Analyse how the male characters are perceived in Avengers Endgame; especially the character of Thor. The movie breaks down conventions surrounding strong, and stereotypically masculine characters showing Thor in despair and defeated unable to deal with his ‘failures’.
One scene that I feel is relative to this is Captain America being part of a support group for survivors of The Snap incident. – Kevin Mohammed5 years ago
This is a good topic as it talks about a serious issue as it relates to a popular film with a large reach. I think it would be good to also address how it shows Thor's mental health in a more comedic light and whether that is good or not for mental health awareness. – TheDude5 years ago
Addressing the success and failings of the FX series "Legion" regarding its representation of mental illness. While it is an exceptional psychological thrill ride, is its representation of mental illness accurate and respectful?
I think this sounds like an excellent topic! As designers and creators of media such as TV shows and comics, we have the power to help influence society at large. This means that creators have a responsibility to portray topics like mental illness in a way that is respectful and accurate, helping society to begin to develop an understanding of how life is experienced by those experiencing these conditions. – susannah6 years ago
One of my biggest issues with "Legion" is that, in the comics, David genuinely has schizophrenia, and his powers are just an extension of that. In the show, it's just, "No, he doesn't have a mental illness. He's just a mutant." – JaredTaylor946 years ago
In Season 2, we get to hear some of the voices in David's head. They sound like David, they argue with each other, and they convince him of things. He's still clearly unhinged, in addition to his mind-reading powers. But it's also clear that after fighting the Shadow King, he isn't that debilitated by mental illness, so far anyway. – noahspud6 years ago
A look into the way mentally ill characters are treated in their stories: why, in most cases, their depressions/anxiety is not discusses, why the idea of getting therapy is not more common in stories to normalize the idea that this is a healthy thing to do. Why mental illness is either romanticized unhealthily or completely disregarded? This would be an interesting thing to think about in YA lit.
A look into the way mentally ill characters are treated in their stories: why, in most cases, their depressions/anxiety is not discussed, why is the idea of getting therapy so taboo? Why is it not normalized, perhaps even encouraged? Why are romantic relationships seen as the answer to many mentally ill characters, and why is the writing of the mental illness affecting that relationship either grossly romanticized or completely ignored?
– mariamvakani8 years ago
I like this topic a lot, mariamvakani. I think it is interesting because there is often stigma attached to mentally ill characters in older literature (see Lear, etc.) but I disagree that mental conditions are always stigmatized in literature. I am interested in writing this topic because mental illness is a topic that is so poignant in each novel in which it is displayed. I would revise with the notion that our perception of mental illness has changed over time and become more analytic and progressive as opposed to just being broadstroked as "wrong." – AndyJanz7 years ago
books that come to mind: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime" – AaronJRobert7 years ago
This is an interesting topic I agree that there are a lot of books that ignore the mental health of the character and its treatment. One of my biggest issues is that when characters are portrayed as mentally ill (and I have seen several TV shows, Films and Theatre performances where this has happened but not so much in books) is that the representation of Mentally Ill characters can further stigmatise mental illness or mental distress and these portrayals can end up doing more harm than good. However, that said there are plenty of autobiographies and books that are inspired by real-life events that go into detail about the role of therapy, medication and family/peer/network support and offer a fantastic insight into the real world of mental illness. – Dewi Evans5 years ago
Analyze the ways in which mental illness is represented on modern television shows, focusing on particular shows and characters within them. Examine specific examples of how various forms of mental illness are represented, including depression, anxiety and PTSD. Research how representation has changed in recent years, focusing on if and how it has improved or become more prevalent compared to television produced years ago.
Good examples to write about include the TV series You're the Worst and Jessica Jones as well as the films Love & Mercy and American Sniper. – BoomBap8 years ago
To whoever writes this article: "You're The Worst" Season 2 was the best representation of mental illness and depressive behavior I've ever seen on television. That being said, it was extraordinarily triggering for myself and for other sufferers of mental illness to whom it's been recommended. I'd strongly advocate for its inclusion in this piece, but proceed with caution. – Piper CJ8 years ago
