Pop Psych examines the pathology of Gollum’s mind

Ever wonder where characters like Gollum fit in that unused copy of DSM-5 that sits tauntingly on the bookshelf? Well, wonder no more. Produced by Wisecrack, a new web series plunges into the psychology of pop culture figures as a way to illustrate specific behavioral, psychological, and/or neurological issues. Pop Psych’s first episode finds host Tessa Goss drawing a psych profile of everyone’s favorite hairless, albino jewelry aficionado from The Lord Of The Rings. Looking at the way Smeagol/Gollum fixates on his precious, it’s not a far jump to see that the creature suffers from substance induced obsessive compulsive disorder. Goss goes on to explain what OCD is, how it manifests, and how this can be seen in Tolkien’s creation (even before there was an understanding of what OCD really is).