Implicit mental illness

[arctowardthesun]

What do people think about the portrayal of characters that seem to have a mental illness that is never actually described or talked about?

Comments

[lovefromgirl]

You know, when I saw the SGU tag, I thought immediately of Greer, given what we now know about his past -- but yes! Spencer! And I was put off by that portrayal. Running out of meds =/= being teh ebil. Needing meds =/= same. I wouldn't survive very long on the ship, either.

(also: icon of Golden Trio gaming with Hermione as DM is made of win.)

[arctowardthesun]

I haven't seen anything since the break, it's waiting for me but i just haven't gotten around to watching it.

It's not so much as to what happened to Spencer that bugs me as how. I'm pretty sure that i read dysphoric mania is the most likely episode type to cause suicide somewhere legitimate which makes sense just from personal experience. If he had just been portrayed with some sympathy, i would have been fine with it but the way they set it up, you're just waiting for something bad to happen to him because he's an asshole.

The text is actually from this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gamers_(film) cult film.

[lovefromgirl]

Must. See. This. Film. ♥

...topic! Yes. *cough* Am very glad I did not give more details, as I'd have hated to spoil you, but it's well worth watching if you do decide to go on with the series. I'd understand if you didn't, though.

You're also far more eloquent and knowledgeable on the topic than I am, but... yes. Rings very true, what you said.

[arctowardthesun]

It's pretty much amazing. As is the second one: Dorkness Rising.

I just got distracted by other stuff, i'm still making sure that i have each episode as it comes out.

Oh man, thanks.

[frightened]

It seems like it should be possible to do it well, in that a character is obviously mentally ill and their daily struggles are realistically portrayed, but nobody makes a big deal about it and there is no fucking Very Special Episode. Maybe in some future utopia.

As it is, with stigma about mental illness the way it is, it sort of comes across like they're mining other people's problems for easy characterisation. Particularly if they then fulfil the dangerous stereotypes and meet a sticky end. And it's kind of frustrating when they are a good guy, to watch a show and constantly think "hey, is that character like me?" and never have it confirmed, presumably because the writers are too chicken.

[pandorasblog]

As it is, with stigma about mental illness the way it is, it sort of comes across like they're mining other people's problems for easy characterisation.

Yeah, I really dislike that tendency in a lot of TV and film writing. It's like mental illness, implied or explicit, is a pre-packaged tool for adding more darkity-darkness, with no sense of responsibility for what is depicted. I don't know the SGU myself but I've seen it in so many other places it's a struggle to pick just one.

Mod popping in

[elettaria]

Put in a spoiler warning, hon! I'd just put "Spoiler for Stargate Universe [season and episode number]" for the LJ-cut text myself.

I could never get into SGU myself, though I saw enough not to be surprised by what you report. It was falling over itself trying to be Dark and Deep, and there was a reality TV-ish "let's see how nasty people get when cooped up in a dangerous and despairing situation" air that I really didn't like.

Re: Mod popping in

[arctowardthesun]

Doing it now! Sorry.

Well, the running out of meds aspect could have been really interesting, unfortunately they chose a really bad way of bringing it up.