Illness as Entertainment: Monk Made OCD Funny!?
Laughing at the Suffering of Others and Calling it 'comedy'
Was an obstacle for sure,
But one that millions watched each week
And eagerly awaited more.
The illness handicapped him,
Of that there was no doubt -
Yet we found it fun to watch him sweat
As Mr. Monk figured things out.
Indiana Jones had a phobia about snakes
I'm sure you can recall
That when lowered into a pit with them,
He thought he'd lose it all.
His fear was entertaining
To those of us in paid seats,
But we wouldn't want to dream of them
While under our own sheets.
Depression isn't funny,
Nor bipolar disorder too-
But anxieties can make us laugh
Or so we are prone to do.
As long as the fear isn't our own
We can smile knowing when it's done
It's was just a part of a fiction
(Unless it's Winston Smith's head in a cage
With a rat...) There was nothing funny
About that one.
We can be entertained by others misfortunes -
Slapstick was based on that notion.
When Moe poked Curly in the eyes
Tears of laughter could fill an ocean
In the aisles of the cinema
Where folks had come to see
Someone suffer just to make us smile,
Or so that's how it seemed to me.
Catching ourselves
Laughing at pain
Is a hard thing
For a good person
To explain.
Published by David A. Reinstein, LCSW - Featured Contributor in Technology
Clinical Social Worker, psychotherapist, born in Boston and a relatively unscathed survivor of the 60 s. Fan of technology, guitars, creating music and poetry. Mental wellness coach, staff trainer and parent... View profile
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38 Comments
Post a CommentI actually appreciate the portrayal of Monk with OCD. It bothers me that they don't explore more of the obsessions side of the disorder - it seems that popular culture only focuses on the compulsions (like hand-washing). But, I do like that Monk is portrayed as a brilliant, caring man - it's a nice change from shows (like Criminal Minds) that portray a serial killer with OCD. I'm just hoping for the day when people don't joke about OCD anymore; as someone who has suffered for years, it really stings when people treat it all as a big joke and jokingly label people with OCD.
Excellent example of schadenfreude, the root of which I think is to make ourselves feel like OUR problems aren't so bad.
It is partially because we have the release of laughing at the likes of Mr. Monk and the 3 Stooges that we can treat with compassion the people who face trauma of all sorts in real life.
Nice work David! I think laughing at painful scenes on the telly often start early in childhood. We are brought up from the beginning to laugh when Wiley coyote falls off a cliff or gets blown up and it only gets more painful and realistic from there.
I love this program. It does get a message to the people who have obsessive tendencies, like my husband, and myself. We can both recognize this in ourselves, and take it with a sense of humor.
As a clinical psychologist, I get so irritated by the portrayal of mental illness on TV. People with OCD are nothing like Detective Monk. And it's just not funny either. Monk is a weird and quirky guy, but he certainly does not have OCD. I wish these TV writers would do a better job in terms of figuring out what mental illness really looks like, and doing a good job portraying it realistically on TV.
I must confess. I laugh when people trip.
That last stanza sums it up perfectly. Nice work. I've never liked The Three Stooges, but I still find myself laughing at other's pain when I watch shows like "America's Funniest Home Videos."
Excellent choice of words. In fact you nailed it. :)
Nicely done.