It’s a teenage diary showdown as Janet and Episode 43 guest Erinn Hayes (Childrens Hospital)Â marvel at the shocking similarity between their respective angst-scribbles. Further parallels abound as the two discuss being hot in baggy clothes, embarrassingly earnest glamour photos, and marrying Ricky Schroeder.
Episode 43:
The JV Club
Erinn Hayes
Erinn Hayes
Hey Guys- Thanks for weighing in! Bronwyn and Blair, I TOTALLY understand what you mean. As someone who has grappled with my own fair share of mental stuff, I can assure you that Erinn in NO WAY meant to disparage or lump together the mentally ill. She truly was saying exactly what you so beautifully expressed in your comment – ”
“And while we’re on the subject, this country needs to make getting people with mental illnesses the treatment they need a top priority. There’s something seriously wrong with our system when the tendency is to wait for someone to fuck up and then toss them in prison- we should be preventing this shit from the start.”
Could not agree more- that’s what I was trying to say – albeit less aptly- when I said we are a broken society. And I promise that was Erinn’s intention as well.
I’m so glad you wrote in because I can totally see how this could be perceived that way and it’s such a sensitive subject!
JV
That rejected necklace story was adorable.
Brownyn, I definitely had the same feelings.
I may try to re-listen to this podcast without the bit at the beginning, but frankly Erinn’s comments at the beginning in regards to the mentally ill left a bad taste in my mouth for the whole thing.
I think that it is important to look at how we view the mentally ill in this country for sure; too many people do not get help with very serious problems, but I just felt like Erinn has the view that many people have that most mentally ill people are violent and “bad,” and I suppose that may have just been her emotions talking, but it still felt.. it was hard to listen to. And I also know that it is comforting to just assume that every person who does something like this must have some kind of mental illness, but that assumption just continues to make it harder on those of us who would never do anything so terrible.
I don’t own a gun myself, and I don’t actually have a desire to, but I like knowing that, if I were to choose, I could own one. I’d be really upset if by virtue of me taking anti-depressants I would be banned from using one when I have no history of violence, no violent tendencies, no desire to kill myself, etc. I think gun restrictions do need to be tighter, and that semi-automatic weapons need to be banned, and that restrictions on people with violent tendencies- mentally ill or not- owning guns need to be enacted.
And while we’re on the subject, this country needs to make getting people with mental illnesses the treatment they need a top priority. There’s something seriously wrong with our system when the tendency is to wait for someone to fuck up and then toss them in prison- we should be preventing this shit from the start.
Sorry for the verbose comment; I could seriously go on for ages about this, as it is a serious issue. But I’m cutting it short.
Speaking of the Devil, to quote Charles Baudelaire : “La plus belle des ruses du Diable est de vous persuader qu’il n’existe pas !”
or, as translated in the movie The Usual Suspects: “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
Of course, I’m an atheist, but that devilish quote by Baudelaire is enough to make anyone at least suddenly doubt their own conviction. Another piece of wisdom by Baudelaire: “Un homme qui ne boit que de l’eau a un secret à cacher à ses semblables.” (A man who drinks only water has something to hide from his fellow men).