Mental Health in TV & Film: Yikes! From 'Psycho' to '13 Reasons Why'

The Popculty Podcast

With the pandemic wreaking havoc on our collective sanity, what better time to talk about mental health representation in media! Licensed Social Worker and friend of the show Megan Wykhuis is back to lay out the Seven Big Bad Mental Illness Tropes that movies/TV just can't get enough of. Then we go hard on some classic but problematic faves, Hollywood's misguided obsession with "crazy"/violent white men, and the most irresponsible show ever to air (can you guess?)!
Next time, for contrast, we'll rave about our favorite *positive* portrayals of mental illness (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend! The Magicians! My Mad Fat Diary!) and debate a few that are...er, complicated.
What are some of your favorite shows/movies/characters dealing with mental illness or addiction? Let me know and we might share your thoughts in the next episode! Tweet @popculty, or send a voice memo/email to [e-mail].
CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of mental illness throughout, some discussion of addiction (~00:40:30 - 00:46:30), brief mentions of sexual assault, brief mentions of mass/school shootings, moderate-heavy discussion of suicide/self-harm (~00:57:30 - 01:10:00).
If you are in crisis, please reach out to one of the support organizations below:

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) helpline: 800-950-NAMI
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network) Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-HOPE
• SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP

References:

• From 'Split' to 'Psycho': Why Cinema Fails Dissociative Identity Disorder - The Guardian
• Mind Over Pop Culture: 'Fatal Attraction' - Mental Health America
• Glenn Close Regrets How 'Fatal Attraction' Portrayed Mental Illness - The Mercury News
• Release of '13 Reasons Why' Associated with Increase in Youth Suicide Rates - NIH (National Institutes of Health)

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1. Welcome back! (00:00:00)

2. One year of pandemic stress on our mental health (00:00:26)

3. Meet our guest: Megan Wykhuis, LSW (00:02:36)

4. Content/trigger warnings (00:04:26)

5. The 7 Big Bad Mental Illness Tropes (00:05:41)

6. Trope #1: "Mentally ill people are violent" (00:06:04)

7. Trope #2: Othered by their appearance (00:08:45)

8. Trope #3: "All mental illnesses are severe" (00:09:54)

9. Trope #4: No recovery (00:13:21)

10. Trope #5: Therapists are a joke (00:15:48)

11. Trope #6: Mental hospitals are "evil" places (00:20:16)

12. Trope #7: "Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps!" (00:22:06)

13. A Timeline of Problematic Mental Health Representation (00:24:34)

14. Psycho (1960): Dissociative Identity Disorder (00:25:09)

15. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) (00:28:15)

16. The Shining (1980) (00:30:50)

17. Fatal Attraction (1987): Borderline Personality Disorder (00:34:01)

18. Requiem for a Dream (2000): Addiction (00:38:11)

19. Monk (2002-2009): Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (00:48:35)

20. PSA: Check your language (00:53:20)

21. Is it okay to use the word "crazy"? (00:54:22)

22. '13 Reasons Why' This is the Most Irresponsible Show Ever Made (00:56:26)

23. Observations on Race and Gender: Sooo Many (Mentally Ill) White Guys (01:10:50)

24. Next time/Credits (01:13:52)