Criminal: Episode 52: The Checklist

October 24, 2016 12:40 PM

SPOILER WARNING: Please listen to Episode 51: Money Tree before you listen to this one. While working on our last episode, we became curious about the nature of psychopathy -- how it is defined, and what to do if someone close to you meets the criteria. We spoke with Dr. Ronald Schouten, author of Almost a Psychopath, and Jon Ronson, author of The Psychopath Test.
posted by bq (3 comments total)

I thought this was interesting, but not as strong as the last episode. However, I am *so* sick of hearing Jon Ronson's voice. Please. Stop. Talking.
posted by radioamy at 2:31 PM on October 25, 2016

This felt like a lot of filler. I think the relevant stuff could have been shortened and included in the previous episode. Maybe they had wanted to do an episode on psychopathy for a while and the previous episode was a way to segue into that discussion?

I was amused when Donald Trump was brought up, because I think most anti-Trump articles say more about the author than Mr. Trump. But that's an argument best set aside until November 9.
posted by riruro at 4:54 PM on October 28, 2016

I've always found the details of psychopathy tests surprising; it seems much more focused on specific life events that include all sorts of external factors than the subject's rational or emotional experiences, motivation, or world-view. If getting caught violating parole increases your score, it seems a stretch to claim the test is actually measuring some intrinsic quantity.
posted by eotvos at 11:41 AM on October 29, 2016 [1 favorite]