Mental health is always an important issue to discuss with people, whether you suffer from a condition or not. It's great too that there are more movies and television series that choose to tackle the rough subject.
However, there are some that take it too far. The show, "13 Reasons Why," is a perfect example; in the last episode of the second season, the producers showed a scene of a male student being raped by a mop handle. While the creator defends the scene, saying that the series is an honest depiction of what teenagers go through in high school, its purpose is meant to be taken
Then there is "A Star Is Born."
I personally love to follow Lady Gaga; her adamant stance on mental health and trauma is something I admire. So when she was set to star in a remake of this movie, of course, I wanted to see it. Not to mention I wanted to hear Bradley Cooper sing.
My sister saw it before my mom and I did - and I am glad that she did. She told me that there were many times in the movie where she wanted to leave. The movie sat with her after the end credits rolled; it unearthed past pain and trauma. "Don't see it," she warned my mom and me, knowing that it would affect us too.
I've been candid about my struggle with bipolar disorder. But I've not told you that there were times I would unintentionally set myself up for sabotage. One of those times was seeing the movie, "Country Strong," with Gwyneth Paltrow. I watched it, hoping for a beautiful happy ending - that Beau and Chiles would end up together and Kelly remains sober. Each time there was a conflict that made the plot twist, even more, I would tell myself, "Just remain positive - it has to have a happy ending."
But it didn't. I sobbed when the movie was over and couldn't sleep that night with ruminating thoughts about suicide.
The media influences our mood greatly; we watch it and listen to music in the hopes that we can escape for a brief moment. Sometimes it has a message that it wants to raise awareness about, which is great. I'm all for social awareness. But I just require one thing - that the viewer knows what exactly they are watching or listening to and that they may be triggered by it.
"A Star Is Born" may have well intentions - talking about males, substance abuse, mental health, suicide, and toxic relationships - but all together, it is a force that is bound to make people feel. And maybe not in a good way, like my sister. It's not a movie for a family that currently lost their step-dad/husband to suicide a year before; that just hits too close to home to actually enjoy the movie.
Or maybe I'm just overly sensitive. Maybe my life with a mental illness has made seeing others go through it equally rough. But since I know myself, since I know certain topics will trigger me, I avoid them. It's not a bad thing to protect yourself. And it's especially not a bad thing to avoid a movie because you know you are risking your sanity. I will not watch "A Star Is Born" because I know that a movie about suicide will bring me to a bad state of mind.