STIGMA IS A PIGEONHOLE

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According to Google, to pigeonhole someone or something means to unfairly classify,

categorize, or label them into a narrow, restrictive group, often ignoring their full

complexity or potential. It frequently implies an oversimplification or stereotypical judgment. Isn’t that exactly what society has done to those who are seriously mentally ill?

Getting right to the point, I sincerely believe that if we can get enough attention and interest and prove that there is an audience, we could lobby and convince media producers to make a movie or TV series about the lives of those who live with serious mental illness, resulting in greatly reducing the terrible stigma that haunts them. Please read about my point of view and see if you agree.

Here is where you can become our hero. We’re hoping to spread the word that our friends with serious mental illness are decent and interesting folks with a disability, in need of the same kind of support and empathy offered to those who are victims of any other kind of ailment. At the same time we aspire to convince TV and movie producers that a series or a movie would certainly improve the public perception of those who suffer from mental illness. If their day to day life struggles could be portrayed as they actually are, it might awaken some empathy from the masses. Not just in a supportive situation like, Housing With Help, but shown where they came from when they were, broke, homeless and abandoned. Perhaps episodes showing rejection by friends and family, even to the extreme like some of our residents who had a memo in their file that read “Family has requested that we not contact them unless he/she dies.”

Stigma toward mentally ill is a shameful part of our culture, but here are some examples of how entertainment media can influence our culture and turn attitudes around.

After the very unpopular war in Vietnam, the veterans were seriously looked down upon,

insulted, shunned, and even spat upon. The movie and TV series M*A*S*H, along with Band of Brothers and Saving Private Ryan, thoroughly changed perception, and today the military is almost revered so that when learning that someone is a veteran, we thank them for their service as it should be.

Everyone knows what people used to think about nerds, but then along came "The Big Bang Theory" and suddenly they're hip.

“The Jeffersons” showed that the American Dream is available to all, regardless of skin color, and exposed the racist as a fool.

Remember what the mini-series, Roots, did for race relations? It's all about communicating the history that's pertinent but not taught in school.

The series, The Love Boat, introduced the middle class to cruising, creating a boom for that industry that extended even to the shipbuilding industry.

Sometimes, the exposure doesn’t need to be years long. Who can forget the wonderful,

positive effect “Rain Man” had on the perception of autism?

Even as long ago as 1946, “The Adventures of Superman” radio serial exposed a version of

the KKK to about 3.5 million children, bringing much praise to the producers of the program and humiliating the Klan. The Klan's immature and silly handshakes, passwords, and other rituals were all exposed and made fun of, resulting in a severe loss in Klan membership, and it continues to drop to this day. Check out the book, “Superman Versus the Ku Klux Klan: The True Story of How the Iconic Superhero Battled the Men of Hate” by Richard Bowers. It was also shown on “The Way I Heard It”, with Mike Rowe.

Another old one, the 1850s book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, profoundly affected the country

by fueling the abolitionist movement in the North and increasing sectional tensions that

contributed to the Civil War. The novel's emotional narrative portrayed the brutalities of

slavery, which many in the North saw as truthful, while the South condemned it as a false andexaggerated attack on their way of life. Its lasting impact also includes shaping discussions on race, morality, and civil rights, which continue today.

Of course, persistent media exposure can have the reverse effect. What else could turn the morals and highlighted criminal activity in “The Godfather” and “The Sopranos” into being accepted as "cool"?

Jonathan Roumie, the actor portraying Jesus in The Chosen shares how the series has

profoundly impacted viewers, including atheists who found faith after watching.

So, it is obvious that persistent media exposure and messaging has the power to shape

people’s thinking, good or bad. A great conversation starter would be, "Can you think of even more examples?"

Those of us who are advocates as well can use the power of the media for the benefit of the seriously mentally ill.

Please contact me if you would be interested in exploring some kind of collaborative effort that would make us all more effective. What is needed is a strong leader or an institution to take on the task of organizing a committee that will find a producer or production company willing to take on the challenge. Perhaps a petition, a barrage of letters from potential audience or a new creative idea that we can come up with. I know this is a tall order, but the pay-off would certainly be worth the effort.

My first bump in the road is that about eight years ago, I awoke one morning and discovered I had become an octogenarian (It sneaks up on you). so I have several age related physical disabilities of my own that slow me down considerably, making it impossible for me to do this alone. My only Hollywood connection is Emmy and Oscar winning writer/producer Barry Morrow, best known for his original story and screenplay for the 1988 Best Picture, Rain Man. I had sent Barry a complimentary copy of my memoir when I first wrote it and he called me about two weeks later to tell me that he and his wife, Bev (Birdie) read it, loved it and asked, would I please send two more copies and sign one’. Barry says we are kindred spirits because of our mutual caring for the mentally challenged. We have kept in touch ever since. So I’ll be talking to him to see if he can open some Hollywood doors for us.

If you wish to become a part of this effort, please contact me at any of the following methods:

Joe Apollo

josephpapollo@gmail.com

Text or Phone: 262-424-6722

www.endearingpersonalities.com