I see people wearing T-Shirts emblazoned with "It's not me, the voices in my head made me do it" and "I'm not schizophrenic, he is" and that's supposed to be funny?
I complained after finding such a T-Shirt on a rack in the Macys department store and the manager agreed that it wasn't funny but he refused to take them off the rack all the same.
Why is OK for the mentally ill to be the subject of jokes on a T-shirt and no-one to be remotely concerned at how offensive this is to others?
2007-07-21 15:20:56 · 11 answers · asked by ? 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
ScalyOverlord - Over-sensitive?! You have no idea the devastation caused by severe mental illness if you can say that.
2007-07-21 15:32:13 · update #1
Darkcloud: Quote: "human rights activests are the only ones who find mental illness a condition that is acceptable"
I don't understand what you mean? What do you mean by acceptable?
2007-07-21 15:57:39 · update #2
The human rights campaign for people with mental illness is behind all the other ones. It's no longer ok, and you don't see tshirts making fun of retards, n******rs, all the offensive things you used to see. It is hard for people with mental illness to advocate for themselves because the symptoms interfere so much.
I am starting to get a thicker skin, and figure they just don't know any better. Sometimes, it IS a person with schizophrenia wearing the Tshirt, lampooning themselves. It's kind of gallows humor, there.
NAMI.org has a stigmabusters campaign. You may want to look into that.
2007-07-22 16:52:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
There's a lot of misinformation about mental illness. People need to accept that anyone can become mentally ill, and not just a select few. By joking about it, they are distancing themselves from the idea that it could affect them. However most people will either experience it themselves, or will know someone who is mentally ill at some point in their lives.
2007-07-21 15:31:53 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
The mentally ill can't help the fact that they are, but if they could they would , the fact is ,no one including the mentally ill want to be mentally ill ,there for it herts only those who are satisfied with there missfortune.. and that includes no one . human rights activests are the only ones who find mental illness a condition that is acceptable, if I've got a nose thats five inches long and you don't joke about it , I think there is something wrong with you , I'm the only one who should have to bare that burden ,not you ,,,
2007-07-21 15:48:21 · answer #3 · answered by darkcloud 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Most people have suffered from a period of mental illness at one time or another, even if it was only slight. I don't see those shirts as making fun of mental illness, at least not in a seperated way. They have fun with mental illness but by putting the self into that same camp. Dont be over sensitive. It's like me, a white man, making jokes about whites.
2007-07-21 15:28:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
I am crazy as a loon.AND nuttier then a fruitcake.and i know it. am proud of it. and except myself for who i am. a nut.so i don't care about t shirts.I act strange sometimes. and am way different then other people.I dont care though.i quess theirs people who or crazy like me who would take offense. but i dont.
i do care when someone personally says something mean to someone.But thank you for caring for us unfortunates.but really.i have problems. and i just try to except them.and live the best life i can.even if i am crazy.
2007-07-21 15:59:48 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Its not okay. However, jokes are told about many different types of people for different reasons. I don't know what to do about that. I guess until those people are the subject of the joke they won't get how it hurts people.
As far as the T-shirts go, as long as people keep buying them, they will keep being made. So, if people would realize that they are making fun of a serious disease, they would quit buying that crap and that would stop the production of them.
2007-07-21 15:25:15 · answer #6 · answered by ? 7 · 1⤊ 3⤋
i agree, i only wear clothes that describe my own personality, liike my shirt that says dont pet the monkey , he bites,my alter ego and me we love to chase bees,and lost in space, i guess ill climb out the ear
2007-07-23 02:08:05 · answer #7 · answered by freakshowjones III and psycho 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are so right. I never really thought about that until reading this question. Thank you for enlightening all of us.
2007-07-21 15:39:18 · answer #8 · answered by Denise 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If they were really mentally ill, they wouldn't get the joke anyway. So, who's it hurting?
Have you never heard of Freedom of Speech or the Freedom of Expression?
2007-07-21 15:26:35 · answer #9 · answered by Lone Gunman 3 · 0⤊ 5⤋
My Shirt says "I am Not the Designated Driver"
2007-07-21 15:29:01 · answer #10 · answered by Second Son 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋