Wicked Psychotherapists

Truman Show: Gaslighting, Social Media, and the Search for Self

• Erin Gray and Tanya Dos Santos • Season 3 • Episode 26

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What if your entire life was secretly being broadcast to the world—would you know it?


This week on Wicked Psychotherapists, Erin and Tanya dive deep into the psychological layers of The Truman Show, that eerily ahead-of-its-time 1998 film starring Jim Carrey in one of his first serious roles. 

We break down how this classic predicted the rise of social media, 24/7 surveillance culture, and the growing pressure to perform “normalcy” for an invisible audience.

From gaslighting on a global scale to the link between Truman’s experiences and social anxiety, we explore the mental health implications of being watched—and what it means to find your authentic self in a world full of curated performances. 

Also, don’t miss our challenge question: would you take $2 million a year to be live-streamed 24/7? Your answer might surprise you.

🎥 Next up: Office Space!
👻 And yes—“Little Nicky” for Halloween might just be happening...

💬 Listen, reflect, and let us know: would YOU have escaped the Truman Show?

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You are listening to Wicked Psychotherapists, a podcast where two psychotherapists show you that taking care of and learning about mental health doesn't have to be wicked hat.

Tanya:

Hey guys, it's Tanya.

Erin:

Hi, it's Erin and welcome to Wicked Psychotherapists.

Tanya:

So today we have a really, well, one of my favorites, a movie that was in the late nineties with Jim Carey. today we're gonna talk about the movie, the Truman Show. that is a really interesting movie. I think from a therapeutic and mental health perspective because there are so many themes in here that we can definitely relate to. And also so many modern day social media, kind of open surveillance type of themes that are very relatable to us. So if you have not seen this, It may not be that big of a surprise to you, or maybe it'll be kind of cool to see from 1998 that this had already been a concern or thought of, but it was around a time, Erin, you had pointed out. About there was the, this was the time with a lot of reality shows.

Erin:

was I saying? Yeah. Like it was, yeah,

Tanya:

cops was

Erin:

this was filmed in 98 I think. So MTV's real world was still going, road rules was on cops. had just started like, this is, this is how long, you know, like. And then America's funny video just started about that time, maybe a little bit before that. And then Road Rules, real World Road Rules Challenge was about, you know, that same time it started, survivor didn't start yet. Big Brother didn't start yet. No American Idol, Kardashians, anything like that, or the Real Housewives. None of that was. In reality yet when the Truman Show came out.

Tanya:

if that's hard for you to remember, then, welcome to our world, depending on how young you are or how much you were paying attention during that time. But I'm pretty sure if you were, conscious during that time, you were aware of it. So it really was, a movie that was reflecting on some themes that were about future worries or themes that were. coming up with reality shows and having so much being documented of your life. So this movie maybe was born around that. Or maybe just the thoughts of where it would go in the future and just the fact that we had this technology kind of up and coming, of course, nowhere near what we have today, And this is. stars, Jim Carrey, and he was in a more serious role. This was not a funny role. It was more kind of like he, he was this central character who was very innocent in all of this and did not have any awareness of, the outside. Malice around him, He was basically a character unknowingly within a reality show. so his whole life called the Truman Show, his name was Truman, from birth until the end of the end of this movie, you know, he was being filmed 24 7 and everybody. It was a huge hit. People tuned in, all the characters and the neighborhood where he lived, the world he lived in was a big giant studio set.

Erin:

Yeah.

Tanya:

and he was the only one that didn't know was on a studio set. This was his world. It was

Erin:

24 7 streaming it. While you're saying that, I was almost thinking of like Big Brother, the show Big Brother.

Tanya:

you know, I

Erin:

remember when it first started you could watch it. Live, like when people really got home computers and everything. you could watch it 24 hours a day that was the first of its kind like, it's like really diving into, you know, everyone. And so, but Truman show again was ahead of the time. Like it's just even talking about this, like all the voyeurism of like, let's watch somebody. Nonstop. Let's watch him brushing his teeth. Let's watch him eat breakfast or have conversations with his neighbors. I mean, it's so, it seems so boring, but for everyone else, it's so interesting. Everyone's glued to it. That's all anyone wants to watch.

Tanya:

Well, that's a good point because now we go and we watch reels of people

Erin:

Yeah.

Tanya:

Eating what they had for breakfast or a new routine on how to floss your teeth, which I've seen. I've watched, not gonna lie. these are things that, you know, they're not, uh, too far off from what we still may want. I think we as a people have a natural curiosity into what are people's lives like, really, if somebody is not aware that they're being filmed or live streamed, and this is their world. Now we don't necessarily have that unless it's with maybe the kids in some of these shows because they can't really consent to that. But they're aware that they're on camera. But how aware are they is another question. that kind of, is similar to it, but I think that's why it was so fascinating, because I think especially at that point in time, 1998, it was very much like. what do people do when they think no one's looking? What are people's habits? Are they like me? Am I weird? Are they weird? and that was very fascinating to them. So, we meet Truman and he seems to be just in his routine. He's married to a woman who is. supposedly a nurse. she's an actress acting within the Truman Show, but he doesn't know that, which I always found so strange.'cause of course, thinking in my practical, you know, third person view, like, how does she have a life? and she has to be a wife. Well, I was think that while

Erin:

you're saying that too, I'm thinking like, what is their contract for work? Because it's probably alright. You may have this to work for the next 20 years, depending on how long you're married, or like 24 hours a day. it's a big commitment to their acting craft too.

Tanya:

They must have had huge, penalties if they broke that contract. that's basically like, you gotta live another life. I mean, more so than acting you really have to be in that with someone. So that it's really,

Erin:

yeah. So it's a big commitment. it would be really hard for everyone who's in it, even his dad and everyone else who's part of your life. full time all day.

Tanya:

Yeah. That's craziness. And I mean, his mother. Has to just be his mother and take care of him, I know this is all a movie and this didn't really happen, but these are the things that went through my mind. yeah, so anyways, so we, we see that Truman is really, he, he's got this kind of boring, you know, run of the mill. insurance job, or something, you know, generalized office work one of those generic looking office buildings. He says hi to the neighbors the same way every day. They're like the picture perfect neighbors. the houses are fairly similar very idealized world. He says hi to the same people every day on the way to work. Drives a. family friendly car. goes to his job and has a very run of the mill life. people love to watch this to see is there going to be something different? Is this all there is? people are very curious about that. And again, I would compare that to. Social media today with some differences because people for the most part know that they're filming themselves, but maybe they don't realize how Right. What it is they're putting out or how much, or why, especially if you grew up with this. And it's just kind of a part of your life. So that's really a question of how much do we edit our lives or how much do we think we should put out there? And even now on media, it's like almost like

Erin:

That maybe we shouldn't put so much out, but it seems like everyone went the opposite. Like, this is the blueprint for what we should do. Instead of like, Hey, maybe we shouldn't. All beyond social media or record every aspect of our life for everybody.

Tanya:

Yeah. And like maybe what's the point in that? Or, you know, is there something that makes you feel less alone because of that, or something that kind of normalizes something for you? again, I'm not saying anything for or against it. I'm just, you know, kind of the questions this movie brings up

Erin:

Yeah, it's the, oh yeah, I'm brushing my teeth too. I go to work, I drive, I. May have had similar experiences in my childhood or teens or had trouble making friends or had this one best friend my whole life. So there could be some similarities or their life can be completely opposite of his, where it's like, my gosh, I live in this. apartment building and I don't have a house, or I don't have a relationship, or I don't feel safe, So it's nice to see the opposite.

Tanya:

Yeah, for sure. and there's this kind of, these two components that are constantly driving Truman, and it's this, the thought of this woman he met when he was in. college, right? Because it's all a movie set. and, when he went to college and one of the extras, oh, they probably had to sign.

Erin:

Yeah.

Tanya:

This actress broke through that and said he really seemed to like her and she basically was like. I'm gonna bring him down, to the beach where maybe the cameras can't get to us and tell'em what's true. she said this is all fake. You're in a show. And then, the crew sends out this person, an actor pretending to be your dad and is like, she gets like this when she doesn't take her pills But that is something that sticks in his mind He really felt attracted to her, but she was taken off the set and they pushed his wife towards him, like, Hey, that's the person we want you to be with. So he's driven by finding that person who told him the truth that he senses is out there and he's driven by this need to, like, he keeps saying, I wanna, I wanna get outta here. I wanna go and see beyond, you know, this town and everything in his life has been very traumatically, discouraged, and set up this way in the movie set. For him not to go over bridges or go over water, we're gonna

Erin:

drown in

Tanya:

With his dad drowning, it's like,

Erin:

because they know if he goes past the water, there's an end. he's gonna find out that It's all not real. So they can't afford to have him go in the water at all.

Tanya:

Yeah. they basically set up a lifelong trauma for him when he went out boating with his dad and the dad drowns in this big storm. and it's reinforced by, his mother, the actress, who he believes to be his mother, Saying, oh, I know you blame yourself, but it wasn't your fault. Kind of passive aggressively making him reimplant that idea like it was your fault. You were boating with your dad and he drowned when you were there. Which is so awful. But too, you have to, I think you wonder too,

Erin:

again, I know this is a show, but these two people who were playing his parents, they were playing his parents, since he was a baby, they had to have some connection to him.

Tanya:

Yeah.

Erin:

it had to not have been just a job.

Tanya:

sure.

Erin:

Unless it was, who knows how they're like, oh, this is a really good paycheck. I can keep playing this role.

Tanya:

Well, it sounds like the dad did because he was really upset when he realized like, oh, they're making me drown. They're cutting me off, And he tried to break back on the set again, like that's how he found him. So I think he felt something towards that. That's how they had to reintroduce him and be like, oh, your father didn't actually drown. Because then he had seen him when he broke back on and he was like, but there's, these instances that start to break on set, you know, around this time where he starts to notice everything's in sync. Everything is moving in a way that is kind of around him. He hears the radio mess up and hears some backstage production, instructions instead. And he's like, what? they were radioing and saying, okay, he's going east on Main Street or whatever. And he was like,

Erin:

yeah,

Tanya:

that's me.

Erin:

Yeah,

Tanya:

so talk about paranoia. My God, this world really was set up for him, but this is also mimicking if how somebody would feel if they're very paranoid or have delusions. Right. You know that. Yeah. If this weren't the case, yeah. Be this weren't set up this way, I guess,

Erin:

after the show, it was dubbed the Truman Show syndrome, where some people actually. Started to get the paranoia. Or have that sometimes where they feel as though they are on a reality show,

Tanya:

Mm-hmm.

Erin:

So that's, yeah.'cause it is probably, yeah, it is like a, because on the show though, they did try to make it seem like, you're crazy. You're just imagining this. You didn't see the light fixture just fall from the ceiling. From

Tanya:

Talk about gaslighting. They gaslit His whole life. That's the most insane scale gaslighting I've ever heard

Erin:

After it's like, oh, wait a minute. I really didn't have all this trauma. Or I did have trauma because they put trauma in my life, and it's just, yeah.

Tanya:

It's like he really experienced these things, but this wasn't real. how do you connect that? How do you not have some disconnect in that, but need to connect with that? That is absolutely, I think, one of the highest traumas out there that would be so difficult to work with.

Erin:

it's almost like somebody who was raised as a person cult or something like that. How do you, get that out of their brain? But yeah. how do you do the therapy to help poor Truman?

Tanya:

Yeah.

Erin:

Is the producer, your dad, the director, the actor, but who are really your best friends? Do you have any friends?

Tanya:

Who am I like how, you know, because who he developed up until this point. Was who he is. Who he is, but it's also kind of false. there's so many, any of his degrees, gosh, so many issues for deprogramming on unraveling, any degrees of schooling.

Erin:

Is any of that real, or does he have to go back to kindergarten?

Tanya:

he's having a Billy Madison moment. You have to go Billy Madison. there's Adam Sandler in there.

Erin:

Because was he just being taught by fellow actors or was he actually having degrees

Tanya:

Well, I'm guessing it was probably just built around whatever was needed and reinforcing. they show that scene in the classroom where the teacher's like, what do you wanna be when you get older? And little Truman is like, they have a flashback. He's like, I wanna explore the world. And she's like. Can't do it. Everything's been explored, So it's like kind of instilling, all this,

Erin:

you'll stay here. Ideas that they want to keep him there and keep him. No reason to leave this traumatized Seashore town.

Tanya:

I think it was Whitehaven or something? Or maybe I'm thinking of something else, but they're like, this has the best friend's always like, where do you wanna go? This place has everything. I've been everywhere. This is it. there's nothing to see. You know, like everybody's just trying to reinforce, stay here, I think maybe, what you're limited to is what you'll be drawn to no matter what. Like he had this inner fortitude this sense of, I feel like there's something more beyond this. something is really there, you know? and I think he's always had that in him. so the more people pushed back against it, he realized, well, I'm limited. I can't go over bridges or over water. I still really feel like there's something there, which I think is his Intuition of this just, doesn't feel right. Like you said, as a human said,

Erin:

can video me and record me, but you don't know what's going on inside my brain, I could be trying to figure out, Or trying to help myself of my fear of water or trying to figure out what it looks like to leave this town To go back to my dreams of being an explorer or wanting to learn about new things.

Tanya:

Yeah. And now that I think about it, he probably was feeling like he had to really mask a lot of his feelings and, hide a lot of things because they were so discouraged from a young age. even though he may not have realized that was wrong, he probably still kept that and said like, well. How I'm expected to be is very pleasant because that was what was encouraged of him so that he could be a good kind of entertainment piece.

Erin:

Even the neighbors every day have a good day, good evening, goodnight, you know, whatever.

Tanya:

Mm-hmm.

Erin:

You always wonder if he felt like, okay, this is what's expecting me. What if I don't wanna say anything to them? What if I just wanna get in my car and go to work? But it's almost like they're there waiting.'cause they. They, part of their role for their script is like, you need to be there when he exits his house, so he can say that line to you and the person driving on the highway or whatever. You have to be right where you know he's gonna be, so Truman can wave to you or say hello to you. but what if Truman wanted to just be quiet or listen to the radio or just wants to scream. It's like he's so expected and conditioned from a young age, like, oh, you're gonna be pleasant, you're gonna be happy, you're gonna be, cheerful and not really talk about your problems.

Tanya:

Yeah. And so I think he probably learned to say okay, this is my external personality, but internally. He'd really been struggling with it for a while and probably, just always was questioning and things felt off, but he didn't quite know. it sounds like he just was kind of holding that there and he certainly had this. Desire to search out that, that extra he was making, collages of her, like with her eyes she had really nice eyes, and he was trying to find the perfect set of eyes for her Deep. Feelings or wanted to explore that more than he was able to. But again, he was set up, his fate was determined by the studio and the screenwriting or however they thought his life should go. Which brings up an interesting question of fate? Is your fate kind of predetermined? Is it not, How do you make decisions? In his case, it was set up for him, but he still even behind the scenes as much as he possibly could, even though he was being filmed all the time and people were trying to dissuade him. He still was making collages. He still was trying to find this girl's name in the phone book that the father falsely gave. He was still trying to get to the bridge and be like, okay, I can do this, I can do this. And then be like, no, I can't.

Erin:

I'm gonna try to learn how to get over my fear of water too, without, it's almost like I can't let anybody know that I'm working on this. so part of him, it is almost like something was a driver for him. Something was leading him.

Tanya:

He had this internal drive and I think that's the part he was really addressing. he was like, you never had a camera in my head. you didn't know that. You don't know how I felt or the things that I wanted to do just because I did this with my life and decided to follow this path. That doesn't mean that's true.

Erin:

A lot of people in the world, you know, like not just Truman, but like a lot of times we feel like we know what's going on with a person because we see what they do for a job, or we see how their family is, or we see how they've acted in their family unit, but we don't really know exactly what's going on with the person, especially if they're not sharing yet.

Tanya:

yeah, for sure. I do wonder if there. It seems like there would have been some sort of, social anxiety, I related to this movie so well because not that Truman would've had social anxiety, but there was almost this feeling when you have social anxiety. You perceive that people are always judging you and watching and you're doing the wrong thing Being perceived is painful. When I watched this movie, I really related to that and I think that also speaks to social anxiety And I wonder if anybody else kind of felt that. As well that has social anxiety. And, I don't mean like you're kind of shy in social situations, which I know is kind of what we think of as social anxiety. I mean like truly is, social anxiety disorder. Like really, really, a feeling of Not okay. being seen.

Erin:

Like, you know, this store, this restaurant, this classroom, everyone. You're perceiving that everyone's stopping to look at you or notices if you make a noise or do anything. it's difficult when you have social anxiety.

Tanya:

yeah.

Erin:

You're being videoed or feel like you're on your own reality show.

Tanya:

Yeah, and I really wanna clarify that because this was something that a therapist I saw in Florida a long time ago said, it's kind of akin to narcissism. I wanna say that to that therapist out there. I hope you're never ever saying that to somebody with social anxiety disorder to the degree that I had it, because that was when I stopped seeing that person. It is not a feeling of like, oh, people are looking at me and admiring me. It is almost like the sun, if you step outside, the sun burns your skin. And that is like anybody. Yeah. I mean, that's the degree that I had it. I can't speak for everyone, but I literally was like, I am not okay in this. I need to not be seen. I need to hide. And that affects you in every aspect of your life. I really saw that in the Truman show. I really felt like no matter what he did, he was always being guided by that. He was very unaware of it. I wasn't aware of it for a while too, I just kind of wondered if other people felt that

Erin:

connection there. And then, yeah, and also, yeah, with social anxiety too, it's like different than narcissism because Yeah, you're not wanted the attention, you actually want the opposite. You wanna be not seen and you probably avoided a lot of different situations that you probably would've wanted to be part of, but it was probably really difficult.

Tanya:

Yeah. I avoided a lot of life. I missed out on a lot because of it. it's a very painful thing. it's not something, I'm just trying to say that I think people Who had that would be able to understand. And I think there was something about, Truman when he was realizing, oh my gosh, in the end he didn't know he was being watched He sensed that his whole behavior, his whole life, his whole personality was shaped by that. That was something that really kind of, yeah,

Erin:

and

Tanya:

rang Trueman with me, Truman,

Erin:

when he started to realize like, oh, wait a minute, she said this. Now I'm starting to be aware of everything. people would almost say he was having an existential thought or stuff like that. But he truly, you know, there's so many things based in reality too, because it's like, this really is happening and now he's aware of it. But then again, this is such an example of gaslighting. everyone's like, oh no. It was just this, or this happened. you didn't really see that happen. this is because of this. it probably did make him start questioning like, okay, well I have to just. Be quiet and just continue acting like everything's okay and just be happy. Even though internally he's probably suffering.

Tanya:

Yeah, it's kind of like he knew of something that was controlling this, and he knew he had to hide something because of that. he started to see. he went and changed his routine and tried to get into an elevator it was like the set of a production. then they were like, oh man, let's put that there was an elevator crash on the radio. And He starts to see, wait a minute, this is really odd. This is not okay. Which I thought was kind of strange that he would have that sense of reality. Do you know what I mean? Like I know that he would see that some things are wrong, but he had such a sense of normalcy. Where did he get that normalcy from? Because he grew up in this world. So I guess that that kind of was hard to see that. But I guess just maybe seeing weird stuff like, what the heck is that?

Erin:

that could be genetics too. The producer or the director or whatever, wasn't able to control, he was able to create this whole external thing. Yeah. But he still can't control who Truman is.

Tanya:

Yeah. I think that's a good point to the, it's like kind of like a nature versus nurture, kind of thing. there are certain things that are built into us that are needs, and you can't create an artificial environment and. Say that, we're gonna make sure everything's set up for this person Because it doesn't work that way. Which may be also the same motto for some people who base their lives on social media. Possibly, like you can put that out there, but It's not necessarily your real life, you can craft it to be that, but in the end, you have to feel,

Erin:

And even what you feel and live with the person, the people that you follow that you're like, I'm so real. they're showing stuff that's raw you know, like you'd see these little quick reels but they're only showing you 50 seconds of their life at a time. you might feel like you really know these people, and that's something to think about too.

Tanya:

Yeah, for sure. I was just gonna say, what did you think of the ads in the middle? Like the wife? Just kind of being like, look at these knives.

Erin:

Aren't these the greatest knives ever? What is that? Product placement? Just all of a sudden because they couldn't do commercials, so that was probably their commercial.'cause it's on 24 hours a day, so they probably had to eventually like, yeah, how are we paying for this show? Look at these. And he's like, what? then she got nervous talking to,

Tanya:

and then she broke character and then she was like, help me. And then he was like, who are you talking to? You know, out of context. He just seems very, very paranoid.

Erin:

yeah, if you just saw, and he didn't realize he was being videoed, you'd be like, what a lunatic. Why is he talking to his wife that way? What's happening?

Tanya:

Yeah. I just thought that was really funny.'cause she just kind of like all of a sudden is like these knives and she just goes into it like she has to and keep knowing, even if it sounds totally like insane. Why?

Erin:

Why are you all of a sudden talking about these knives and who are you talking to? crazy.

Tanya:

Yeah, it really is so nuts. you feel for Truman because he must feel so isolated because no one in the world would have an experience like he has had, and when he decides to leave Christophe is like, no, I can give you everything you want, and you have everything here. And he's just like, and so he just signs off in his usual way, like. You know, goodnight or Good. Good. Good afternoon. Good evening and goodnight. if I don't see you kind of thing, that his sign off because he's just like, that's all I'm giving you out the store and I'm gonna go up these stairs. And I just think of, the therapy afterwards. And then, going to late

Erin:

But does he forgive them? And then does he wanna have a relationship with these people who have been part of his life?

Tanya:

Because he's probably gonna see them out in the real world or maybe might try to contact them. Yeah. The

Erin:

people who played parents, would he be upset

Tanya:

Like, would

Erin:

he wanna become, would he wanna be friends with him or the person who was his best friend? Is that like,'cause they probably really shared stuff, or maybe it wasn't real on the actor side at all. Yeah.

Tanya:

Or maybe it wasn't fully on Truman's side a hundred percent. Like, you know, because he had to keep things away and he discouraged him from traveling too, and from other, yeah, maybe he was a little guard. Maybe

Erin:

Truman was guarded. the person who he fell in love with was the only person who is like, oh, this person isn't just giving me positive things or negative, you know, filling me with things to be afraid of. She's actually saying like, listen. None of this is real. So that was the first person who really made him question things in a different way. And so it was probably very freeing for him.

Tanya:

Yeah. She was the only person in the whole world that seemed to care to let him in on, Hey, this is your actual reality. he might question if people recognized him and they were fans He might be angry or upset at that. who can I trust who hasn't seen this show? who liked this and supported this or maybe wasn't aware. so many issues to untangle there.

Erin:

Yeah. Or even the people who, maybe they did watch it because it's been on for 30 years, but then when they started to realize like, oh, this is exploitation. I'm gonna protest it or I'm gonna try to watch something else, or was there nothing else to watch? Was that the only show that people could watch maybe Christophe was the only kind of, High-end producer because it was on like, all the TVs, like on like, you know, times Square, you know, like it was everywhere. Yeah.

Tanya:

Yeah. it probably gained Traction and, popularity when he was beyond even as a baby, they would watch him and he's just a baby. Yeah. Just squirming around. That's not too fun. You know, so they probably grew as he then some people probably grew up with him too,

Erin:

It's like, I feel like I know him, but I was a baby when he was a baby. And you know, it's just kind of like how. People are with reality shows or even soap operas It's like people feel like they know these people,

Tanya:

right? Yeah. And in a sense, they do know his life, but they don't as well. it's just all very complicated. I think it's safe to say though, that Truman, once he left the world, he would not have engaged in the social media boom.

Erin:

No, no techno. Yeah, no techno. Luddite. Yeah.

Tanya:

He doesn't want any, technology. it's nice, but sometimes you just Because of real things he can't, So I think the first time I watched the Truman show. at the end when Christophe was saying, you can stay. I thought maybe he was gonna stay and do something nefarious or have some revenge But then I was like, that actually is. Yeah. The best way to just, yeah, yeah, to just exit and just say nothing more. And then it's also

Erin:

very telling too, like when he left, the show's canceled,'cause all of a sudden it, went off, Then you'd see people all of a sudden change the channel. it's not like people were that devastated that the show that they've watched for 30 years is off. It's like, oh, let me watch something else. It just shows how. People are with, media, it's just, oh, it's gone. let me just quickly change the channel to something else, Who cares if this person has been exploited for 30 years

Tanya:

Yeah. And that perspective may not have even been right. They may not have even been aware of that. Because they are just watching something and it feels almost like they're in on something and they care about him maybe potentially. And they're kind of rooting for him in different scenes. so maybe they think, oh, well we're doing something good. They don't really recognize the damage that it's done and what's on TV is something that, you know. It's here for us to watch. Right? Yeah. there's, this is, this is a good thing, you know, which of course mm-hmm. Is still, still a question even now. Um, even more so, but yeah. Yeah. So that, that is a lot of psychological stuff and we probably could have even

Erin:

gone further into it, but I feel like we got a lot of the main tenants, the basic layers of it.

Tanya:

Yeah, for sure. So let us know what you think, if you've watched it or if. You're, I'm, I'm curious. I was telling Erin, I'm curious if a person who's maybe gen, I don't know, gen Z, maybe Jen Alpha, I don't know, you youngins, if you've watched the movie or if you would watch the movie, what you'd think of it? Just because I'm curious about somebody who has grown up with social media

Erin:

And what your perspective, that's interesting too. so if you're someone whose parents have been like, oh, I'm gonna make a YouTube channel for you. or. That you've had it yourself, your whole life, how do you view this movie? It might not be as shocking, or it might be like, oh my gosh, I feel this. I feel like Truman.

Tanya:

Yeah, for sure. So yeah, it's a good movie. Check it out if you haven't. Good acting points. Some very layered, and

Erin:

I think this was the first Jim Carrey movie that people saw him not over the top, Over the top actor, comedian,'cause people, had always seen him in all his com. Yeah. Just being absurd.

Tanya:

yeah, for sure. let's move on to our challenge question. this is a scenario question. if you had the choice. To have a salary of 2 million annually. However, the catch is that you have to be willing to be live streamed 24 7 within reason. Okay. Obviously not like going to the bathroom and stuff like that, but it would involve your family and people around you for someone else's editing. You do not have control over that. For 2 million a year, Would you do that? I don't know.

Erin:

How long is the contract for?

Tanya:

Let's say it goes by, I think standard is like what, three years?

Erin:

Let's say? Three years? I guess it would have to be a conversation with the family and just let'em know, like you can hide out in the your bathroom like, you know, because they can't film you in the bathroom. But I don't know, it just seems like it's not just me and it would be anyone. So it'd be like my own reality show. So I'd have a camera following me all the time. It'd probably be very invasive and annoying for anyone around me. 2 million a year would be really nice though. I don't know, having like a little ethical issue right now, trying to figure it out because I wanna say yes, but I also don't wanna be followed 24 hours a day because I like my alone time and also don't want my family or. oh, so that would mean as a therapist, my clients would get videoed

Tanya:

that could probably, let's just say for this, that would, or maybe I wouldn't be to

Erin:

be same one. Right. I'd be making 2 million a year. Maybe you'd be on pause. So they'd just video me sitting at a beach for two years?

Tanya:

don't know. I,

Erin:

yeah, kinda wanna say yes, but, I'd have to like add like. Change the, contract a little bit? kids don't have to be in it, and maybe that would make it less than a 2 million. And then I would need to have, besides just going to the bathroom, I would need to have like other breaks. Like I would wanna have some, I'd like to have.

Tanya:

This is just such a crappy question. I do like how you're kind of like, well, maybe this, maybe like that. Because I like to be able to be like, okay, you're doing a lot of thought.

Erin:

I see that you're trying to escape from people, or you're just taking a nap, or you're doing gardening or something, we'll leave you alone. you get two hours or three hours a day that we just don't have the. Camera on.

Tanya:

I think this is just what I know from watching documentaries about old reality shows. they kind of build in, you have to have certain, Entertaining moments. you kind of have to ensure that those happen. in this hypothetical, It would probably be built in there somewhere. to be like, Hey, you have to have something controversial. So you have to do like, something like that. Have to fake fight or something.'cause Yeah, I'm, that's what all

Erin:

of, like the real world, the first ones were always like, oh, we hate all our roommates, but maybe they didn't really hate everybody.

Tanya:

Yeah. that would probably be an element of it too. but. it sounds like, if those stipulations were in there, that, I mean, that might be something it's only consider a two year

Erin:

Why not then make, then I'd have 4 million.

Tanya:

Yeah. It is a lot. It is a lot. I just don't think I could do it. I just don't. I very much need privacy. Yeah. I don't like people watch with your social anxiety too, that

Erin:

would be like your nightmare.

Tanya:

Yeah. It really is. I absolutely can't Without having time alone I would be agitated and. Nerve wracked just time to be in my House. With just my people. you know, my husband and my dog, I also do not have the consideration of having children, I understand that's a tough one, but, yeah, yeah. it's a tough question because we need money I think I'd rather Get the$10 million,

Erin:

doing like a Beast Games type of thing, or survivor, you know. So it's just like you're inconvenience For like a month and then you get it.

Tanya:

That's a good one. maybe I should have given an option in that. I was just thinking of that. I'd rather be on Survivor. Survivor, I would do Survivor The kids always say like,

Erin:

you should join Survivor. I'd rather be on Survivor, a coconut only, you know,'cause it's a lot of coconut that they eat every day. I think I'd rather do Survivor or do some kind of challenge type of game. And win. and then that's it.

Tanya:

I like that adding that in as an option. I think that's a better question. Yeah. Let's go with that. same. I'd rather do a challenge. Like I would go for it in a challenge, but having you be in my face about my weird private life. No, thank you. Well, and also that, that also I didn't, and also like not only interrupting the

Erin:

family and the kids, but my pets, like I have a dog and three cats. They wouldn't wanna have a camera in their face either, and then they'd have to record all the cats throwing up all the time. You know, like, come on. Yeah.

Tanya:

My Lucy would not Paige, she would just run and hide. She'd like it for a little bit.

Erin:

be like, people are here to visit, and then she'd be like, oh my gosh, they haven't left.

Tanya:

We need our privacy time. She tries to kick them out. So that is my very, okay. Muddled question that I then altered. Because Erin offered a better alternative to it. So you all think about that and what your answer would be basically. Would you? I'd so much rather do bees games or Survivor than I think

Erin:

If I was in super good shape, like the Ninja Warrior, some competition or something. Oh yeah. No, I could not hang, I would probably lose off of the first challenge. That's because it's usually something jumping and then holding onto something for a second, and I'd be like, goodbye back into the water because I don't have grip strength or I can't do a pull up or anything like that. no arm strength.

Tanya:

Yeah. Yeah. I don't, I mean, I'm trying to get it, I've been trying to workout lately swimmer, but maybe don't have it one day. Yeah, but, so that's our question. you all think about that, although you probably thought about game shows and things like that. I just thought it was an interesting tie in to think about we record most of our lives, or a lot of people think they do, but you don't really record. You Might not want it recorded if it weren't in your control. You know what I mean? Without your say in the editing, that might be kind of tough. But yeah. So make sure you, like and subscribe. We are available on all socials and on YouTube. You will notice in the last 10 minutes of this, my camera just stopped working. I got some issues going on, but that's cool. let us know what you think. Give us a five star rating. Tell everybody about us. We would love that. Let us know if you have any questions, ideas for future shows. Always very receptive to our side. I think the next one we're recording after this is office space. Office space. Oh, I gotta refresh myself on that, but that's a good one. So we're still off the atom. Yeah. Track. I am still, but I'm still trying. Don't refresh. we already planned

Erin:

our Halloween. I'm still trying to convince Tanya to do Nikki for one of our Halloween ones. I really think little Nikki, I think it's HI. I would like to hear from the audience. It is Little Nikki, a Halloween show.'cause we're maybe doing Hubby Halloween for one, but I still think little Nikki counts as Halloween. Tanya thinks, I definitely think it counts as Halloween. I just, can't remember it so long ago. I just remember it was like,

Tanya:

you know what? I will do it because. it's something that, you know. Yeah. I just think if you wanna do it, and I watch horrible movies all the time. and who knows, maybe I'll think differently'cause I haven't seen it in a while. I'm putting it in my book. Okay. All right. I agree. Won't believe you.

Erin:

so it's after, well, we have it on recording when, Tanya's like, I don't even know why we're doing this movie. Yep. I didn't agree to this.

Tanya:

And you're like, yes, you did. You rewind and you show me. Yep. I did it. I did it. So it's a verbal time because we gotta get back, back on it. Back on

Erin:

the Adam. Adam. Alright guys.

Tanya:

Yeah. Adam train will always be there, All right guys. you take care and let us know if, you wanna add anything or forgot about anything, we love hearing from you

Erin:

All right, everyone, have a great week. I think that's it. don't forget, stay wicked and keep your mind well. All right. Have a great week. Bye. Bye guys.

Thanks so much for listening today to the Wicked Psychotherapist Podcast. Be sure to like and follow us on Apple, Spotify, and Amazon, or wherever else you listen to your podcasts.

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Erin

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Tanya Santos

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