Media Imitates Life, Or Does It?
Let's Talk Public Health
A Public Health Communication and Marketing Resource
long dramatic sigh Anybody out there? ???? Time is flying BYE, honey.?
As public health professionals, we recognize that our work is intertwined with everything happening in the world. Between the upcoming election cycle (and its potential impact on public health), the ongoing wars and genocides, and the unjust treatment of activists at protests, encampments, and demonstrations (and the media’s portrayal of them)…2024 is feeling like more and more like some dystopian nightmare, and we recognize the toll this is taking on mental health. And coupled with personal baggage...mama, our mental health needs some TLC!
May is home to Mental Health Awareness Month — a time for recognizing and addressing the challenges people living with mental health conditions face. It’s critical to remember that mental health affects everyone differently. Clearly, a glass slipper doesn’t fit everyone! ???
Our culture, environment, and social contexts contribute to the way we experience life and how it affects us. In fact, the media we regularly consume can impact the way we view mental health and how we react to the things going on in our lives. Here are a few examples. Let’s get into it, yuh!
Now, we know what you’re thinking. “How do a bear and a pig have anything to do with mental health?” ?? Well...you may be shocked to learn that various theories identify each character with a correlating mental health condition. Pooh, who we know as a cuddly, friendly, and honey-obsessed bear, is theorized to portray co-morbidities of ADHD and OCD when analyzing his hyper-fixation over honey and repetitive behaviors. ?? Piglet, who we know as a loving, blushing, and flustered ball of cuteness, suffers from Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). From books to movies, when Piglet is in a stressful situation he can’t help his heightened anxious tendencies. ??
Whether we loved them as kids or as adults, our forest friends helped us see a piece of ourselves in them! Even if we didn’t know it then.
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You’re going to want to grab a box of tissues for this one. ?? At first, your attention naturally gravitates to the distinction between the two peole at various soccer games. ? One is visibly anxious, and the other is, well.. talkative and “normal”. In the end, only one person remains… and it’s not what you’d expect. The overarching message here: mental health can be a silent killer, especially when the signs are not the easiest to spot.
This storytelling will leave you speechless. Most importantly, campaigns like this one tap into our pathos & their messages stay with us. ??
3. Joker (2019)
The Joker has been adapted by various actors over the years; however, something about Joaquin Phoenix’s performance is worth discussing here. (Not just because he’s a #ManCrushMonday.) ?? This film portrays the Joker as an ‘inept party clown’ in a city full of crime and poverty, struggling with a mixture of personality disorders and neurological damage. Throughout the film, we see the Joker commit acts of violence — harming many.?
Although a critically acclaimed cinematic masterpiece, this film does what many films do: paints people with mental health conditions in a negative light. In 2022, out of the 3,815 characters in the 100 most popular films, only 2.1% experienced a mental health condition. The linkage between mental health and violence was the most prevalent theme in 72% of those films.?? These negative portrayals and misrepresentations can create negative attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs about people with mental health conditions. ???
Today’s takeaway: People with mental health conditions are much more often the victims of violence rather than the perpetrators. So in addition to making sure we are taking care of and looking out for our own mental health, we also need to make sure that we aren’t holding onto and perpetuating stigmatizing beliefs and biases about mental health. So please, check yo’self!
We’d love to hear from you. What films/shows/campaigns have resonated with you? Which ones have left a sour taste in your mouth? ??