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Musings on Mass Media and Mad Pride

by David W. Oaks — last modified Aug 25, 2009 06:41 PM

Tonight, ABC-TV intends to air its piece about MAD PRIDE. There's good news, and bad news.


I'm here in Norway hosted by the wonderful mad movement group WE SHALL OVERCOME. What a great time, with lots of support and speakers.

The ABC-TV show on MAD PRIDE airs in a few hours, but we can get an idea about the coverage from the two parts of text on the ABC web site.

While of course I have to see the piece to review, so far there's some bad news:

ABC-TV producer Ia Robinson had promised two sides of the debate on MAD PRIDE. But instead of reasoned debate, it looks like the show will air sensationalist footage about a murder.

For our very disenfranchised movement, it often helps to compare an action to our sister and brother movements who have come before us, and inspire us.

Imagine early media coverage of GAY PRIDE.

Gay Pride inspired Mad Pride, so imagine:

It would be as if the last half of the media coverage on early Gay Pride events, "responded" to Gay Pride by doing the last half of the show about sensational coverage of a homosexual child rapist.

That's not a debate. How can you respond to that? That's sensationalism.

Imagine early media coverage on BLACK PRIDE.

It would be as if the last half of the coverage "responded" to civil rights, by doing a sensational footage about a murder by an African American.

I talked earlier this evening with Ms. Robinson about her coverage.

I finally summed it up, "The Mouse is Sick." What I mean by that is that Disney Corporation (known in show business as "The Mouse House") owns ABC-TV. And these huge media conglomerates are airing violence over and over again through the evening, on a variety of shows.

As media critics say about editors of the nightly news, "If it bleeds... it leads."

Well, despite the predictable sensationalism... Apparently tonight, for the first time in years, the MAD PRIDE movement reaches a sector of the general public.

Here's a "creatively maladjusted" way to respond to this media coverage.

If you are new to this MAD MOVEMENT, I highly encourage you to join MindFreedom.

If you are already a member, donate again!

  • Support the voice of psychiatric survivors.
  • Support a historic movement.
  • Support humane non-drug alternatives.
  • Support MAD PRIDE!


Join and donate now! Click here:

http://www.mindfreedom.org/join-donate

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Cindi Fisher, mother of psychiatric survivor

Cindi Fisher has fought for years for her son, who has experienced forced psychiatric drugging and other human rights violations in the State of Washington. She has even held protest fasts on her son's behalf (see photo of Day One). Cindi says: "In the past, advocating for my 33-year-old psychiatric survivor son over the years has been very frustrating and has sometimes felt hopeless! Now, as a member of MindFreedom, I feel I have the voice of thousands to join me. My effectiveness and awareness as an advocate has indeed multiplied a thousand times. Thank you David and MindFreedom for your many years of work to build such a powerful and empowering organization!"

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