Why does today's society still condone making fun of the mentally ill and mental illness?

Question

It seems rather bizarre that with all of the people in the world who have varying forms of mental illness that such illnesses that affect families, friends, acquaintances, coworkers, and others, are often the butt of jokes, while people who have physical illnesses like cancer or heart disease are taken more seriously.

Why does such a double standard exist in this regard in the 21st century?

Answer 1

Some people, even well-educated ones,  are arrogant enough to believe that they will never be afflicted with a mental illness and like to make fun of those they consider weaker than themselves. Too bad they don't understand that there are various conditions that can trigger mental illnesses even in adult life. For example, Jane Pauley used steroids to treat a medical condition and it set off a bipolar episode. Think of how many people are treated with steroids each year and perhaps even if a small percentage of them had bipolar condition for a really bad side effect. That is just one example, injuries to the brain, illnesses that cause very high fevers, and traumatic stress are other things that can result in mental problems. People should stop being so judgemental and start being more understanding.

Answer 2

There is nothing funny about mental illness and the people who find mental illness funny ironically suffer from it.  They’re in denial and they are afraid of the stigma associated with this unfortunate condition.  I suspect that there are a lot of undiagnosed mentally ill people who are afraid to admit it and get treatment for it.  Mental illness comes in as many different forms a physical illness and none are funny and they all can turn a person’s life and that person’s family’s life into a nightmare that only a cruel and immature person would laugh at.  

Society is still living in the dark ages with regards to how we treat mental illness and I suspect there would be much less of it if it were given the amount of serious consideration it deserves.  

Edit:

I’ve always thought that if mental illness was not given such an unfair and immature negative stigma, this obviously messed up society just might be a bit less dysfunctional.  I would venture to say that everyone would derive some degree of benefit from regular visits to a professional mental health expert.

Answer 3

You are suggesting limitations be placed upon humor, what about thoughts.

Is it enough to limit how people can express their thoughts, should we not also assign limits to what people are allowed to think?

I hear racial jokes all the time, in fact one good example of a  show that deals with racial issues by using humor.

The boondocks or the chapell show.

Perhaps you missed my point, I am not saying there are things that we should not be offended by. But if something is intended as humor it is difficult to say that it should NOT be made a joke of, rather you might say I do not find it funny.

I do not think on the other hand think that restricting individual freedom is a solution.

And that is why I brought it up.

Every democratic society places individual freedom or speech ahead of personal emotion reactions to what is being said.

I am not saying you have to like the jokes, or even that you should not get offended.

I am just saying that it should be a right to be able to tell such jokes regardless of how it makes you feel.

Answer 4

Hey, you are right.  Mentally and physically handicapped people are insulted on a regular basis. It is something that they cannot help.  It is something that they have no control over.

What it comes down to is that people are cruel.  

Answer 5

Probably for the same reason we are still swimming in sexism and most don't really seem to notice... or care.

Answer 6

Because it's easy to be happy when you are mentally retarded, but it's difficult to be happy when you know that you only have, say, 16 months to live. They're also easier targets. People are generally cowards.

There are some mentally ill people with almost normal IQ's, though, but they tend to get lumped in with the others. I guess people are just mean like that.

Answer 7

we fear what we do not understand .Even in modern science we have not even tipped the ice burg on understanding the illness in this world, so we make it the butt end of our jokes purely out of ignorance that is not accompanied by compassion or the simple "want" to understand.

We understand things that can kill us allot faster. Because it could happen to us.