Dr Disney (Lesson Two: Alienation)
Title: Dr. Disney
Rating: NC-17
Summary: My job requires me to be distant from my patients, but these are just kids. They’re trapped by the monarchy of what we call, the House of Mouse.
Disclaimer: I am in no way, The Mouse and I do not own the heart, soul, bodies, or minds of any of the Disney family.
Lesson Two: Alienation
In-group: members who share a sense of identity and that typically excludes and devalues outsiders (For example high school cliques)
Out-group: People who are viewed and treated negatively because they are seen as having values, beliefs, and other characteristics different from those of the in-group. Out-group members are usually aware of being outsiders. (The “social rejects” in high school)
Alienation: a feeling of isolation, meaninglessness, and powerlessness.
Patient: Jennifer Stone
Session 23
Overweight people are often viewed by others as lazy, sloppy, unmotivated, and undisciplined. Many overweight people have internalized such negative attitudes and see themselves as part of an out-group. This is Jennifer’s mindset. Ever since she booked Wizards of Waverly Place, she has been compared to Selena. And though they are friends, friends still can get jealous of one another. Jen and Sel may seem like the “perfect sisters” in the “Wizards family” but when the cameras turn off, Selena’s the one in the spotlight, and Jen is forgotten in the background. Not that Selena tries to steal it of course, but she’s just the main character. She gets more screen time. She gets more attention. Easy math. A=B, B=C, therefore A=C.
“Selena is naturally thin. She’s smarter and prettier than me. Everybody cheers for her the loudest when we take our curtain call bows” Jen would tell me. The thing about Jennifer is, though, that she is confident when she’s alone, but once Selena steps into the picture, she automatically backs herself into the distance. It’s almost as if she assumes the role of Harper Finkle outside of the work place. If Alex is walking, Harper better be a few steps behind her, so as to not steal her limelight.
She rejected another invitation from the other Disney cast members today. Why? It was a lunch date and Jen’s been trying to cut back on her eating habits. Disney, of course, approves of the idea, seeing as it promotes “healthy dieting.” What The Mouse is hiding is the fact that Jen’s diet is nowhere near a healthy diet. Unless you consider scarfing down food, just so you can throw it all back up, healthy. When she’s Harper, at least her obnoxious clothes distract the viewers from her slightly visible muffin top. It’s shrunken in size since season 3. When she's Jennifer, she has nothing to hide behind. No mask to wear.
I look back at her. Her hands are shaking and she’s eying up my lunch bag.
“You haven’t eaten today have you?” I ask her. Not that I need an answer. I already know she hasn’t. It’s 3 pm. I ate my sandwich hours ago, but I saved a pack of peanut butter crackers for a snack. I walk over and hand them to her. I know there was no point in giving them to her though. They would be in the toilet within a few hours. Probably sooner. Most likely, once this session is over.
I tell her she needs to start eating more, that she doesn’t need to starve herself, just consume fewer calories. “Eating nothing is only going to hurt you.” I advise. But we both know, it’s not the weight that really hurts. It’s The Mouse. She’s comparing herself to Selena not because she hates her costar, but because the viewers do it. And because the viewers express their disapproval, The Mouse needs to make sure that their customers are satisfied. So they pressure a perfectly healthy teenage girl to lose almost 20% of her body weight. Multi-billion dollar corporation vs. measly teenage girl: who will win? Obviously the corporation, leaving the powerless girl feeling worthless.
“Nobody likes a ‘second best’” She complained.
“Nobody’s perfect.” I said, mentally kicking myself for resorting to another Disney cliché. “There has to be something you’re good at.”
“Nothing that Selena can’t do better.” She countered. “I’m nothing to Disney.”
Stage one: Frustration
Stage two: Self pity
Stage three: Anger
She hasn’t hit it yet, but she’s almost there. Stage four: alienation
Of course, there is no reason that anybody in the Disney family should feel alienated from other members of the Disney family. That is to say, the entire Disney family in itself is an out-group of society. These kids are part of an out-cast group from other kids their age. How many teens can say they make over $30,000 a year? Fly to another country every other month? Tour the country and be showered with gifts at every stop? Have millions of people follow their every tweet, worshiping them just for breathing the same air. What makes them so different? I’ll tell you what, Disney. The Mouse markets these kids like they’re some type of investment, rather than people. But these kids, they’re all deprived. The longer they’ve been here, the less they remember of reality. I can safely say that if you were to put these kids back in a social setting, they would be the ones hiding in the locker room during all hours of the school day.
She continues to rant about being second to Demi and Taylor in Selena’s friendship circle; that she feels like Selena is just using her to make Demi jealous. The world of Selena Gomez is the in-group and the ground she walks all over is Jennifer’s world of the out-group.
“Selena and I get along” she insists. “I just wish that we were closer, like her and Demi. Or at least, closer than she is with Taylor.” I nod and write down more of her ramble. Little does she know, I’ve heard this story multiple times.
“I don’t understand why she bothers with Taylor. She’s just using her to make Demi jealous. But I don’t get why. She’s the one who told Demi they should split. Not that it was an official break up, but everybody knows that they aren’t speaking anymore.” Her hands are flying rapidly as she explains.
“And why exactly did they break up?” I ask.