Ellington

If people made fun of cancer the way they make fun of mental illness, what kind of society would we have?

Please review the newsletter below and help me get the word out. Thanks!

NAMI StigmaBuster Alert: January 13, 2006

Contact: [e-mail missing]

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Special Alert

ABC-TV's new comedy show, Crumbs premiered Thursday, January 12, 2006. Urgent action is needed before the next episode on January 19. The first part of this alert describes the stigmatizing aspects of the show. The second part lists the names of companies that had commercial advertisements run during the show's time slot. Please send them messages before January 19 to protest their support of stigma..

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Crumbs Is Crummy

First the good news.

Critics gave the premiere of ABC-TV's new comedy show Crumbs on Thursday January 12 crummy reviews. The writing and acting was so bad that some predict that the show won't last more than two or three episodes.

The bad news is that from a stigma perspective, the show was worse than NAMI anticipated. If the show remains on the air without major changes, the impact will be severe.

In the premiere, Mother Crumb (Jane Curtin) comes home from a psychiatric hospital, following a "nervous breakdown" in which she tried to run her husband down with her car, followed by a suicide attempt, after a divorce that followed the death of one of their three sons. Apparently based on the true story of the producer's family, the show is saturated with stereotypes, offensive language, and trivialization of serious issues.

Violence

Mother Crumb is portrayed with a propensity for violence that is used as a vehicle for canned laughter.
In addition to references of the attempt to kill her ex-husband (William Devane), she erupts in a supermarket, knocking down stacks of cans with sweeps of her arms.
She holds Devane at gunpoint (it turns out to be cigarette lighter), while he observes, "Alright, you're obviously feeling some anger."
Coming home, she decides to cook a chicken for her son, saying "I haven't been around knives in awhile."

Treatment

In the opening scene, Mother Crumb says about her discharge: "I could go home on Thursday, but the schizophrenics are performing Grease. There's only two of them, but they do all the parts. I couldn't miss it."
Treatment issues become vehicles for humor in the kind of ways that ultimately discourage people from seeking help, because of stereotyped devaluation.
One brother has an affair with his therapist. The mother has a love affair with a hospital attendant -- never mind that much of the violence against consumers occurs in hospitals through sexual assault. On Crumbs, it's shown as all in good fun.
One brother (Fred Savage) asks the mother: "Did you go to therapy at that hospital or did you just go to Casino Night?"

Medication

The show mocks the role medication plays in recovery, while also distorting it.
"There's not enough lithium on the Eastern seaboard to get her through this," one brother warns.
During an earlier moment of stress, one brother asks Mother Crumb if she wants to take one her pills -- even though she had taken them two hours before. "She's doing fine," Savage says. "That's because of the pills," she cackles.

Mixed Messages

In the closing scene, Mother Crumb, who is on medication, is shown drinking a glass of wine. It is a small detail, but one that symbolizes the confused, mixed, insensitive messages of the show -- even when one tries to give the producer every benefit of the doubt, based on his personal family experience.

Wine with medication? Had Mrs. Crumb reached a point of self-management that one glass of wine might not be a problem in managing her condition? Was it an unconscious slip? Self-medication? What message does it send?
Even though Crumbs may claim to be funny and sensitive at the same time, the impact -- conscious or unconscious -- is hurtful.

Send Messages Now!

NAMI already has contacted ABC-TV with its concerns about the show. Please reinforce them by sending your own messages:

Anne M. Sweeney
Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks
President, Disney-ABC Television Group
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Steve McPherson
President, ABC Primetime Entertainment
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521

Audience Relations Department: [e-mail missing]

NAMI will continue to monitor the show. Meanwhile, please immediately contact companies that ran commercials during the broadcast. Make the following points:

On Thursday, January 12, your company ran a commercial during ABC-TV's premiere of Crumbs (9:30 PM ET), a show that stereotypes, trivializes, and makes fun of mental illness in its impact.
Please consider withdrawing as a sponsor of the show. What are the guidelines for the kinds of shows on which you place ads?
Does Crumbs reflect your company's perspective on mental illness? Does it reflect your policies toward people with disabilities? Do you support public education about mental illness?
Edward E. Whitacre, Jr., Chairman & CEO
AT&T/SBC
Phone: 908/221-4191
http://www.att.com/contact/forms/inquiries.html

Mr. Yoroku Adachi
President & CEO, Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc.
One Canon Plaza
Lake Success, NY 11042
Phone: 516/328-5000
[e-mail missing]

Rod Gillum, VP, Corporate Responsibility & Diversity
Chevrolet
P.O. Box 33170
Detroit, MI 48232-5170
Phone: 1-800/222-1020
http://www.chevrolet.com/contactus/

Dove Consumer Services
920 Sylvan Avenue
Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632
Phone: 1-800/761-DOVE (3683)
[e-mail missing]
also http://www.dove.com/contact

John Compton, President
The Golden Grain Company (Rice A Roni)
P.O. Box 049003
Chicago IL 60604-9003
Phone: 1-800/421-2444
http://www.ricearoni.com/RAR_Contact/index.cfm

Tod J. MacKenzie, Senior VP, Corporate Communications
Pepsico (owners of Aquifina)
700 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY 10577
Phone: 914/253-2000
http://www.pepsico.com/contact

A.G. Lafley
Chairman of the Board, President & CEO
Procter & Gamble (Crest Vivid White Toothpaste)
One Procter & Gamble Plaza
Cincinnati OH 45202
Phone: 513/983-1100
http://crest.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/crest.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

Clarence Otis, Jr., Chairman & CEO
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (Red Lobster)
5900 Lake Ellenor Drive
Orlando FL 32809
Phone: 407/245-4000 or 1-800/LOBSTER (562-7837)
http://www.redlobster.com/contactus.asp

Timothy J. Barberich
Chairman of the Board & CEO
Sepracor (Lunesta sleep medication)
84 Waterford Drive
Marlborough MA 01725
Phone: 1-800/LUNESTA (586-3782)
[e-mail missing]

Toshiaki Taguchi, President & CEO, Toyota Motor North America
Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc.
19001 South Western Avenue
Dept. WC11
Torrance CA 90501
Phone: 1-800/331-4331
Fax: 310/468-7814
http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/ask_intercept.php

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Stella March, National Coordinator
NAMI StigmaBusters

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NAMI StigmaBuster Alerts are electronic newsletters provided free of charge as a public service. With more than 1,100 state and local affiliates, NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of people with severe mental illnesses. Contributions to support our work can be made online at http://www.nami.org/donate

Previous Comments

ID

104311

Comment

Much as I like knowing that Fred Savage is back on TV (and playing an openly gay character to boot), I didn't think the premise of this show was all that funny even before I knew it was a series of ridiculously stupid straitjacket jokes. Why can't the boy find better work, I wonder. Working was pretty bad, too. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-18T05:01:31-06:00

ID

104312

Comment

Why can't the boy find better work, I wonder. Replacing his agent sounds like the best option for him at this point. I am a fan of him and Jane Curtin, and I would really like to see them doing something meaningful.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-20T21:21:27-06:00

ID

104313

Comment

UPDATE: NAMI StigmaBuster Alert: January 20, 2006 Contact: [email][email protected][/email] Will Crumbs Crumble? Here's the good news. Your voices are being heard! One company (which asked to remain anonymous) has pulled three months worth of commercials from Crumbs' time slot. USA Canon called to let NAMI know that ABC-TV last week placed their commercial during Crumbs without their knowledge. It was not their choice; the show does not represent their perspective on mental illness and people with disabilities; they will not advertise on the show. Their dialogue with us was cordial and sincere. If anyone is looking to buy a camera, be nice back and check out their models. Rice-a-Roni will no longer advertise on the show -- although one commercial that's under contract may still pop up. Chevrolet is having General Motors consider StigmaBusters' concerns. Here's the bad news. The premiere episode of Crumbs drew an audience of 12 million people. By comparison, in the same time slot: CSI drew 19 million; The Office 10 million; and The O.C. 6 million. Next week's Nielsen ratings will give a better picture of whether or not the show has staying power. Although not as bad as the premiere, the second episode (January 19) was still offensive in its frequent references to Mother Crumb's stay in a "mental hospital." Sample lines include: "He's my mom's attendant friend from the psychiatric hospital." "I can't believe you slept with an attendant from a mental hospital." "You can't adopt a baby. Did you mention that you just got out of a mental hospital?" "If (she) gets out, who stays in?" the attendant claims other people in the hospital are saying, when asked if they remember her. "Should we call her shrink or is there something here we can plug in to zap her with?" her son asks, apparently alluding to electroconvulsive therapy. One of her sons programmed her cell phone to play the song "Crazy Train" as its ring tone. Keep Speaking Out! Please contact ABC-TV again and this week's commercial sponsors to protest the show's stigmatization and trivialization of mental illness. Suggested points to make: On Thursday, January 19, your company ran a commercial during ABC-TV's broadcast of Crumbs (9:30 PM ET), a show that stereotypes, trivializes, and makes fun of mental illness. Please consider withdrawing as a sponsor of the show. Does Crumbs represent your company's perspective on mental illness and your policies toward people with disabilities. What are you going to do to support the federal government's National Anti-Stigma Campaign? Donate paid primetime airtime for PSAs. Sponsor NAMI walkathons. Educate your employees about mental illness and the need to eliminate stigma. Make up for the damage you have caused. Anne M. Sweeney Co-Chair, Disney Media Networks President, Disney-ABC Television Group 500 S. Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521 Steve McPherson President, ABC Primetime Entertainment 500 S. Buena Vista Street Burbank, CA 91521 We apologize for the incorrect ABC-TV email address included in last week's alert. The network has changed to a new system for audience comments. Please go instead to its new address: http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html (continued)

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-21T18:39:30-06:00

ID

104314

Comment

(continued) This Week's Targets Timothy J. Barberich Chairman of the Board & CEO Sepracor (Lunesta sleep medication) 84 Waterford Drive Marlborough MA 01725 Phone: 1-800/LUNESTA (586-3782) [email][email protected][/email] Lunesta is the only product that was advertised on both the premiere and second episode. Its sponsorship is especially offensive since as a sleep medication for "restless minds" its potential market includes mental health consumers. Don't let them get away with it. Citigroup (Citi Simplicty credit card) 399 Park Avenue New York, New York 10043 Phone: 1-800/285-3000 Email: Click here to reach online form Thomas J. Falk Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Kleenex anti-virus tissues) P.O. Box 2020 Neenah WI 54957-2020 Phone: 1-888/525-8388 (Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:00 pm CST) Email: Click here for online form Gillette (Duracell batteries) Prudential Tower Boston MA 02199-8004 Phone: 1-800/551-2355 (9:00 am to 5:00 pm EST) Fax: 1-800/796-456 Email: Click here for online form Johnson & Johnson Consumer Products Company (Johnson's baby oil) Attn: Information Center 199 Grandview Road Skillman NJ 08558-9418 Phone: 1-866/565-2229 Email: www.johnsonsbaby.com/contactus Dr. H. Fisk Johnson Chairman & CEO S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. (Ziploc double zipper bag) 1525 Howe Street Racine WI 53403-5011 Phone: 1-800/494-4855 Email:www.scjbrands.com/contact (Select ziplock at the arrow) William Clay Ford, Jr. Chairman & CEO Ford Motor Company (Ford Fusion) Customer Relationship Center P.O.Box 6248 Dearborn, Michigan 48126 Phone: 1-800/392-3673(FORD) (Monday - Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm CST) Email: Click here for online form Roger K. Deromedi CEO Kraft Foods, Inc. (Mayonnaise) 1 Kraft Court Glenview IL 60025 Phone: 1-800/323-0768 Email: Click here for online form Chris Hill Board Communications Designee Sprint Wireless (Wireless phones) 2001 Edmund Halley Drive Mailstop: A5-6 Reston VA 20191 Phone: 703/433-4000 Email: [email][email protected][/email] or www.sprint.com/contact Fredrik Arp President & CEO Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (Volvo cars) 7 Volvo Drive Rockleigh NJ 07647 Phone: 1-800/458-1552 (Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 7:00 PM EST) Email: [email][email protected][/email]

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-21T18:40:31-06:00

ID

104315

Comment

Grrl, I'm glad to see you address this topic, and hope you keep it up. There's nobody else blogging mental illness issues a whole lot, and it's an underdiscussed topic. For my part, although all I take these days is a daily multivitamin, I have at various times been prescribed: - Paxil (10mg), to deal with anxiety ; - Dexedrine (10mg), to deal with "ADD" (later traced to parietal lobe brain damage) ; - Ritalin (5mg), to deal with "ADD" (took it for one day and got stoned, decided never again) ; - Sinequan (20mg?), to deal with "ADD." The Paxil I took around the time of my parents' divorce, and I dropped it cold turkey (VERY bad idea and I wouldn't do it again; I was lucky) when I started writing, as I found it easier to concentrate without it. If the anxiety ever gets bad enough again, I'll take it again. I do a little lay counseling as part of my volunteer work, and it really depresses me that there's a stigma attached to getting professional help, because people who need it are afraid to get it. They don't want to seem vulnerable. Know who's really vulnerable? Someone who's afraid to take the meds, afraid to go and get therapy. That's vulnerable. It amazes me that people look at mental illness the way they do. Nobody ever says "My car's a strong, tough MERCEDES; it doesn't need its oil changed like some sissy Honda!," but for some reason people--especially men--have that kind of very ineffective macho bullshit attitude about their minds, their emotions. Keep up the good work... Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-23T01:43:08-06:00

ID

104316

Comment

Thank you! I've dealt with depression and panic attacks for years, and my current Rx of choice of Zoloft, but if it weren't for seeking help, I wouldn't be able to type anything right now. I'd probably be in my bed curled up in the fetal position all day. Although I had to stop working, I know that one day I will be strong enough to get out there again. Hopefully I'll have my own business instead of working for someone else. That's why I'm so passionate about this. People think that folks who have a psychiatric disorder should be able to either just "snap out of it" or be locked up in a padded room for the rest of their lives. I want people to see that their is a happy medium. I plan to try raising funds again this year for NAMIWalks in May, and hopefully I'll be able to get $500 this year instead of $50 like last year. I'll probably do a blog about it in a couple of months.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-23T09:10:32-06:00

ID

104317

Comment

Latasha, Hmmm...! Private email to follow on something you might be interested in. And agreed on psychiatric conditions. If people looked at physical illnesses that way, it would be "Don't go to a doctor--either you're so sick you spend the rest of your life languishing in a hospital bed, or you don't have anything bad enough to worry about." Which is silly, since there are so many preventable and curable illnesses--both physical and mental. I know plenty of high-functioning people with mental illnesses, but they invariably got that way through comptent treatment of some kind--therapy, meds, or a mix of the two. Waiting out a sinus infection without going to the doctor for antibiotics is one thing; trying to wait out a condition for years on end is another. Which is why TV shows like Crumbs, even when they're intelligently written (and this one doesn't seem to be), can potentially be harmful. People with mental illnesses usually adapt and go on to live full lives, provided they receive the necessary treatment, and that's something folks just don't get. So we get very few positive role models of well-adapted people with mental illness, while writers script out jokes about knives and shock therapy instead. People will look back on all this in a century or two and roll their eyes. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2006-01-23T15:58:26-06:00

ID

104318

Comment

People will look back on all this in a century or two and roll their eyes. I hope so for the sake of millions who suffer in silence.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-23T20:45:49-06:00

ID

104319

Comment

I'm surprised I discovered this so late! There's much I could say, especially since I didn't get any real help for severe depression --- two and a half years -- trapped in the same macho "deal with it like a man" b.s. you spoke of. All I can say is "Thank God this happened in the 1990s". I could have never recovered without Zoloft. BTW: about macho b.s.: The columnist Art Buchwald, fought in World War Two in The Marines, suffered from depression. If a MARINE can get depression, anyone can get it! For me, at least, the best treatment of depression is drugs combined with a strong critical thinking skills regiment (Steven Downes' Guide to the Logical Fallacies and The Nizkor Project Fallacies List) It also reminds me of other stereotypes perpetuated by Hollywood (and they say Hollywood is Liberal!!!!) GAYS: The Police Academy Movies: Blue Oyster Bar (a gay whips & chains type place) was used as humor Some other movie (I forgot which) where some guy tells his best friend "You're gay? If so, please don't tell it to me. I can't handle it" NERDS Revenge of the Nerds - Said in many circles to be a "Nerd Pride" movie, but I didn't catch any special message from it. To me, those movies are mere silly comedy and nothing more. I'm sure other people derived some message from it, but I can assure you not everyone did. Still, it portrays nerds as distasteful people who are just distasteful because of their weird habits and dress. To be fair, Real Genius did present nerds in a positive light, but again it was more a comedy than a truly thought-provoking show about a serious human issue. While we're talking about old movies, I watched Back to the Future I again over the holidays and noticed unfair treatment, if not outright discrimination, against another group of people "WIMPS" or those with otherwise gentle-spirited characters When Marty gets to his father's high school, he sees his nerdy/wimpy father getting kicked by a bunch of obnoxious jerks who placed a kick-me sign on him. The principle calls George McFly a "slacker", which is bad enough. But for a hero/star of the show to imply that George was defective ("Maybe you were adopted") really turned me off. This line implicitly put the blame on George instead of where it really belonged, with the jerks. That runs contrary to the anti-bullying movement gaining steam in our schools today. So much for the notion that Hollywood is on the frontier of progressivism

Author

Philip

Date

2006-01-24T07:46:16-06:00

ID

104320

Comment

So much for the notion that Hollywood is on the frontier of progressivism They're not even in the running, Philip. Some of those producers and directors will exploit anything to make a buck. As for the nerd thing, have you ever seen "Beauty and the Geek"? Two stereotypes in one: "beauties" who are dumb as dishwater, and "geeks" with no common sense. I watched it last year, but I couldn't bring myself to look at it this year. I'm thankful for those who are a lot more considerate to those who are different or stuggling with a problem that is disregarded by society. I rented "A Beautiful Mind" but I misplaced the disc. I read that on the night the movie won an Oscar, Ron Howard, et al., were wearing silver ribbons for mental health. Most people don't even know about that ribbon, from what I can tell. I see red ribbins for AIDS, pink ribbons for breast cancer, and I hope to see more silver ribbons out there eventually, even if I have to give them out myself.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-24T08:54:06-06:00

ID

104321

Comment

For me, at least, the best treatment of depression is drugs combined with a strong critical thinking skills regiment (Steven Downes' Guide to the Logical Fallacies and The Nizkor Project Fallacies List) Philip, this reminds me a lot of cognitive behavior therapy and the focus on irrational thinking and REBT (rational emotive behavior therapy). I learned about REBT when I was hospitalized for a suicide attempt. REBT basically has to do with separating emotions from rational thought. For instance, instead of saying, "She made me angry," you would say to yourself, "It's my perception of what she did that made me angry." In other words, you learn to detach yourself from what occurred and look at the situation objectively. I'm still learning how to do this with those closest to me; it's easier to apply to strangers!

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-24T09:01:02-06:00

ID

104322

Comment

L.W.-I'll send you some. "Children's Mental Health Month" (or is it week? Cant remember) is coming up soon. We get green ribbons for that. :) All of us in the children's mental health field will have them coming out of our ears. I work in a field where EVERY ONE is in therapy. Not just for personal issues, but because care givers often have secondary trauma just from helping others. I get free time off from work for therapy, and my employer provides it for free if I would like. I work in a fairly "fashion forward" mental health environment, so I forget how most of the rest of the country feels about mental health issues. Here is my statement regarding that: Due to recent studies that show an overwhelming majority of Americans will suffer from some form of mental illness, whether this be a transient depression or a pervasive mental health disorder, we all should be behind great mental health care and education. Our culture (if this show is any indicator of that) does not honor a human's "natural rhythms". The statement "Just get over it" is one of my most hated phrases. Most people get off three days for funeral leave. Most indegenous cultures respect a human's need to grieve (and the fact that this prevents later depressions) and would give members of their society MONTHS to grieve a death. In regards to this show, I am a "Crumb". I am the child of a woman who had a nervous breakdown after the death of a child (my brother) and a subsequent divorce. There was nothing funny about that. Okay, okay. There might have been SMALL parts of that which were funny. But only because when you are just trying to "make it", sometimes a sick sense of humor will get you thru. That's the only excuse I can hope this show was banking on.

Author

Lori G

Date

2006-01-24T09:14:31-06:00

ID

104323

Comment

Okay, okay. There might have been SMALL parts of that which were funny. But only because when you are just trying to "make it", sometimes a sick sense of humor will get you thru. That's the only excuse I can hope this show was banking on. I think that if the show followed up with a mental health PSA, maybe people in the mental health community would see it that way. There was a show that was on last year called "Head Cases" that caught similar attention, but the show was more borderline offensive. Also, there were a few PSAs sprinkled in. Doesn't matter now - it got canned after two or three episodes. Ali, I'll email you about the ribbons.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-24T09:25:21-06:00

ID

104324

Comment

Yo Ali, The email bounced back. Help me out here!

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-24T09:30:39-06:00

ID

104325

Comment

[email][email protected][/email] That should work. Let me know if it doesn't.

Author

Lori G

Date

2006-01-24T09:41:55-06:00

ID

104326

Comment

No bouncies so far. I think we're good...

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-24T09:58:38-06:00

ID

104327

Comment

LW, I imagine you are right when you say its easier to deal with strangers - they don't know you well and you have a "clean slate" with them, so to speak. As for your attempt *hugs*. I could see a few elements of REBT in my approach, though I don't know if what I did can be called actual REBT. BTW, I looked at the lists of REBT therapists. There were none listed in Jackson, but there was one listend in Monroe, LA - 2 hours west. Mark S. DeBord, LCSW* 114 Bonaparte Drive West Monroe , LA 71291 (318) 362-3339 If you're in East Mississippi Tuscaloosa George S. McGee, LCSW 4926 Woodland Forrest Drive Tuscaloosa, AL 35405 (205) 554-3824 *Back to the regularly scheduled comments* Focusing on the present is good, but for me, to TRULY break free of imprisoning thoughts, I had to "time travel" back to the time before I felt *that* way and ask what it was about the situation that made me feel that way. Then, at the "time-point of entry" into the event (as best as I could recall it, both visually and emotionally), I had to ask "what was so bad about suffering those so-called 'bad' consequenses you so feared" (essentially, it boiled down to approval-seeking on my part). A geographic change of venue helped to (from a lifetime in N. La. to Midtown Memphis - Memphis's Fondren/Belhaven, only more so). The point is that (for me, at least) immersion into a culture/environment with a broader definition of 'normal', combined with training in critical thinking, further combined with 'reckless' questioning of everything I ever learned, is what ultimately broke me free.

Author

Philip

Date

2006-01-25T10:51:31-06:00

ID

104328

Comment

BTW, I looked at the lists of REBT therapists. There were none listed in Jackson There are therapists in the state who include this method even though they may not officially be called REBT therapists. Well. at least mine does. :-) The point is that (for me, at least) immersion into a culture/environment with a broader definition of 'normal', combined with training in critical thinking, further combined with 'reckless' questioning of everything I ever learned, is what ultimately broke me free. Yep, that'll work, too. Of course, dealing with a bunch of narrow-minded folk is enough to put anyone on "the couch".

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-25T11:48:58-06:00

ID

104329

Comment

NAMI StigmaBuster Alert: January 28, 2006 Contact: [email][email protected][/email] Crumbs: Compassion? For two weeks running, ABC-TV's Crumbs (Thursdays, 9:30 PM ET) has been watched by approximately 12 million people. That's relatively strong -- higher than or close to the ratings achieved by 60 Minutes, Cold Case, Law and Order, ER, and The West Wing. Some StigmaBusters felt that the show exhibited a softer tone last week.This week, the shift was more noticeable, particularly in terms of stigmatizing language, which may have been redubbed. In fact, the January 26 episode, offered a glimpse of compassion. Recently released from a psychiatric hospital Mrs. Crumb (Jane Curtin), bored with her divorce support group, begins to socialize with a recovery group for crystal methamphetamine addicts. This situation becomes the vehicle for some disparaging jokes, however, when one of her sons criticizes her choice in new friends, Mrs. Crumb declares: "Let me tell you something about these people. They've lost their homes, their families, their savings, and they've hit rock bottom. At least they look up to me." The focus then turns to the stigma that Mrs. Crumb has felt since being released from the hospital -- knowing that people are talking about her, and not wanting to face old friends. Toward the end of the episode, however, she visits two old friends -- a day late for their anniversary party --who welcome and hug her. Jokes aside, it was a relatively accurate and compassionate depiction of a stage of recovery. Sometimes, television shows evolve. Let's continue to monitor Crumbs closely. We'll wait to see how or if the show progresses. In the meantime, StigmaBusters have accomplished a lot: - Contacts with ABC-TV may be the reason for the softened language. In the latest episode, "nervous breakdown" has been substituted for "mentally ill," and "the hospital" for "mental hospital." Previously, the soundtrack was redubbed to change the name of the hospital to "Cedar Hill," after a real hospital with the original name complained. - We got the attention of several major companies that ran commercial ads during the show. Some pulled out entirely (which certainly got ABC-TV's attention). Others are reviewing their advertising standards. In some cases, we have had good dialogues, educating them about mental illness. By the third episode, only three companies had advertised for consecutive weeks during the show. These are our current targets, but with a slightly different message: - For consecutive weeks, your company has run commercials during ABC-TV's broadcast of Crumbs (9:30 PM ET), a show that in its first episodes stereotyped, trivialized, and made fun of mental illness. - Change your advertising policy. Don't support stigma and discrimination on any television show. Don't risk lawsuits under the Americans with Disabilities Act. - Help fix the damage you caused. Donate paid primetime airtime for public service announcements (PSAs) to the U.S. Ad Council and the federal government's National Anti-Stigma Campaign. Sponsor National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) walkathons. Educate your employees. Citigroup (Citi Simplicity credit card) 399 Park Avenue New York, New York 10043 Phone: 1-800/285-3000 Attention: Anne MacDonald Email: [email][email protected][/email] Dr. H. Fisk Johnson (Ziploc double-zipper bag; Glade plug-ins; Oust air freshener) Chairman & CEO S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. 1525 Howe Street Racine WI 53403-5011 Phone: 1-800/494-4855 Email: http://www.scjbrands.com/contact Toshiaki Taguchi, President & CEO, Toyota Motor North America Toyota Motor Sales, USA Inc. 19001 South Western Avenue Dept. WC11 Torrance CA 90501 Phone: 1-800/331-4331 Fax: 310/468-7814 Email: http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/toyota.cfg/php/enduser/ask_intercept.php Your efforts have made a difference! Thank you for your support!

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2006-01-29T05:02:51-06:00