severance [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx], both on Apple TV [https://tv.apple.com/], which depict a science fiction that is much more psychology than technology. Dr. Karen has labeled the condition at the center of both shows “neurological conformity,” and we’ll unpack what it is and why it might be the current trend in science fiction storytelling. Additional Links: “Is Neurological Conformity the Next Era of Streaming?” [https://medium.com/@kbrosenb/is-neurological-conformity-the-next-era-of-streaming-5a37994eead8] - Medium article by Karen B. Rosenbaum, MD Music by ROSSER [http://thebandrosser.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com [https://thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Who Is To Blame?

Blame is tricky. It can be a tool of justice. It can be a weapon. All too often, blame transforms victims into perpetrators, further exacerbating tragedies and increasing the blast radius of damage. In this episode, Dr. Karen and Josh analyze Peacock’s 2025 episodic series All Her Fault [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9y_QvRwu64], a child abduction thriller that effectively uses blame as a vehicle to develop the story and it’s characters, while shedding light on what can lie behind it. The psychological vectors of blame coursing through the characters of the story act as doors into their traumas, biases, and intentions, all of which makes for a pretty good watch, and plenty of juicy themes to talk about! Additional Links: The gendered division of housework in NorthAmerica: A systematic review from 2014 to 2024 [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jftr.70000] The Blaming Narcissist [https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/shame-guilt-and-their-defenses/202503/the-blaming-narcissist/amp] Nanny Faces Tough Insanity Test: Did She Know Killing Was Wrong? [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/27/nyregion/nanny-murder-trial-insanity-defense.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share] Music By ROSSER [http://www.thebandrosser.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com [https://thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Boundaries in Therapy

Therapy gets intimate. It has to be, in order to work. Therefore, the doctor-patient relationship is uniquely dependent on trust, honesty, and discretion. There are rules and guidelines therapists must follow to ensure a professional relationship, and to protect both parties from harm. But, as we all know, those rules are sometime broken, and sometimes harmful consequences come as a result. In this episode, Dr. Karen and Josh will discuss the second season of an entertaining series on Netflix called Nobody Wants This [https://www.netflix.com/title/81591296], in which a new subplot illustrates the complexities of the boundaries between therapist and patient. It’s treated with humor, but it demonstrates the contours and pretty effectively calls out some things to be aware of when witnessing someone, as the saying goes, “dating their therapist!” Additional Links: Podcast: The Shrink Next Door [https://wondery.com/shows/shrink-next-door/] Apple TV Show: The Shrink Next Door [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-shrink-next-door/umc.cmc.jov1gljmqnux0i15rbqsoyfk] American Psychiatric Association Ethics Guidelines [https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/ethics] Literature on Boundary Crossings and Violations: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3361837/#:~:text=A%20boundary%20crossing%20is%20a,the%20patient%20and%20the%20therapy [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3361837/#:~:text=A%20boundary%20crossing%20is%20a,the%20patient%20and%20the%20therapy]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32047383/ [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32047383/] Music by ROSSER [http://www.thebandrosser.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com [https://thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Ed Gein & Psychosis

Pop culture is full of psychopaths. Countless stories have featured (sometimes) real, (often) fictional, (mostly) men or (the occasional) women who do the unthinkable to their victims… and we eat it up. The third installment of Ryan Murphy’s [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Murphy_(producer)] Monster series, now out on Netflix, Monster: The Ed Gein Story [https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monster-the-ed-gein-story-release-date-cast-news], is a biopic (with some creative license) of the O.G. American psychotic murderer Ed Gein [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Gein], who shocked the nation with his murders and mutilations in the 1950’s and early 1960’s and inspired many a gruesome character in cinema for decades to come. Eventually, he was adjudicated not guilty by reason of insanity and lived out most of his adult life in a forensic psychiatric hospital, unlike the fictional serial killers inspired by his gruesome story. Listen in as we discuss the more clinical and psychological aspects of psychopathy, and shed a little light on what’s some pretty dark stuff. Additional Links: Beyond Monster: 6 Grisly Films Inspired by Serial Killer Ed Gein [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/ed-gein-monster-ryan-murphy-true-story-movies?srsltid=AfmBOoqFdrpfPmigA57LcTyUWRkASBgPp1dZkxADFE_6ZiE_Bf9DX-ch] Music by ROSSER [http://thebandrosser.com] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com [https://thelatestcrazepodcast.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]