Matthew Vick Social Psychology 10/18/10 Writing Assignment #1: Always Sunny in Philadelphia Episode: Season 5, episode 3 The

e Gang Hits the Road The scene depicts the gang preparing to leave Philadelphia on a road trip bound for the Grand Canyon. Dee has just bought a new car, and offers to hitch the trailer to it and drive while the rest of the men drink beer. Dee quickly tires of being the only sober one in the car, and opts to pick up a young hitchhiker they pass whilst driving out of the city, so he may take over the driving responsibility. The young man strikes up conversation with the group, engaging each of them in a friendly and respectful dialogue. On the side, Dennis leans forward and tells Dee that she should really never pick up hitchhikers on account of their reputation as serial killers and unsavory characters. The hitchhiker, after hours of drunken haranguing at the hands of the gang, eventually steals the car and leaves the gang back at the bar, unharmed. This scene is a good example of stereotyping (ultimately a self-perpetuating one). Through lack of trust and poor treatment at the hands of the gang, despite the young hitchhikers pleasant disposition, the audience is led to believe that his end decision was made under-duress, and was a crime of opportunity rather than premeditation. The beliefs regarding the danger of hitchhikers are part of the publics cognitive framework because it is knowledge based. While not all hitchhikers are criminals, the nature of the method does lend itself to use from that element. The heuristic-type thought that makes this scene relatable to a broad audience makes it a strong example of this principle of social psychology. Elements of prejudice and discrimination (the negative affect and resultant behavior against hitchhikers) are also present in this scene. The second scene takes place concurrently with the situation described above. Mac, Dennis, Charlie and Frank have gotten into the trailer and begun to drink, while Dee remains in car with the driver. The conversation goes back to the safety of having a hitchhiker in the car, not to mention driving them. At which point, Mac, true to his characters hubris begins to talk about how he has been protecting them all along. He claims that every time the group enters into a potentially dangerous situation, that he goes through a 3-part checklist assessing the relative danger. He then claims to have cleared the hitchhiker, so everyone should rest easy. This is viewed as delusional not only to the audience, but to the other characters to some degree. This fact is brought home when they discover the car has been stolen. The psychological principle on display here is Macs misinformed self-concept as a bad ass. He has built up a multi-schematic image of himself as a strong, brave protector type. He thinks of himself as being far more adept at self-defense and physical prowess than he actually is. This self-concept is largely in image alone, as he has never really demonstrated his worth in these terms throughout the entire show: meaning that

Bems self-perception theory is not at work here. His self-concept is informed almost exclusively by aspirations and attitudes rather than a composite of past action. It is obvious that he believes what he says to be true, and so this scene is an example of both self-schemas and self-concept at work.