[Amazonmom]

That show made me mad tonight. I deleted the rest of my post.

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by Amazonmom

That show made me mad tonight. I deleted the rest of my post.

I was just about to post something on this WTF! For others that didn't see the episode Gwyneth Paltrow's character plays a substitute teacher and near the end of the show Paltrow's character dons Civil War period garb for a history lecture on Mary Todd Lincoln. She then proceeds to say the following, “Hi, I’m Mary Todd Lincoln. My husband was probably gay, and I had bipolar disorder, so it was normal for me to say things like ‘That teapot is spreading lies about me!’ and ‘This can’t be my baby because I don’t love it,’” before mock-tossing an invisible baby over her shoulder. She is interrupted by another teacher and she tells the students to “practice their bipolar rants.”

I was never a Glee fan anyways, but I was disgusted by their comments on tonight's show.

[sundog]

Whoa. That's really bad......

[sugahorse1]

ignorance! But it can be so hurtful. I'm glad I didn't see this, as I can guarantee it would have been a trigger for me

[MissingMyOldSelf]

WOW! I have never seen the show, since I work nights, and I don't have a DVR, but now, I'm really glad I never got into it. That was insanely wrong on many different levels!!!! Saying stuff like that for a "comedy??" That's just not right.

[Eloise42]

In general I so wish the term "bipolar" hadn't entered the mainstream vocabulary because their crap definition certainly isn't doing us any favors.

[venusss]

Ah, glee outdumbed themself!

What is the appeal of it? Butchering great music song by song and being stupid?

[MissingMyOldSelf]

Exactly, Venus!! if I wanted to hear songs being butchered, I would go to a bar and listen to drunk people sing karaoke. It might be a bit more entertaining than Glee!!!

[laur88]

Well, personally I like Glee because it's just fun to watch but yes, last night's comment was absurd and insensitive... Obviously they don't know what bipolar is. Jerks. I was watching it with a group of people and I actually yelled at the tv (whoops). What made me feel better was that before I even yelled, someone (who I'm pretty sure is not bipolar) said "that's not bipolar!" So at least my friends know better...

[kitty004567]

Oh man.. I don't watch when GLEE's on I wait for the season to come out on dvd and buy it. Usually they're so good at handling sensitive topics. I can't believe they made a blunder this big (not that I don't believe you guys... I just don't understand).

[saywhat?]

I KNEW there was something evil about that show.....
Anything with that many smiling and singing teenagers can't be good!

http://glee.community.fox.com/go/thr...ort_order=DESC

[laur88]

Actually sent them an email. If you would like to do so do send it to AskFox@fox.com

!!!!!!!! I've never seen it (don't have tv). That goes waaaaay over the ignorance line! It's one thing to hear something ignorant, but let's face it. There are a lot of people involved in making a tv show. That no one realized, spoke up (or was ignored) is nearly incomprehensible!

Originally Posted by Eloise42

In general I so wish the term "bipolar" hadn't entered the mainstream vocabulary because their crap definition certainly isn't doing us any favors.

I could not possibly agree more. I hate the way sooooo many psychological terms are casually tossed around by people who have no freaking clue what they even mean.

Originally Posted by laur88

... I was watching it with a group of people and I actually yelled at the tv (whoops). What made me feel better was that before I even yelled, someone (who I'm pretty sure is not bipolar) said "that's not bipolar!" So at least my friends know better...

I totally would have yelled at the tv upon seeing something this outrageous. It is absolutely impossible for me to refrain from saying something when psych stuff is inappropriately portrayed (right down the the ignorant use of a single word, yup). Just ask my BF ("shhh, hon, I know...") I'm glad your friends know better!

(It's exceptionally rare for me to comment on things I haven't seen, but in this case I can't help but see it as a particularly egregious example of a widespread issue, you know?)

[blueoctober]

Thanks for posting that link Byzantine.

[blueoctober]

Here is my post that I put on Fox's Glee page:

I have bipolar and have made the decision to be open about my diagnosis in my personal and work life. Part of the reason people choose not to disclose their diagnosis is because of the social stigma that surrounds it. I feel this episode of Glee was irresponsible and offensive. The following is from www.miaw.ca (Mental Illness Awareness Week):

Aside from being personally painful, stigma is dangerous.

1. It prevents people from asking for help in the first place.

2. It leads to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness-when in fact people can and do recover from mental illness

3. It impedes investment in necessary mental health services research as governments and granting bodies ignore the most important area of population health

I hope the show's producers, writers and actors address these concerns in an upcoming episode.

[Mac Murphy]

Originally Posted by kitty004567

Oh man.. I don't watch when GLEE's on I wait for the season to come out on dvd and buy it. Usually they're so good at handling sensitive topics. I can't believe they made a blunder this big (not that I don't believe you guys... I just don't understand).

I gave up on Glee this year because they have been awful about so many topics. This was just one of many insensitive jokes that they do that offend a different cross section of the population every week.

How many people laughed at Finn praying to "grilled Cheesus?" I found that incredibly offensive and turned off the show. They callously ridicule people in their own version of Revenge of the Nerds. Don't get me wrong, I love the arts, but Glee is too far over the top for this bipolar guy. It offends me on too many levels.

[Amazonmom]

I am both Christian and Bipolar so I bet Glee would need two episodes to finish ridiculing me.

Usually the show stays away from cheap shot jokes like that, or makes the joke so ridiculous nobody takes it seriously.

They really are setting the show up for poor Kurt to get the h*** beat out of him by the bully. I hope not...

[stinkymojo]

LOL I kinda thought it was funny! She was being silly and I never thought twice about it. I love Glee and I have a twisted sense of humor. I mean, I'm bipolar too, but sheesh, I gotta laugh at myself for some of the antics I'm capable of.

By the way, she seemed a little bipolar herself with her little manic episodes!

[Amazonmom]

Originally Posted by stinkymojo

LOL I kinda thought it was funny! She was being silly and I never thought twice about it. I love Glee and I have a twisted sense of humor. I mean, I'm bipolar too, but sheesh, I gotta laugh at myself for some of the antics I'm capable of.

By the way, she seemed a little bipolar herself with her little manic episodes!

i guess it hit me harder because of the stereotype that bipolar women will hurt babies/kids. My coworkers gossip about mothers on meds and I am afraid of what will happen if they find out I am crazy. My worst fear is that some provider will think "andrea Yates" and I will never see my daughter again. Or be allowed to work with kids.

I probably won't formally complain but the show has pet causes (gay,fat,etc) then mentally ill people are the freaks lol. I think all the characters need meds! Lol

[kj44]

I watched it, it was VERY crude! I think I'm going to send a rude e-mail!

[PT52]

Well, I'm in the minority, but I guess I'll put my two cents worth in...

"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" Evelyn Beatrice Hall

I love GLEE, the singing, dancing, silly plots and ridiculously un-PC humor. In fact, Sue Sylvester is my absolute favorite character and a perfect role for Jane Lynch, whose work I have always loved. "Best in Show" was my favorite before GLEE. The only time I was really offended was when they did theme episodes on Madonna, Lady GaGa and Brittney Spears! And that's because I don't like their music..

And to be honest, I thought the grilled cheesus episode was hilarious.

I think that Sue Sylvester is the Archie Bunker of this generation. She is irreverent to just about any demographic imaginable, from advocating the return of caning as a discipline to banning tater tots...which was much more entertaining than Gwyneth Paltrow. But the real lesson in this comes from the over-the-top humor of the show; it makes it so obvious how ridiculous that kind of thinking is.

If you look at the person of Jane Lynch, who plays that character so well, she's gay and has no problem laughing at herself. I think what I've learned from her personal life is to be able to laugh at myself once in a while and to trust that most people will understand the serious lesson inside the cringe-worthy humor.

[Girl Named Tennesse]

It's not just Glee itself. There's a lot of shows that like to pick fun at things like mental illness and homosexuality. It's not fair, but unfortunately I think we just have to learn to get used to it. Not everyone is going to realize things like bipolar disorder aren't funny or things to joke about, but we can't let it get to us. We have to learn to ignore comments like that, even though it's difficult when they're made. Personally I think that Glee is a pretty wholesome show and they don't do that kind of thing very often, but I'm not surprised that they slipped up. Almost every show does that once in awhile.

[blueoctober]

Originally Posted by Girl Named Tennesse

It's not fair, but unfortunately I think we just have to learn to get used to it. Not everyone is going to realize things like bipolar disorder aren't funny or things to joke about, but we can't let it get to us.

I agree GNT, but on the flip side of it if I don't speak up I feel that I'm not honoring my feelings. I'm open about my diagnosis at work and I have educated my co-workers when they have said insensitive things about mental illness. I do the same thing when they make racist comments. I'm not abusive, but just being matter of fact about it.

I wrote a blog on the subject of BP and stigma: http://blueoctober.psychcentral.net/category/stigma/