Here is the problem with this. Tonight, in the episode of House, the character Kutner committed suicide. The show was heartfelt, with people crying, asking questions, and trying to figure out what went wrong to reconcile their feelings of loss. The show even give some PSA message at the end, telling people that there were places a person could go if they were having suicidal thoughts. Then, like a stupid kid trying to push the good deed a bit too far, Fox hosts a website dedicated to Kutner.
Uh. Kutner wasn’t real. At all. Like, not even close. By creating a website for a fake character that commited suicide is like me wearing a black arm band for Hawk, or holding a candle light vigil for Derek. Even though I enjoy these characters, even though I will miss the character of Kutner being on television, these people aren’t real.
And there are real people who have committed suicide, and real people have created web pages mourning these real people. Isn’t it a bit much? Isn’t it a bit disrespectful? The act of giving these adulations to a fictional character lightens the weight of real people having real mental issues and making horrible decisions because of it. I think it is a bit much, and entertainment media needs to be careful just how deep the barbs of their heart-strings go.
No comments:
Post a Comment