“Most of what we know does not come from personal experience. The world we know best is the world of stories we tell. Today most o these stories are mass-produced.(11)” We learn from our parents and things we do in the home. Lots of what is on the television is just judgment and stereotype. What sells is what’s played. Somewhere on there they should say that it’s not how most people with mental illnesses should act like. Maybe say, this is to the extreme, but here it is.
“Far away places and faces animate our imagination and guide our actions. Images of mental illness in the mass media cultivate some of our most distorted and damaging assumptions. (11)”Like that there is no escape or no way out is an illusion. Yes at first it seems that way but not always.
“Television does not replace other media or monopolize culture but reorganizes it to its own image…It is the first medium that displaces the parent, the school, and the church in telling stories about life and the world to children.(11)” People everywhere are exposed to media. Even more than you think. This affects our thoughts and interpretations. I used to think that the media had no effect on me, but I learned it really has affected me. Catchy radio commercials stick with us and other things to our interest.
“It must attract audiences to sell to advertisers. Therefore, it must present life in saleable package, catering to the tastes, assumptions, and prejudices of the largest number of viewers. The image of mental illness, and of everything else, must by and large conform-with notable exceptions-to marketing rather than artistic, educational or therapeutic purposes.(11)” They do what they can to help get more money and do what sales. They once tried with the rules, but it is not what sold. We are put in this situation because of the audiences.