Tonight I saw the second episode of a new tv show. One of the characters is played by Cloris Leachman. She plays a grandmother with dementia.
And, it's a comedy. Here's one review- http://www.zap2it.com/news/zap-raising-hope-story,0,7925413.story
Yes, finally we can laugh over a comedy character going down the street topless, and believing her grandson is her husband. (supposedly this is humor)
And, Cloris Leachman is quoted as saying she took care of a MIL with AD, and this show is good because it will put dementia "in the foreground".
A number of reviewers said it was very funny, as did some of the people who added comments.
I can't imagine those who have worked so hard to educate the public are going to see this show as "progress". It was just so sad to watch (yea, I wasn't in control of the remote here).
Haven't seen the show, but I wonder if it trivializes the effects of the disease? As we all know, there are funny aspects, but they are nothing compared to the losses.
Thank you for posting this. I had no plans to watch that show, but I will tune in just to see if the depiction of dementia improves. Everyone reading this - WRITE TO THE PRODUCERS AND NETWORK - Consider it another chance to educate the public.
Don't think you have to worry too much about this show. I can't imah\gine it will be on the air long. Disgusting as far as I could tell. You can watch here: http://www.hulu.com/watch/178543/raising-hope-pilot
I watched up until they were executing a young woman in front of here 6 month old child - ha ha, funny stuff there!
I totally agree! This is no laughing matter and even though some of the things that we go through we need to laugh at so we don't cry I think it is going to come across as not as serious of a matter as it really is. I don't even know how, after taking care of her mother-in-law, she could even agree to play the part. Oh well, it's her business I guess! Do you think anyone would make fun of MS? I don't think so. Off of my soapbox now!
Forget what I said about writing to the producers. I just watched part of the link Mary provided. Anyone who has anything to do with the production of that show would not care what we have to say. I can't believe anyone would think that was funny.
There is a strain of humor, currently becoming more popular, that seeks laughs through shock value. Sometimes it actually works, although the line between funny and merely offensive is extremely faint. Take Borat, for example. (If anyone saw it.) I genuinely laughed at a few of the segments, but most were asinine.
We know what we deal with is sometimes funny, because we've got the giggles & jokes thread, but dementia--played for laughs WITHOUT the underlying compassion and intimate knowledge that those in our boat possess--is likely to fall flat, except for people who are callous or at least completely clueless.
I haven't seen the show in question. Just reading about it is enough to tell me it's not my cup o'tea. I wonder if the writers/producers have any personal acquaintance with dementia? By that I mean close personal acquaintance.
It sounds to me like this show is the equivalent of slip-on-a-banana-peel humor taken to an extreme and stretched to sitcom length. Thing is...I never laughed at slipping on a banana peel. Instead I worried about the person who slipped.
Number one, I think Cloris Leachman is probably not deluged with offers of work, and she will take any role that is offered her. I wonder how much "taking care" of her MIL she actually did.
There actually is a show on now (The Big C on Showtime) in which the main character, Laura Linney, has untreated cancer. However, it isn't played for laughs, she is a likeable woman going through the struggle of accepting her diagnosis and trying to make sense of her life. I'm not sure what category the show would fit, I wouldn't call it a comedy or a strict drama. The point is, it's very well done and no one is mocking the disease nor using her illness as a cheap joke. On one of the episodes, she struggles with attending a support group and ultimately decides it's not for her. I thought some of our AD spouses could relate to that; also, she hasn't told anyone yet about her dx--one neighbor guessed it--but that also rang true with the experiences so many of us have had involving awkwardness with telling people about our LO's diagnoses.
Too bad that a show featuring a character with dementia couldn't be handled as sensitively. There aren't many groups that it's still ok to make fun of--not "politically correct", but I guess people with dementia are one of the few.
A story line with a teen age boy raising his child in a home with his parents and a grandmother with dementia could be a very interesting and even funny show if done correctly. This show is not it.
You know...we caregivers have earned the right to see humor in AD at times, others have not. Also, I believe seeing the humor at times is what helps with our stress at our situation.
Grannywhiskers you are so right. We do often find humor in some of the things our spouses do that are funny, I don't think we could survive if we didn't. We can laugh at a situation but we never make fun of the disease itself.
I thought Borat was funny. That just goes to show who has a warped sense of humor. I have not seen the show, but if all they can do is make fun of someone with a terminal disease, they are sick.
If the net result of the show was raised awareness, that would be different. If it is just to get cheap laughs then it lacks respect. As Deb42657 said... we all laugh at times if just to keep from crying but there is nothing funny about the totality of what this disease does to a family.
There was one thing that Cloris Leachman has done on the show that I have not heard us mention here - she seems to have moments of complete clarity as to who she is, and wants to know why her daughter is in her house, using her things, and gets furious that her daughter and family have moved into her house and tells them to leave. These moments of clarity have lasted a few minutes each time. The family waits until the "wires disconnect" again before resuming whatever they were doing and they never know how long these moments are going to last. It is a completely distinct, completely clear return. It is not just remembering who you are and who they are or that they love you type of moments. I have never heard about this type of "return" before.
I think the series is awful and don't think it will last long. I hope it doesn't.
I haven't seen it either and don't intend to but I think the biggest reason is because we are trying to get people to understand dementia correctly and take it seriously and not see it as a joke that we just have to put up with from elderly people. If they make light of the things that she does it is going to undermine our efforts in getting people to understand dementia and dispel the myths. Cloris as an actress can be or use to be kind of funny. I say her on Mary Tyler Moore and she was funny(sort of) Anyway, yes, we do laugh at some of the things that our LO's do but I think that is mainly to lessen the stree.
As for TV shows and Alzheimer's Disease - I noticed last year that more shows are trying to bring in AD storylines, even if they are just a snippet. I never watched Boston Legal, so I can't comment on the William Shatner episodes about AD. However, last year, CSI and NCIS Los Angeles did episodes that I thought were well done in raising awareness of people living alone with AD and needing services. On CSI, Captain Brass notified a woman that her grandson ( not sure if it was grandson or foster child or whatever - can't remember - uh, oh, is that a bad sign?) had been killed. She was sad for a few minutes, and then went on talking as if he had never told her. It was very realistic to those of us who are familiar with AD. He recognized her disease, and arranged for her to be evaluated and helped.
On NCIS Los Angeles, the bad guys took advantage of a woman who used to be a top secret scientist, but now had AD. The good guys arranged for evaluation and help for her. The episode raised awareness not only of AD people living alone and needing help, but of them being taken advantage of by unscrupulous people. I though both episodes were well done.
I almost never have a problem (except for the graphic violence) with my favorite show, Criminal Minds. But this week, they are doing an episode about a serial killer with Alzheimer's Disease, who forgets his crimes. This doesn't sound very appropriate to me, but I will watch and let you know what I think.
Mandy Patinkin aka Gideon left the show because of all the violence. I like the profiling concept but abhorred the gore. I read they are working on not just letting Cook go, but the other female so Garcia will be the only female left. I have like Shemar Moore since he was on The Young and Restless.