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Should a complaint be made to OFCOM about how Hollyoaks are treating Bipolar? |
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#1 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 22,432
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Should a complaint be made to OFCOM about how Hollyoaks are treating Bipolar?
I had to turn it off. Seeing Cindy running around in the wedding dress. 5 or 10 years ago HO would of done this story well.
I'm not really the complaining person but i feel some action needs to be taking when they keep treating this disorder like a joke. Do they not get that treating one of the longest running characters still there like this will just get more long term viewers to turn off, if they haven't already. |
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#2 |
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Join Date: Jul 2011
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Does she have Bipolar? I thought it was some sort of mental illness.
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#3 |
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Join Date: Aug 2014
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Quote:
Does she have Bipolar? I thought it was some sort of mental illness.
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#4 |
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Join Date: Jul 2011
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Eh? I don't understand your question, are you asking if Cindy has a mental illness or if bipolar is a mental illness? In either case the answer is yes. Well, Cindy is meant to have bipolar but the portrayal of it is stupid, nonsensical, offensive and frankly disgusting.
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#5 |
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Join Date: Sep 2012
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What do you expect from the tackiest show on tv?
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#6 |
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Join Date: Sep 2011
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What do you expect from the tackiest show on tv?
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#7 |
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Join Date: Aug 2014
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I don't know much about bipolar but apart from her trying to seduce Jason and seeing Rhys what is so bad about her portrayal? Jean and Stacey both had it in EE they didn't see dead people but they did react in different ways.
There's also been absolutely zero mention of the depressive episodes, which make up half of the illness. No attempt whatsoever to convey what any of it really means; that the person will most likely be at great risk of harming themselves in one way or another, the prejudices of other people and what that means socially or in terms of employment prospects/holding onto jobs or anything like that. Then there's the tendency towards massive overspending and getting into debt while manic, which could cause a sufferer to go bankrupt or lose their home. I also take issue with the way in which Cindy just suddenly decides to go off her meds for no particular reason and then instantly becomes manic, that's completely unrealistic. Of course a person might come off of a bipolar medication for one reason or another, usually horrendous side effects, but if their condition is being managed by the medication and they're stable, as Cindy was made out to be for a while, they don't just suddenly go "actually you know what, this is too easy for me, I think I'll just stop taking it and become really ill again." Even if that were the case, it certainly wouldn't happen instantaneously as it has with Cindy, medication takes a while to get out of your system, and even after it had that wouldn't mean an instant automatic manic episode. Also on the subject of medication, a lot of medications which work for bipolar and are essential for the sufferer can and do have terrible physical side effects. Some of those side effects can be permanent, even if you stop taking the medicine. I have a friend who has permanent severe rheumatic problems that cause her terrible pain as a direct result of taking lithium. There's been no mention of anything like this with Cindy. I mean obviously there's no reason why she should necessarily have to have physical problems as a result of her condition, but the possibility could have been mentioned at some point when she in hospital, or at a doctor's appointment or something, as it's a fairly major thing to do with the illness. Even the business of Cindy seeing Rhys seemed to me to be played for laughs, and largely as a source of embarrassment for Holly rather than there being anything about what it's actually like to have delusions, psychosis etc. Not that I know personally but I have it on good authority that it's utterly terrifying and horrific. Not to mention the indignity of ending up hospitalised and so drugged up because of psychosis that you frequently wet yourself and are too out of it to even notice. (Obviously this doesn't happen to all sufferers, but it can happen.) That picture, the real one, differs greatly from "oh how hilarious, Cindy's impersonating EL James and running around in a wedding dress." I'm not a fan of Eastenders' portrayal either but it's certainly a lot better than Hollyoaks'. EE make is clear it's an illness and not some huge joke. |
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#8 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 653
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Yeah they seem to be portraying bipolar as some kind of nymphomania?
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#9 |
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Join Date: Jun 2015
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I suffer from bipolar disorder and have been in psychosis and subsequently hospitalised, for weeks I walked round unaware of the consequences of my behaviour or what I was saying to people. I did lose my job because I lost all concept of timekeeping and was off sick quite a lot whilst in hospital and then recovering. Stacey's portrayal in EE was the closest portrayal of bipolar from my perspective, cindys is just pathetic and if younger people believe this rubbish as what the illness is like it is just bringing up more younger people to laugh and discriminate against mental health, when the fight against stigma is already a big battle.
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#10 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
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How hollyoaks have portrayed bipolar is just unforgivable, insulting and worrying that a serious, terrifying and very real illness is portrayed as a comic storyline.
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#11 |
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Join Date: Jan 2011
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I have to say I switched on last night for an episode and I was appalled, both at the acting and the writing, of this storyline. I wasn't aware that Cindy had bipolar when I was watching it, but with that information Hollyoaks should hang their head in shame. The script was AWFUL!
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#12 |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,699
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Quote:
How hollyoaks have portrayed bipolar is just unforgivable, insulting and worrying that a serious, terrifying and very real illness is portrayed as a comic storyline.
Mentally ill people are treated like a joke in that show. Im actually annoyed at Stephanie Waring for agreeing to act out that part. Does she have no shame? |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,042
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Quote:
I had to turn it off. Seeing Cindy running around in the wedding dress. 5 or 10 years ago HO would of done this story well.
I'm not really the complaining person but i feel some action needs to be taking when they keep treating this disorder like a joke. Do they not get that treating one of the longest running characters still there like this will just get more long term viewers to turn off, if they haven't already. Complaining might draw attention to other flaws in the show. |
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#14 |
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Posts: 3,637
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How hollyoaks have portrayed bipolar is just unforgivable, insulting and worrying that a serious, terrifying and very real illness is portrayed as a comic storyline.
I have bipolar and their portrayal is embarrassing, insulting and ignorant. |
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#15 |
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Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 23,408
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Does she have Bipolar? I thought it was some sort of mental illness.
Symptons can include delusions and hyper sexuality which Cindy is displaying now she if off her medications. But whilst the symptons cn happen, i agree it is being treated far too flippantly and could easily be seen as insulting and offensive. |
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#16 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 30,156
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I am so glad I don't watch this awful show because i feel offended purely by reading the comments on how the storyline is being done.
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#17 |
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Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Alcohol aisle in Tescos *gulp*
Posts: 12,042
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Totally agree and the show needs to be pulled up on it an made apologise. Berkwood needs to go. Look at the way Sienna is portrayed? She tried to kill children for gods sake and 2 years on she is still plotting and planning and has had absolutely no character development.
Mentally ill people are treated like a joke in that show. Im actually annoyed at Stephanie Waring for agreeing to act out that part. Does she have no shame? It is such a shame how Hollyoaks have portrayed this story, aswell as the abuse one with Maxine & Patrick, it should have ended a year ago at their wedding & since then Patrick has left Maxine for dead & she's nearly committed suicide. As much as I like Patrick I can't wait until his MND finishes him off & we can put the story to bed, well knowing Kirkwood Maxine will be framed for his death & the story will drag on for yet another year. |
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#18 |
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Inactive Member
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 412
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Bryan Kirkwood is genuinely just a crap producer. When he took over EE one of the first things he did was turn Jean into a panto joke because he had no idea what bipolar was. The difference in the material she was given as a character from Santer to Kirkwood was just baffling. So its no surprise he is doing the same thing on Hollyoaks.
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#19 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Losing the plot and not caring
Posts: 68,962
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I suffer from bipolar disorder and have been in psychosis and subsequently hospitalised, for weeks I walked round unaware of the consequences of my behaviour or what I was saying to people. I did lose my job because I lost all concept of timekeeping and was off sick quite a lot whilst in hospital and then recovering. Stacey's portrayal in EE was the closest portrayal of bipolar from my perspective, cindys is just pathetic and if younger people believe this rubbish as what the illness is like it is just bringing up more younger people to laugh and discriminate against mental health, when the fight against stigma is already a big battle.
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#20 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Posts: 2,415
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Quote:
Bryan Kirkwood is genuinely just a crap producer. When he took over EE one of the first things he did was turn Jean into a panto joke because he had no idea what bipolar was. The difference in the material she was given as a character from Santer to Kirkwood was just baffling. So its no surprise he is doing the same thing on Hollyoaks.
The bioolar storyline, I thought stood out last night. I thought Stephanie Waring's portrayal last night was incredible - the way she broke down in her wedding dress was really harrowing to watch. That was the only part of the bipolar story I liked. With the whole "Mason" book that Cindy was writing, it felt like they wanted the audience to think Cindy was hilarious. And I'm saying that as somebody who has no clue about bipolar, I only know about it because of Jean and Stacey in EastEnders (handled by phenomenal actors). |
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#21 |
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 43,532
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Well there's quite a lot to say on that subject but the main thing is that it seems to be being played as a bit of fun or some kind of joke, not taken remotely seriously at all. Apparently Cindy wanting to sleep with any man she happens to meet is hilarious for some reason. Bipolar is a very serious mental illness which makes life horrendously difficult for sufferers, there's a lot more to it than having lots of sex. In reality the hyper sexuality can be very dangerous; the person could put themselves in dangerous situations where they're more vulnerable to violence, or could contract an STD or HIV etc as a result.
There's also been absolutely zero mention of the depressive episodes, which make up half of the illness. No attempt whatsoever to convey what any of it really means; that the person will most likely be at great risk of harming themselves in one way or another, the prejudices of other people and what that means socially or in terms of employment prospects/holding onto jobs or anything like that. Then there's the tendency towards massive overspending and getting into debt while manic, which could cause a sufferer to go bankrupt or lose their home. I also take issue with the way in which Cindy just suddenly decides to go off her meds for no particular reason and then instantly becomes manic, that's completely unrealistic. Of course a person might come off of a bipolar medication for one reason or another, usually horrendous side effects, but if their condition is being managed by the medication and they're stable, as Cindy was made out to be for a while, they don't just suddenly go "actually you know what, this is too easy for me, I think I'll just stop taking it and become really ill again." Even if that were the case, it certainly wouldn't happen instantaneously as it has with Cindy, medication takes a while to get out of your system, and even after it had that wouldn't mean an instant automatic manic episode. Also on the subject of medication, a lot of medications which work for bipolar and are essential for the sufferer can and do have terrible physical side effects. Some of those side effects can be permanent, even if you stop taking the medicine. I have a friend who has permanent severe rheumatic problems that cause her terrible pain as a direct result of taking lithium. There's been no mention of anything like this with Cindy. I mean obviously there's no reason why she should necessarily have to have physical problems as a result of her condition, but the possibility could have been mentioned at some point when she in hospital, or at a doctor's appointment or something, as it's a fairly major thing to do with the illness. Even the business of Cindy seeing Rhys seemed to me to be played for laughs, and largely as a source of embarrassment for Holly rather than there being anything about what it's actually like to have delusions, psychosis etc. Not that I know personally but I have it on good authority that it's utterly terrifying and horrific. Not to mention the indignity of ending up hospitalised and so drugged up because of psychosis that you frequently wet yourself and are too out of it to even notice. (Obviously this doesn't happen to all sufferers, but it can happen.) That picture, the real one, differs greatly from "oh how hilarious, Cindy's impersonating EL James and running around in a wedding dress." I'm not a fan of Eastenders' portrayal either but it's certainly a lot better than Hollyoaks'. EE make is clear it's an illness and not some huge joke. |
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#22 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Posts: 16,707
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Quote:
I had to turn it off. Seeing Cindy running around in the wedding dress. 5 or 10 years ago HO would of done this story well.
I'm not really the complaining person but i feel some action needs to be taking when they keep treating this disorder like a joke. Do they not get that treating one of the longest running characters still there like this will just get more long term viewers to turn off, if they haven't already. |
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#23 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 863
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Berkwood is an utter disgrace. The way they have portrayed this mental illness is downright disgusting. People suffer delibilitating mood swings, psychotic breakdowns and heightened sexual desire during their episodes. However, the way it has been portrayed as some sort of comic nymphomania is sickening to say the least. Does this ignorant fool not realise that younger viewers will believe this is how bipolar truly is and thus making genuine sufferers a laughing stock? So much for mental health charities wanting to eradicate stigma when you have idiots like Berkwood in top positions on tv.
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#24 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 6,739
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This came just days after Nana McQueen said..
'I hope my taxes aren't being used for THAT LOT' 'That lot' being a mental health therapy group. That episode finally showed Sienna getting therapy after 2+ years, only for it to be turned into a comedy episode. Sienna should be a character we feel sympathy for after being abused by Patrick and raised in isolation, she was desperate for a family and she got one, all because of a undiagnosed (we still don't know what mental illness she has) mental illness.. But they just kept making her do more and more unbelievable things and then she was taken off screen and we never saw any therapy, until the joke episode last week. It's just a excuse to keep her in the show and have her get away with everything she does. I love Sienna's character, mostly because of the actress and her first year in the show, but I hate the writing. I don't think HOs could try any harder to make mental illness look like a joke and something to be disgusted by. Do they realise that they are actually encouraging their viewers to laugh at people with a mental illness? As shown by a lot of messages on Twitter last night. It's really shocking that they would actually do this, I know HOs has a bad rep, but I didn't believe they would cross this line. The charities involved in these storylines should be ashamed to support them.. It does them and everyone with a mental illness no favours. And for a show that in it's peak has incredible episodes (the early Patrick/Maxine abuse, JPs rape before he went to jail, Ste's HIV diagnoses.), it's shocking how low they can go. |
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