Pop Culture Geek

"The Monster Behind Me" by Bella Moon Most everyone I know with mental health struggles has at some point been told those struggles weren’t real. Dismissing mental illness is unfortunately very common and rooted in stigma and shame and fear. It’s also gaslighting. It’s really difficult to explain to someone who’s never had these struggles just how real they are despite not being visible, tangible things. It’s my hope that these examples and parallels from various stories can help everyone understand it a little better, both those of us living with mental illness, and those not. The mental hospital is surprisingly prevalent in sci-fi/fantasy. Called "Cuckoo's Nest" by TV Tropes, it shows up in Buffy ("Normal Again"), Warehouse 13 ("Don't Hate the Player"), Charmed ("Brain Drain"), Smallville ("Labyrinth"), and The Magicians ("The World in the Walls") to name just a few. In each of these cases...

4/9/2020 "The times are urgent enough for us to slow down." Bayo Akomolafe Collage by Bella Moon Magicians fans have been sad the past few weeks as another favorite show came to an end. And everything feels extra sad because we’re all under  unusual stress anyway. Even the beloved actors that brought these characters to life are feeling it with us as we all self-isolate and we all watch for the updates and wonder what tomorrow will bring. I’ve seen mentions of isolation doggie photo shoots from Olivia Taylor Dudley, family quarantine yoga from Jason Ralph, Brittany Curran’s appreciation for grocery delivery from a small business. More than one of them posted about the online version of a party they had for the April 1 st finale. And on March 23rd, Jade Tailor shared a photo of herself and her dog holding a sign about who she stays home for, and asking her followers to share who they stay home for. Think of this as Kady Orloff-Diaz continuing her ...