March 05, 2004
NSync Album - Schizophrenic
I'm not entirely sure how to respond to this recent news on the "NSYNC Singer Causes Stir With 'Schizophrenic' Album Cover" issue. On the one hand I certianly sympathize with Bill MacPhee's concerns that it may increase stigma because it shows a distored and misleading image of schizophrenic people as being put in straight jackets (which of course is rare) - but at the same time it gets people talking about the disease (I hope) and perhaps out of that discussion there will come some knowledge and education. I"m sure there are other CDs/Albums that are named after other diseases like Alzheimers or Parkinsons - and perhaps with members of one of the top bands in the US promoting it - it will get more people talking about what exactly schizophrenia is. Perhaps a good opportunity for mental illness groups and schizophrenia societies to leverage NSync's publicity for their own educational purposes?
What do you think?
The article mentions: "The singer who was dumped from the Pro Bowl halftime show is angering a publication dedicated to people who suffer from schizophrenia.
J.C. Chasez is causing a stir with the publisher of the Schizophrenic Digest over the cover of his debut album "Schizophrenic." On the cover, Chasez -- a member of the pop group *NSYNC -- is pictured in a straight jacket. "
Posted by szadmin at March 5, 2004 10:12 PM
More Information on
Schizophrenia Advocacy
Comments
I'm responding to the Q about whether or not the album in question will stir up any conversations about schizophrenia in the public at large.
From my experiences studying various illnesses, like Gilles D'Tourette's syndrome (which receives terrible and misleading coverage in media), and from being a minority (who's expected to represent a large, diverse group, but is in reality an individual), I sincerely doubt that many people will intelligently discuss the topic of schizophrenia. With "pop" culture, one can't expect much in the way of depth, particularly with this specific sort of pop, which is normally pandered to teenagers, who, sadly, tend to take most everything at face value.
There will undoubtedly be a few people who might study this condition as a result, but I think they'll be outnumbered severely.
Posted by: TC at March 16, 2004 12:36 AM
This album served a major contradiction for me. First and foremost my father has schizophrenia and I have seen him in many states due to his treatment. What contradicts this is that I'm a JC fan, but when I read the name of this album I cried, disgusted by the disrespect showed by JC. In none of the media he used to promote the album did he describe a correct meaning of the illness. It's a good album but still the disgust of the complete disregard for sufferers and, like me, the family of sufferers who had suffered themselves at the hand of sufferers and a complete lack of knowledge frankly pisses the shit out of me.
Posted by: Mel at October 7, 2007 05:22 PM
Post a comment
I'm responding to the Q about whether or not the album in question will stir up any conversations about schizophrenia in the public at large.
From my experiences studying various illnesses, like Gilles D'Tourette's syndrome (which receives terrible and misleading coverage in media), and from being a minority (who's expected to represent a large, diverse group, but is in reality an individual), I sincerely doubt that many people will intelligently discuss the topic of schizophrenia. With "pop" culture, one can't expect much in the way of depth, particularly with this specific sort of pop, which is normally pandered to teenagers, who, sadly, tend to take most everything at face value.
There will undoubtedly be a few people who might study this condition as a result, but I think they'll be outnumbered severely.
Posted by: TC at March 16, 2004 12:36 AM
This album served a major contradiction for me. First and foremost my father has schizophrenia and I have seen him in many states due to his treatment. What contradicts this is that I'm a JC fan, but when I read the name of this album I cried, disgusted by the disrespect showed by JC. In none of the media he used to promote the album did he describe a correct meaning of the illness. It's a good album but still the disgust of the complete disregard for sufferers and, like me, the family of sufferers who had suffered themselves at the hand of sufferers and a complete lack of knowledge frankly pisses the shit out of me.
Posted by: Mel at October 7, 2007 05:22 PM