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Hey friends!
Last night on the Oscar’s, screenwriter Graham Moore talked about his experience with suicide in his acceptance speech….if you didn’t get a chance to watch it- here is the link:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/22/graham-moore-oscars_n_6733082.html
I am a firm believer that there is no such thing as “normal” and that it is only a mode on the washer machine…Graham Moore says “Be weird. Be different”. How can we encourage each other to be accepting of who we are? Do you think society encourages a certain idea of “normal” and, if so, how can we address that?
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it was such a great step for Graham Moore for reducing stigma and showing kids that there is hope! it can really get better. i love that he had the courage to speak the truth about his past in front of so many people. it seems like even though everybody says on the outside that they are “loving” and “accepting” and “tolerant” that so many groups and types of people are still so stigmatized and made fun of. it doesn’t seem fair. it’s such a good question…. how can we encourage each other to be accepting of who we are… i think that it will take time. i think if more people embrace their uniqueness and don’t try to hide their “weirdness” and love themselves for who they are and speak the truth about who they are like Graham Moore did, then others will see that their words and discouragement and insults are useless and that “weird and different” people are really everywhere and really are what makes humanity so great.
The great thing about life is that nobody is normal! We all have our own uniqueness- we just need to embrace it. Society certainly encourages an idea about what is “normal” and the only way to address that is for individuals to speak out about their individuality and express healthy anger when society’s idea of normal offends them.
I loved that so many people used their few moments in the spotlight at the Oscars to make important statements and share really meaningful messages. It’s really reassuring to see people who recognize just how much power to influence the media has, and to use that positively! I loved Graham Moore’s speech and I have so much respect and admiration for him.
A little earlier in the night, Dana Perry, one of the winners of Best Documentary Short Subject (for “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1”) used her speech to advocate for speaking openly about suicide to raise awareness and encourage prevention. I haven’t seen as much news or conversation about her and I think what she said and what Graham Moore said were both so important, especially because they talked about the same subject from slightly different angles, so here’s some more about Dana Perry and the work she’s done!
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/oscars-2015-dana-perry-us-pay-attention-suicide/story?id=29150634
I wasn’t able to watch the oscars this sunday, but made sure to watch this clip after all the positive comments from it! Graham Moore could have used his short period of time on stage to talk about himself or thank all the people who helped him get to where he is today, but he used it to shares such a valuable and inspirational message. The stigma on mental illness is still so strong, but with people like this speaking their mind for the public change will happen! Just imagine if more stars like Graham Moore stood up and shared their struggles there would be no reason to even have a stigma! I know for a fact that I am not normal and I am SO happy I’m not! 🙂
I also loved the speech at the Oscar’s from Dana Perry (who won for best documentary) who said, “We should talk about suicide out loud.” Her son had committed suicide at age 15. It’s so great that these individuals can use their short Oscar’s speech time to raise awareness that feeling “abnormal” is more normal than we think.
His speech was so moving! It was so awesome seeing all those famous people talk about such important themes at the Oscar’s….I think we have come a long way as a society in how we talk about suicide and mental health and it’s really inspiring!
Dana Perry’s speech was also very moving…..it feels like society is moving in the direction of non-judgement, of supportive talk about mental health challenges and suicide. I can only hope that we continue to support and acknowledge people who are brave enough to talk about things like suicide, depression, Bi-polar disorder, etc.
I agree with all of you. I love it when famous people don’t feel like the have to hide and tell the world about their mental health struggles. By bringing it out in the open, I know they are helping lots of people at home watching or reading about them who are going through a similar struggle but feel so alone. It’s really inspiring to me!
And a few days ago Michelle Obama talked about there be no stigma of mental health! I LOVE HER!