Over recent years, mental health has become a very profound topic talked about in the media and everyday life. Particularly in the media, in which there have been positive and negative opinions about the recent surge of awareness with society becomes more educated on the matters of mental health. Such an open-ended topic has left a large margin for debate, launching the online world in one giant argument.
There has been a stigmatism surrounding mental health for years, dating as far back as the 1900's, and despite the change society has undergone in the modern ages, many media outlets continue scaring their audience. As seen by this particular tabloid, mental health is often represented negatively and garners leas than good attention from an audience that are uneducated on such a topic — “1,200 Killed By Mental Patients” is presented as a fact, and leaves no room for argumentation. The headline represents people who suffer from different mental health diagnosis’ as people who should be isolated from society, using the term ‘mental patients‘ as a way of describing them as ‘crazy’. By grouping everyone with a mental disorder as one, the tabloid is actively harming the community. Over time, the media has slowly become conscious of their harmful portrayals, and in recent more accurate humanised characterisations have began appearing, however this particular article shows the damage caused by the media in the first place.
Following the storyline of a washed-up 90’s television star who struggles with his celebrity status and popularity that has been going downhill, Bojack Horseman is an animated dark comedy about an anthropomorphic horse who wants to return to the spotlight and regain relevance within that career path by publishing an autobiography. However, his self-destructive behaviour is an obstacle to his plans moving forward. The series explores Bojack’s struggles with depression, as well as addiction, whilst also attempting to maintain healthy relationships with his friends and acquaintance. It’s an interesting watch for fans of adult animation, as it explores a lot of mature themes and continuously humours the audience whilst also accurately portraying depression, anxiety and trauma in a realistic way. As the main character, Bojack is used as a vessel for the show’s reoccuring themes, and the plot focuses on Bojack coming to terms with his past decisions as he attempts to better himself as a person. At multiple points throughout the television series, Bojack expresses a need to be good. He repeatedly tells other characters that he wants to be a good person, and needs others to validate him. Whilst the main focus of the show is Bojack Horseman, there are several other characters who also face internal struggles that stem from traumatic childhood experiences or creeping mental health matters. The characters all have one common issue: a struggle to find their true selves. They all struggle to understand who they are, and what their purpose in the world is. They all want to make significant contributions to society to be remembered greatly, which is tied closely to their understandings of happiness.
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