Why would someone fake an illness? Here's an even better question: Why would someone repeatedly make themselves sick? Join Josh and Chuck as they separate the facts from fiction and give you the scoop on Munchausen syndrome.
AI Summary
Josh and Chuck dive into the strange world of Munchausen syndrome, where perfectly healthy people fake illnesses or actually harm themselves to get medical attention and sympathy. They explore both the traditional version and the more disturbing "Munchausen by proxy," where caregivers make their dependents sick, discussing everything from the historical origins to controversial cases and the challenges doctors face in identifying these deceptive patients. The episode also features a very special surprise ending involving a listener's marriage proposal that you won't want to miss!
Arrested Development
2003
★ 7.9
"like maybe from Arrested Development, which had that alter ego who was wheelchair bound — Josh references a character from this show who faked being wheelchair bound to illustrate malingering behavior."
— Josh
Bullet Train
2022
2h 6m
★ 7.4
"But like heating up your thermometer. Right. Tampering with stuff like Henry and ET. — Josh references the scene where Elliott fakes being sick by heating his thermometer to stay home with ET."
— Josh
Fight Club
1999
2h 19m
★ 8.4
"Remember the insurance Ed Norton and Helena Bonham Carter visit support groups for illnesses — Chuck compares Munchausen syndrome to characters in Fight Club who visit support groups for attention."
— Chuck
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
2006
1h 35m
★ 5.1
"From the Adventures of Baron Munchausen to Super Mom. My super ex-girlfriend. — Josh mentions this Uma Thurman movie while discussing her career progression."
— Josh
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
1988
2h 6m
★ 7.0
"And then Terry Gilliam got ahold of them. Well, you of course will be remiss without saying that former Monty Python alum made that great movie. — Chuck mentions this Terry Gilliam film about Baron Munchausen, the historical figure the syndrome is named after."
— Chuck
"Have you seen the television show The OC? — Josh asks Chuck about this show because Misha Barton starred in both The OC and The Sixth Sense."
— Josh
The Sixth Sense
1999
1h 47m
★ 7.9
"Have you seen the movie The Sixth Sense? — Josh references this movie to discuss Misha Barton's character who was being poisoned by her mother with pine sol, relating it to Munchausen by proxy."
— Josh
"And it was on the X-Files. They investigated munchausen by proxy. — Chuck mentions that The X-Files had an episode about Munchausen by proxy, though he doesn't remember it well."
— Chuck
💬 Comments
Log in to leave a comment.