The final project for this class consisted in writing a Research Essay on a social justice topic of our choice. As a screenwriter and comedy enthusiast interested in psychology, I chose to do it on “How does the show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend use humor to educate about mental health stigma?” (Read the full paper on the PDF below).
Abstract
Media has been widely criticized for its exacerbation role in mental health stigma, through the often exaggerated, negative or inaccurate depiction of individuals living with a mental illness. Nevertheless, recent years have shown a proliferation of attempts–especially in television–to portray these issues in a way that audiences, critics, and even health experts have identified not only as more realistic but also more empowering and hopeful. The present research paper will focus on the musical comedy show Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015-2019) as a case study of how a TV series can use humor to educate about mental health stigma.
Keywords: mental health, stigma, representation, humor, television, crazy