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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Emme on June 21, 2004, at 8:32:45
I was watching the Sunday night rerun of The Practice. Normally I like the show. But in the episode last night a woman kidnapped the head of CBS and held him and Jimmy hostage in a hotel room. She had an elaborate plan to play Russian roulette on the CBS guy, had a small cannon pointed at him, and said she had the doors and windows rigged with explosives. She wanted the networks to cover the Russian roulette as a form of warped reality TV and to wire several million dollars to an overseas account. And wanted Jimmy and the rest of the firm to negotiate the deal.
The said she was bipolar.
So....once again, the mentally ill are portrayed by a network show as criminally insane. And anyone who doesn't know much about it will think all people with bipolar disorder are a menace to society by definition. sigh.
Posted by Susan J on June 21, 2004, at 8:54:34
In reply to The Practice, posted by Emme on June 21, 2004, at 8:32:45
I totally agree with you.
You know, I don't know much about mental illness other than depression, but I would think a person has to be sociopathic/psychopathic to actually want to mentally/physically torture another individual like that.
The TV show's portrayal of that woman as bipolar is a huge disservice to everyone. It tries to explain something extremely complex in an inadequately simplistic way. And you're right. More than a few viewers would simply equate bipolar disorder with some weirdo kidnapper chick.
Posted by justyourlaugh on June 21, 2004, at 9:13:34
In reply to Re: The Practice » Emme, posted by Susan J on June 21, 2004, at 8:54:34
in one show the kids were looking for a ride because the driver was in bed over a relationship break up...the mother said "she was crazy"
daughter replied "no she is bi polar"
and mother came back with "yah ,that's what i said , she's crazy"
and what about the "er" shows with ...drawing a blank here...abby's bipolar mom and brother?
we need more shows depicting mentally ill persons holding down jobs, being good parents, adding to society and being strong.
jyl
Posted by Emme on June 21, 2004, at 20:50:31
In reply to still standing.., posted by justyourlaugh on June 21, 2004, at 9:13:34
>
> and what about the "er" shows with ...drawing a blank here...abby's bipolar mom and brother?I never did see those episodes. Were they really off-base?
> we need more shows depicting mentally ill persons holding down jobs, being good parents, adding to society and being strong.
Yeah, I fully agree. Even shows that try to be compassionate still perpetuate misconceptions. On 7th Heaven there was one character - a mother had been depressed for months to the point of being unable to move or talk - who recovered in about 10 minutes after her son said some wise and comforting things. The son had attempted suicide and made a great recovery. But they'd have you believe that the *only* thing that caused such a severe illness was his father's death and him letting it get the better of him. Not that the death of a loved one isn't traumatic and couldn't trigger a depression, but, well, they just made it so oversimplified as to be unrealistic.
So yeah, how about shows that include everyday people with mental illness who are contributing to society and do it in a *realistic* way.
Okay, rant over.
This is the end of the thread.
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