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@katiek 

Last reply

katiek

Portrayal of MS in TV and film

Greetings everyone! Just joined up today and thought i would bite the bullet and jump straight in. I am very interested in people's thoughts and experiences on the portrayal of people living with MS. Thinking more along the lines of MS portrayal in TV, film, theatre, performance art etc. Of course we are all individuals and our own experiences are different so that portrayal will I suppose be a generalised one. But... Do you feel there is a true and accurate representation of us in film and media and what do you guys think could be done differently? Do you feel like we are represented at all? Do the media, TV and film industries have a duty to raise the profile of those living with MS in society? What films have you seen that feature MS and what are your thoughts on films such as Gallop and Belong? Do these films speak to you and for you? Has the internet and social media, despite bringing people together (which is such as amazing thing - by the way) simply marginalized the MS community, however large and strong that community becomes? A community in society but away from it somehow. Not truly integrated? So many questions...Sorry if I have sent you all to sleep with this. zzzzzzz. I can go on a bit but you get the picture! Been trying to form my own views about this for a long time and it would be great to get some of your thoughts on the subject. Cheersx
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@Gav
@Gav
 

Hi Katie :-) Ahh, the old portrayal of MS on tv debate, I have to admit I've not seen it covered all that often, part of this may be down to the 'hidden nature' of MS and the many, many different ways it can affect people. There is no one catch all 'sign' that the producer can use to identify that someone has MS, partly due to the lack of education the wider public has on what MS is. Generally its viewed of as a bad thing (it certainly isn't a good thing), they must be in a wheelchair or they are killing themselves. The depictions that stick in my memory are of the dad in Hollyoaks that was stuck in a wheelchair, smoked weed and felt really guilty his son was doing so much work for him. The lady in Doctors who within two days of being diagnosed (and showing no outward signs of having anything) committed suicide by hanging herself and lastly the depiction of Susan in neighbours who sometimes needs to use a stick. Overall, the depiction of MS in the media is bloody awful but then its generally been the lowest common denominator thing. Its generally easier to get a more accurate reflection of MS in online films as they can ensure that the film is being targeted towards a particular audience, I thought Gallop got it spot on for a ten minute film :-)

@Stumbler
@Stumbler
 

<a href='https://shift.ms/community/people/katiek/' rel='nofollow'>@katiek</a>, I've seen MS featured in TV dramas and it's normally come across in a very negative way. Yes, it would be good if everybody else could relate to what we have to contend with. But, we're not contagious and we do have a life, which involves managing the symptoms to make the best out of the situation. It's not a death sentence and life goes on. The Gallop and Belong short films were a bit too true to life for me. Just a bit too realistic that I could see some of my own situations being portrayed. "Emotional lability", as PottyPete keeps telling me! ;) Anyway, welcome aboard, <a href='https://shift.ms/community/people/katiek/' rel='nofollow'>@katiek</a>.