Imagine that

[sabotabby]

The latest episode of Doctor Who was the first portrayal of mental illness on telly in I-don't-know-how-long that didn't make me want to punch my fist through the computer screen.

Also, I may have cried a bit, though I am in a weepy mood lately regardless of what I'm doing. Still, it was quite good.

---

Ohdeargod. The latest "Hark, a vagrant." The one about Canadian literature is so true that I wish I could travel back in time, show it to my long-suffering teenage self with her face stuck in compulsory Margaret Laurence, and say, "It's okay dear. One day, this will all be the punchline of a very funny joke."

Comments

[jackspryte.livejournal.com]

We've downloaded it but I haven't watched it yet.

[seaya.livejournal.com]

Anne of Green Gables was slightly better than that :).

Slightly.

[soberloki.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with you on the mental illness portrayal. None of the typical 'tragic creature' bullshit. Vincent was subject to some dark crap, but he was also a person, FFS, who could smile and deal with people and live an actual life.

I got sniffly too, particularly about the sunflowers.

[misslynx.livejournal.com]

Yes, I really liked it too, for a variety of reasons - partly, as soberloki said, the fact that they made him a well-rounded person who was more than just his illness, and partly the realism that just having one good thing happen in his life didn't magically make the depression disappear.

And yes, I started to get a wee bit weepy at the part with the stars, and was pretty much crying like a baby at - well, I don't want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn't seen it, so I'll do it this way (highlight to read): the scene where they took him to the gallery. So awesome.

And I thought it was nice that at the end they added a little note directing people who were dealing with issues like the ones they showed in the episode to the BBC's mental health support website.

On da Horrible, also

[ed-rex.livejournal.com]

Best Who of the season, to my mind, though I thought it wasn't quite so good on second viewing. But it's the first time Who has brought me even close to tears in a good while, so (not-so-paradoxically), I am very happy about it.

Meanwhile, though I liked the Can-lit bit, Haggar Da Horrible cracked me right up.

[ironed_orchid]

It was the best protrayal of mental illness in fiction I've seen in recent years. I <3 it and the beeb for providing aftercare instructions.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

yes on both

[shelestel.livejournal.com]

From my little experience, Canadian lit is a lot like, um, Canadian life. Very pastoral and mostly boring. If America's (i.e. USA's) vast physical space is (at least at places) densely filled with ideologies, violence and passions, the Canadian space has little of that. If you ever feel like writing a longer post about Canadian lit, I'll be cheering.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Actually, the main problem with CanLit is this idea of pastorality... Canada is the most urbanized country in the world (with Australia), much more than the United States (i.e. we don't live in our vast empty spaces, whereas Americans do). This pastorality might have been relevant until WWII, but the continuation of this trope to this day is quite ridiculous.

[shelestel.livejournal.com]

But I don't find Canadian urban spaces to be all that urban-like. My first impression of Toronto (after Haifa!) was, "hmm, this looks like a damn huge village." I don't find the governing mentality urban-like, either. Neither does Canada have "villages". A country of contrasts it isn't.

[frandroid.livejournal.com]

Have you been to Montréal? Vancouver? Calgary?

[shelestel.livejournal.com]

Yes, no, no. Montreal was a bit "better", but still markedly Canadian. It has more of a city feel, that's true. Even Winnipeg has more of a city feel than Toronto.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

Anne of Green Gables is one of the happiest, specialist most sacred things to me ever ever ever!!!!!!!!!!! I think if I ever got that brain thingy where one is traped in one's past moments I'd probably prefer to be trapped in reading Anne of Green Gables.
I used to be able to quote most of the book by heart, when I was 12.
Haven't read it since I was about 14, but maybe I shouldn't as it might spoil it. I'd probably want to kill that Rachel Lynd woman and think Gilbert was a ponce.

I haven't been watching Dr Who - just seen two of this new lot. Will look up this episode though.

[jenlight.livejournal.com]

I cried damn it. I cried like a hungry, tired baby.

As The Spokesperson For Mental Illness Everywhere I give the episode a thumbs up.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize Anne of Green Gables was Canadian, though! Thought it was American. Whoops.
Does Suzannah of the Mounties count as Canadian? I vaguely remember reading that when i was little.

[pofflewomp.livejournal.com]

I just watched it!
I would like to marry that Vincent Van Gogh, although I couldn't deal with the mentalness! I think it made me appreciate his paintings more. That gallery in Paris looks horrible, though. All the paintings in that small room with grey lighting. I went to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, but it is hard when there are so many paintings all at once. Bit overwhelming.

I am sad that I can't cope with mad people. I just get frustrated. And I am upset that there is so much misery in the world simpy caused by people being horrible. So unnecessary. I have had people laughing and pointing at me calling me a nutter because I was crying in the street and screaming. People are sick.
Funny Dr Who. It's sort of absurd and stupid yet lovely somehow all at once!