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Mental Patient Fancy Dress
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Spotted this on the BBC and thought it was probably good fodder for discussion here given how much it focuses on mental health.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24278768
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-24282737
Anyone any strong feelings one way or the other? I'm struggling to get het up about it. Clearly Tesco and ASDA fear the bad PR so will swing whichever way that dictates, but imagine a world where all mighty dollar wasn't their prime motivator, should they have taken them off the shelves? Is this a case of offence seeking or a genuine case of insensitivity and conciousness raising?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24278768
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-24282737
Anyone any strong feelings one way or the other? I'm struggling to get het up about it. Clearly Tesco and ASDA fear the bad PR so will swing whichever way that dictates, but imagine a world where all mighty dollar wasn't their prime motivator, should they have taken them off the shelves? Is this a case of offence seeking or a genuine case of insensitivity and conciousness raising?
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Comments
Agree with Grace, if the costume had a difference name, the consequential controversy would have been avoided.
Agreed. And no doubt it'll probably reappear on the website in a few weeks with this sort of title. It looked like a not half bad costume all considered.
Someone made a very good point in the comments section of the BBC article.
How are those costumes wrong....but the "sexy schoolgirl" outfit is deemed appropriate?
Pretty much.
I'm not personally offended, because it was clearly not meant to be malicious, but it does bother me from a stigma point of view. Technically, I am a mental patient, because I am a patient under a mental health team. Unfortunately, this is still the picture people have in their minds when they hear "mental patient", and I think that's something that absolutely needs to change. I'm glad it was flagged and I hope it causes Tesco and asda to think more about appropriate labeling and how it can impact in terms of casual stigma.
I don't think the problem is with the actual costumes, but the labeling of them. If they'd been named "axe murderer" as (grace?) said, I don't think anybody would have batted an eyelid.
Exactly. And that just increases stigma.
I am a mental patient, as are a lot of users of this site. None of us look like that. Giving that costume the name "mental patient" just concretes the idea in people's heads that mental illness equates to axe wielding murderers. Which is dangerous.
Although both Asda and Tesco have had similar issues in recent days, ASDA were very quick off the mark with their apology and promise of a substantial donation to a mental health charity.
Do many people really look at halloween stuff before October?
Couldn't disagree more. It might seem petty in the grand scheme of things, but we see people here day in, day out, terrified of disclosing mental health issues to anyone (even a professional) in case they lose their job, lose their friends, are labelled a "freak". That fear hasn't just popped into their heads from nowhere, the stigma is real and damaging. It leads people to avoid seeking help, and in extreme cases not seeking help can lead to death.
If we ringfence mental health as an area which MUST NOT be mocked, that just keeps it in the realms of taboo, and IMO is totally at odds with the campaigns to talk more openly about it.
Asda made a stupid mistake, it was pointed out, and they corrected it and apologised. Job done.