PCN107 Topic 2 Media Analysis Worksheet PDF

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PCN 107
Grade- A
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Topic 2: Media Analysis Worksheet Directions: Watch a film or television show, listen to a radio program, or read a short story with an identified main character. Answer the following questions with a minimum of 250 words each. 1. What is the name of the show/movie/story and who was the main character examined? The name of the show I examined is All American. It is a sports drama TV series that first premiered in October of 2018. It has since aired three seasons on the CW. The series itself is inspired by the life of Spencer Paysinger a professional football player who is portrayed in the series by Daniel Ezra. Spencer is the main character in the show and who I chose to examine. The basic plot of the show surrounds Spencer and his high school football team/career. The show has gone on to be nominated for several awards as well as the actors within the show. 2. Briefly describe the conflict the main character experienced, what drove the story? The show begins with Spencer playing football for his hometown’s high school, South Crenshaw High. Early in the first season he is recruited and offered a scholarship to go play at Beverly Hills High School. Spencer leaves his family and friends to go play in Beverly as it is a better choice for his future. He lives with his coach during the week so he can maintain eligibility and returns to Crenshaw on the weekends to see his mom and little brother. Spencer was raised by a single mother, so she is his motivation to reach the NFL. Spencer plays at Beverly for the first and second season but is faced with both internal and external conflict whether he should return to Crenshaw throughout the show. At the end of the first season, his dad comes back into the picture and lands the head coaching job at South Crenshaw. Spencer is left with the decision of whether he should stay at Beverly or return to Crenshaw and play for his dad. He ultimately decides to stay after winning state with Beverly. At the end of the second season, he is faced with the same conflict when his old high school is being faced with the potential change to a magnet school which would have affected his friends’ education. Additionally, his coach at Beverly that recruited him lost his coaching job, so Spencer decides to return to Crenshaw. Because of the back and forth of star-player Spencer throughout the show, there is quite the rivalry between South Crenshaw and Beverly High. To make matters worse the teams faced each other in the state championship game in season one.

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3. Using Freud’s theory, what psychodynamic structures (id, ego, and superego) were in conflict, what were the desires of each structure? e.g., A boy’s Id may want the boy to ask a girl out but his Ego might resist the urge because he could get turned down and feel hurt. The main conflict for Spencer is deciding between his school and hometown of Crenshaw versus his newfound friends and success at Beverly. In the first season Spencer’s Id wants to go to Beverly High because he wants to do well in football and Beverly could be his big break. This is driven by the pleasure principle with is aimed at gaining pleasure and reducing pain and tension (Corey, 2017). By transferring to Beverly, Spencer believes he will become a star and gain exposure as a football player; therefore, gaining pleasure as well. His ego keeps him in check as transferring to Beverly could hurt a lot of people. Such as, his high school teammates who he has played with for years, his friends he has grown up with in South Crenshaw, and his little brother who may not understand why he is leaving. Ultimately, his superego takes over and helps him make the decision to transfer. The superego represents the ideals and values of society that are handed down from parents to children; it also is concerned with whether an action is good or bad, right or wrong, and it is related to rewards of pride and self-love (Corey, 2017). Spencer’s superego helps him realize that the move to Beverly is the right move for his and his family’s future. These same psychodynamic structures act against each other when Spencer is presented with the move back to Crenshaw after his State winning season to go play for his dad. Ultimately, his ego keeps him in check here. His Id, the impulse aspect of personality, wants to go back to Crenshaw to get the experience with his dad that he was robbed of as a child. However, his ego keeps him from leaving his team that needs him and the coach that saw his potential all along. Again, at the end of season two, Spencer is prompted with another move back to Crenshaw. The same psychodynamic structures that kept him at Beverly last time are in play with this situation as well. In the end, the superego takes over once again. South Crenshaw is Spencer’s home and his coach, Billy Baker, needs a new coaching job and South Crenshaw needs a coach. Spencer’s superego allows him to see this is the best decision for himself and many that he cares about. 4. Review psychoanalytic defense mechanisms, identify and describe three defenses used by any of the characters in the show. One of the number one defense mechanisms that Spencer utilizes throughout the show is denial. Denial is a way of distorting what one is feeling and is very similar to repression (Corey, 2017). At the end of the first season Spencer is injured and his dream of playing football may be gone forever. He goes through extensive physical therapy and against his coach and therapist’s wishes he gets back on to the field too early. Even though he is not at his best, he portrays denial and continues to play, lying to his coach about how he is truly feeling. Several of the characters in the show portray the defense mechanism sublimation. Sublimation is the act of diverting sexual or aggressive energy into more socially acceptable channels (Corey, 2017). One of the most common channels that is © 2019. Grand Canyon University. All Rights Reserved.

utilized is athletic activities. Spencer and Chris are old time best friends and Chris is angry at Spencer for leaving South Crenshaw. At the end of the first season, they take out their anger at each other on the football field during the State Championship game and Chris ends up hurt. Finally, Olivia Baker, the coach’s daughter portrays behaviors of regression in the third season. Regression is the return to an earlier phase of immature and inappropriate behaviors in order to cope with severe stress or challenge (Corey, 2017). Olivia was once an alcoholic and had to go to rehab because of it. In the third season she starts drinking again to cope with her parent’s divorce, Spencer returning to Crenshaw, and a secret she is hiding from her best friend. 5. Using Adler’s Individual psychotherapy, briefly describe how feelings of inferiority may contribute to the conflict in the media observed. From a very young age we are taught to strive for superiority. For example, when we take our first steps we are often met with a cheer or a smile from our parents. Adler stresses that the recognition of inferiority and the strive for perfection are fundamental and one in the same (Corey, 2017). Spencer’s dream of becoming an NFL player and earning a scholarship to play Division I football are his striving for superiority. Without achieving these goals, he will experience those feelings of inferiority that first arose in his life when his dad left him. Spencer does whatever he can throughout the show to avoid feeling like that again. These feelings are the driving factor behind most of the choices he must make regarding his football career. He is often conflicted because he wants to do the right thing for his family and his future, but he also does not want to hurt anyone in the process and make them experience those same feelings of inferiority.

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References Corey, G. (2017). Theory and practice of counseling psychotherapy (10th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning. ISBN-13: 9781305263727

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