Before watching the following clips and reading the following article, think about your experiences and perceptions of mental illness. Do you think there is a negative stigma associated with mental illness or do you think our society is accepting of people with mental illnesses? In a theoretical approach context, how is it represented in the television we watch and does it accurately “construct” reality? Now, watch this Monk clip and an interview featuring Tony Shalhoub, the actor who plays Monk and read this brief article: http://www.health24.com/Mental-Health/Disorders/Monks-OCD-Fact-or-fiction-20120721. Then, answer the following discussion questions.
- What is your perception of OCD and mental illness as a whole after watching this clip and reading this article? Has it changed since doing this activity? Please include your before and after watching thoughts in your post.
- What do you think? Does Monk do more harm than good in terms of spreading awareness and education about OCD/mental illness?
- Is it possible for Monk to still be entertaining while also attempting to depict an accurate portrayal of OCD?