DIRECTOR'S CUT: Villain Therapy: VOLDEMORT
Added 2023-11-27 17:24:16 +0000 UTCHow do you teach morality to someone who lacks empathy?
Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are taking a look at one of the biggest baddies of them all, Tom Riddle AKA Lord Voldemort AKA The Dark Lord from the Harry Potter series. Jonathan has his work cut out for him in this Villain Therapy episode because Voldemort displays signs of narcissism, sociopathy, and psychopathy. Is he even treatable? Jonathan talks about Voldemort's villainy and how he expertly manipulates and hurts others without remorse. Alan nerds out about the production design and color grading of the Harry Potter films, particularly scenes of young Tom and Voldemort.
Comments
I want a Harry or Dumbledore video
Gandalf The Grey
2024-05-02 02:27:31 +0000 UTCThis is the worst dad joke of all time, and I love it.
Gandalf The Grey
2024-05-02 01:45:57 +0000 UTCI can always tell when someone is lying just by looking at them. I can also tell when they are standing.
William Church
2024-04-19 20:40:01 +0000 UTCAfter is 100% scarier than Tom Riddle
Zara Hoffman
2024-03-19 23:57:30 +0000 UTCOK, why did it take me this long to notice you have corresponding mood lighting on the rear movie seats in your episodes? Good ole' Slytherin green :)
Melissa
2024-03-13 21:40:45 +0000 UTCCorrine, I was totally going to point that out. And the fact that you don't have to actually kill the master of the elder wand, just disarm them/best them in a duel. The power hungry in HP are so murderous.
Sadie
2024-02-06 03:24:48 +0000 UTChell yeah!! wish i could be on that episode im very passionate on him as the worst (and yet also best) villain ever made
Alex Boynton
2024-01-16 15:10:34 +0000 UTCIt's in the works!
Cinema Therapy
2024-01-16 14:53:06 +0000 UTCDO A PALPATINE EPISODE PLEASE!! He is the biggest manipulator i think i’ve ever seen on screen
Alex Boynton
2024-01-13 19:34:08 +0000 UTCDark wizards like voldemort canonicaly can't have patronus because they can't be really happy. JKR wrote a story about dark wizard who tried that and his wand produced maggots which ate him. But I guess dementors also don't have much to take from him (he doesn't even have much soul left in him for dementor's kiss, he'd barelly be an apetizer) so they wouldn't really attack him imho. As for Slughorn I don't think voldemort blackmailed him. Reason for him not saying anything is imho more about shame and guilt. While flawed Slughorn is generaly kind and caring and he is horrified by evil and violence. Personaly I liked voldemort more in first books and stories because at the end he kind of lost his manipulative power imho. As riddle he understood other people motivations and feelings but in last book he misses stuff that was quite obvious and imho becomes more cartoony and less terrifying. What I think about though is whether voldemort did have some humanity once. How his part of soul from diary talks about his father leaving his mother sounds almost human. He sounds slightly hurt. Dumbledore always suspected him but he gave him benefit of doubt (but still tried to keep eye on him).
BlackAdder
2024-01-04 05:37:16 +0000 UTC“How do you teach morality to someone who lacks empathy” Just the thesis statement of the Good Place lol P.S. An episode on Eleanor’s journey from season 1 to season 4 would be awesome
Owen Pilkington
2023-12-30 20:57:41 +0000 UTCThere are expert in fascist supervillains: we are called historians and we do exist. Just maybe not on the internet or the History Channel
Mo Hoff
2023-12-25 04:39:40 +0000 UTCYes, please do a Palpatine video!!! Movies do not say this but he grew up as a rich kid who used his family wealth to purchase sith artifacts to study them and he was VERY anti-social growing up. This would be great!
Siusen Fong
2023-12-06 23:55:51 +0000 UTCIt's already shot and being edited!
Cinema Therapy
2023-11-30 15:08:00 +0000 UTCWhen are you guys going to do an episode on Hook? Maybe you did and I haven’t seen it, but I thought there’s plenty of good material there for either Peter Panning or Hook’s character.
Crystal Kirkley
2023-11-30 02:56:48 +0000 UTCCan we get a patron-only discussion of book Snape vs movie Snape? I'm rereading the series, as I finally allowed my 9 & 11 year old kids to read the series. (I wanted to wait until they could emotionally and spiritually handle the darkness of the second half of the series, since they'll rip through the books in a week or two.) I'm glad JKR clued Rickman in early, but that makes him so much more likeable than truly vile. I'm not sure how I feel about that. :)
just me
2023-11-29 17:53:31 +0000 UTCI had this nested in an earlier comment, but wanted to make sure it's seen. Can we get a video, using JKR, of the paradox or dichotomy of LOVING a creation while finding the creator vile? JKR is not the first, nor will she be the last, whose personal life overshadows an amazing creation (see also Joss Whedon and Firefly / Buffy, Harvey Weinstein and anything his disgusting hands ever touched, Roman Polanski,etc.)
just me
2023-11-29 17:50:32 +0000 UTCMy thought was how does a great teacher hope to help a kid? He brings the kid under his tutelage and hopes that his influence allows the kid to find their own good. Dumbledore saw the best in everyone - even Tom. It was his greatest strength. Thank you for pointing out the blatant antisemitism. I hadn't thought of the series in that light, but it makes sense. When someone talks about JKR being problematic, my mind immediately jumps to Trans, because that's what was on my radar. When it comes to the Wizarding world, I'm reminded of Elie Wiesel's words that he had seen evil in many different faces, but the core of them was indifference. How much of the Wizarding world SAW the abuses, but did nothing?... and where am I seeing abuse and also doing nothing? A virtual hug, if you want one, from an internet stranger whose heart hurts for yours, your family's, and both the Israelis and Palestinians hurting because of violence and indifference.
just me
2023-11-29 17:44:40 +0000 UTC1. Not to challenge unnecessarily, but I didn't hear it in the intro of this video? 2. Can we get a video, using JKR, of the paradox or dichotomy of LOVING a creation while finding the creator vile? JKR is not the first, nor will she be the last, whose personal life overshadows an amazing creation (see also Joss Whedon and Firefly / Buffy, Harvey Weinstein and anything his disgusting hands ever touched, Roman Polanski,etc.)
just me
2023-11-29 17:37:11 +0000 UTCDo an Episode on Gantu's Methodology for catching Stitch in Lilo & Stitch! Is his plan for capturing Stitch a responsible one or did Gantu just get lucky?
Bryan
2023-11-29 17:21:09 +0000 UTCYes to a Palpatine episode!
Emily Powers
2023-11-29 17:17:26 +0000 UTCThanks for clarifying that! Looking back I regret the harsh wording of my comment, I must have been sleep deprived or something, so thanks also for overlooking that.
Amelie W
2023-11-29 14:56:01 +0000 UTCIn every Harry Potter video, we address our thoughts on the author (we do not support her!), and we put our statement in the description of the YouTube video this time.
Cinema Therapy
2023-11-29 14:44:19 +0000 UTCI won’t let others tell me what’s good for me, including you. Anxiety and burnout are COMPLETELY different. A basic Google search will tell you that. Inside Out is about a girl who goes through all the emotions of moving and loneliness but has parents to support her. That is opposite sort of situation I am in. In every way. Maybe you could ask questions instead of just assuming you knew how to fix me.
S.J. Paige
2023-11-29 14:09:44 +0000 UTCI believe that the next Disney's Inside Out might talk about it. They revealed a new emotion : anxiety. Sounds promising to me. In other hand: have faith in you, rest as much as possible, don't let the others tell you what's good for you, I believe in you and send my support to you. You'll get through.
Justine . PERRIER
2023-11-29 08:07:14 +0000 UTCI'm not sure that his patronus would be a snake. They're not evil creatures, we just fear them and don't understand them. I boldly propose a virus patronus, they're not thinking creatures and attack anyone who's not a virus. Seems more correct to me. What do you think?
Justine . PERRIER
2023-11-29 08:03:11 +0000 UTCIf you do decide to do an episode on Palpatine, may I recommend as prep the YouTube video "How Liberty Dies: The Politics of Star Wars" if you haven't seen it? It's probably way more detail than you'd need but it's a fantastic analysis of how any ambitious fascist autocrat can exploit weaknesses in a political system, even a democracy, and take power from the inside. Chilling stuff.
Eve72
2023-11-29 01:56:19 +0000 UTCIt's a bit shitty of you to talk about Joanne Rowling, one of the most famous people to ever live's, work, especially in relation to narcissism and fascism, without acknowledging her personal rapid descent into narcissism and fascism in any way. Makes me scared maybe you all are on her side of wanting me dead, actually.
Amelie W
2023-11-28 23:11:20 +0000 UTCDude, you totally do you. But if you read what I wrote I said NOTHING about speaking for trans people (though for the record you have no idea if I’m cis, trans, or nonbinary) — I spoke specifically to the antisemitism, which is incredibly personal to me as a Jewish person and highly relevant in particular at the moment with the sharp rise in both antisemitism and anti-islamic sentiments across the globe right now. Antisemitism and antisemitic caricatures have been problems in literature since long before the Nazis, and I was pointing to the elements of them in the regular wizarding society specifically as being ironic because if Voldemort is wizard Hitler and the Death Eaters are wizard Nazis, then what does Rowing's depiction of "normal" wizards say about "normal" British society? Again, it has nothing to do with her transphobia or speaking on behalf of trans society; it is a comment from a member of a different minority ABOUT MY OWN MINORITY and how it is being negatively portrayed in subtle and not so subtle ways. I realize its hard to read tone on the internet and that you are probably very tired of being told how to feel about a piece of media that is clearly important to you. It is important to me too, and I did not tell you or anyone else how to feel. Next time, maybe take a deep breath, walk away, and reread/comment when you are in a better place. As a rule of thumb, knowing that people tend to read the worst in written text I always remind myself to assume the best possible intent before I get mad at strangers on the internet. I hope you have a good rest of your day.
Abigail Friedman
2023-11-28 22:31:14 +0000 UTCEvery society has fascist elements. There has never been a society without them throughout recorded history. It's only ever been a matter of degree: Whether they are a fully integrated norm of government or a fringe element or something in between. I'm trans and I get a little exhausted by everyone's retroactive temper tantrums about Harry Potter. It sometimes feel a bit like a grown adult having an existential crisis because they finally realized that Mom wasn't Santa. People suck. Sometimes they suck REALLY hard. It doesn't mean we have to throw away everything. It doesn't mean everything is bad forever. It means we understand nuance and fault. It means we tolerate the dialectics. And we don't attack trans people for liking or not liking Harry Potter, because I do like it and I get shit for it. Harry Potter helped me survive a hellish childhood. And nobody--but nobody--gets to tell me how to cope when they weren't there to help me.
J. Lee
2023-11-28 21:45:55 +0000 UTCthe one thing I will say is, Dumbledore didn't have a choice about admitting Tom to Hogwarts, as he wasn't Headmaster back then...
Abigail Friedman
2023-11-28 16:48:36 +0000 UTCI do enjoy these movies, although I hate supporting Rowling in anything -- funny how they became her villain origin story! The Death Eaters seemed like such an obvious allegory for wizard Nazis until I reread the books and realized the wizards are wizard Nazis. I mean, the goblins are so clearly anti-semitic caractures of Jewish people... the original statue in the Ministry of the lesser sentient beings gazing adoringly at the witch and wizard... the "happy slave" house elfs... why SHOULDN'T the wizards also treat each other the same way they treat everyone else?
Abigail Friedman
2023-11-28 16:47:37 +0000 UTCWe covered Umbridge as past of our Harry Potter vs. Bullies episode. https://youtu.be/cVcPVn5Cwzg
Cinema Therapy
2023-11-28 14:38:23 +0000 UTCI am totally here for a Palpatine episode. Do eet!
Larry Garfield
2023-11-28 03:34:42 +0000 UTCMy favorite observation regarding fascism was delivered by Alan, when he said that once the identified "other" is eradicated, then another "other" must be identified and eradicated, ad infinitum. As I have watched the current political gambits by politicians worldwide who rise and fall by fanning the flames of hatred against a chosen group of people, I keep thinking about the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" animation from "Fantasia." When the Sorcerer's Apprentice casts a spell on the broom only to have it over perform, he chops it into hundreds of pieces of kindling thinking he might stop it. And then those kindling pieces all come to life and become multiplying brooms creating unparalleled chaos! Oh... I have thought about the wisdom of that scene since I was a child! Thank you for an excellent episode about Voldemort. It also serves as an excellent lesson to us about our current events.
Diane
2023-11-28 02:11:18 +0000 UTCNow I wanna see you guys do an episode on Chef Slowik from The Menu.
Kasen Rogers
2023-11-28 01:45:11 +0000 UTCI had the same reaction, Kris, about the unsettling parallels with our current events. I appreciate the timing of the episode.
Diane
2023-11-28 01:20:27 +0000 UTCAmazing episode. Also commenting on something that was said, I’d absolutely LOVE an episode on palpatine.
N8tron97
2023-11-27 23:24:18 +0000 UTCJust on the thought of having to deal with the outside of your group to get what you want and then protect your source of power from the next person, it reminded me of the 12th doctors speech in the zygon inversion. “When you have finally got it exactly the way you want it, what are you going to do with the people like you?” “ how will you protect your glorious revolution from the next one.” There is a lot more to it then this and Peter Capaldi does such an amazing job at delivering this speech, that I believe it is worth checking out.
Esther Kennedy
2023-11-27 23:11:53 +0000 UTCYES!! Palpatine would be amazing. As would Vader since you’ve already done Anakin.
Justin Glispie
2023-11-27 22:38:09 +0000 UTCA Palpatine episode? Have even more of my money and start talking! Also: I'd be interested to see your take on Umbridge (if you haven't already covered her). There can be quite heated debates amongst Potterheads whether she is truly worse than Voldemort and not everyone says that he is the worse ot the two.
Reuben McKay
2023-11-27 22:05:49 +0000 UTCYes give us the Palpatine review
Arlynad
2023-11-27 20:49:04 +0000 UTCPalpatine? Yes please!
Desireé (Speak91)
2023-11-27 19:55:14 +0000 UTCJK Rowling said Voldemort cannot produce a patronus because he has no happy memories to draw upon to produce one. But if he did, I think it would be a snake obviously. Great video! One of my favorite villains because he's just pure evil and a fascist dictator. Do Palpatine next! He's more of a manipulative schemer person with Anti-Social Personality Disorder and a touch of Narcissism. He's clever, highly intelligent, and charismatic enough to gain a following of people to elect him Chancellor of an entire galaxy. He plays the long game, unlike other villains who want immediate power. It took him about 30 years to get to become Emperor. And that alone, he was like Julius Caesar and Augustus, turning a Republic into an Empire with one supreme leader.
Jackie Frankovich
2023-11-27 19:32:44 +0000 UTCAnother amazing episode! As for how you can teach morality to someone with no empathy? Perhaps put them on the receiving end of the horrible things they like to do to others? See how they like it when they are treated the same way they treat others.
Matt
2023-11-27 19:19:30 +0000 UTCYes please do an episode on Palpatine - or even an episode on why the Jedi Order fell / couldn't detect that he was right there.
Megan Saunders
2023-11-27 19:12:12 +0000 UTCExcellent episode guys! A little unsettling with the parallels with today's USA... but great episode!
Kris Mahoney
2023-11-27 19:04:50 +0000 UTCPalpatine, you say? DO IT.
Smidge
2023-11-27 18:54:11 +0000 UTCI have not watched many movies, so I cannot think of a movie off the top of my head that would cover this topic, but I would love to see an episode on burn out. It encompasses the current season I am in, so any help would be awesome! Also, the Harry Potter episodes y’all do are the best!
S.J. Paige
2023-11-27 18:36:20 +0000 UTCGo for Papa Palpatine!
Graeme Allen
2023-11-27 18:27:29 +0000 UTCOh, yes, please do a Palpatine episode...or series, perhaps. Surely there is no more villainous villain in all of cinema than Darth Sideous.
Robert Elessar
2023-11-27 18:17:50 +0000 UTCI was quite amused that the background is green.
E Noonan
2023-11-27 18:13:21 +0000 UTCyes for palaptine please
Josh Jones
2023-11-27 18:12:32 +0000 UTCyes! Palpatine please
Christina Cupp
2023-11-27 18:07:17 +0000 UTC
