Unfortunately, she never grew out of this bratty mindset even in season 6, when she impulsively skipped a Broadway performance for an audition in Los Angeles. Before you skip down to the comments to submit your passionate defense of Holmes' mental state, we're not the only ones who think he shows up on the autism spectrum. She's clearly not throwing anything away: This teenager has already collected a landfill worth of human trash in her few short years and socked it all away where no one else can get at it. Shuri from Black Panther. Schizoid personality disorder " is characterized by a long-standing pattern of detachment from social relationships," and a sufferer " often has difficulty emotions and does so typically in very restricted range, especially when communicating with others.". When Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper in one of his best roles) nearly beats his wife's lover to death he's institutionalized, not thrown in jail. Sheimagines adrink that makes you shrink in size. There are particular aspects that identify it as a disorder. Silver Linings Playbookreally kicks off uponhis release, when he loses his wife and access to his child and moves back in with his parents. And if this were IRL, he would probably be locked up in prison for preying on teenagers, rather than actually marrying them later on. This would have been perfectly fine if not for the fact that these two dude-bros literally kissed an unconscious woman. Chuck always gets the sense that no one likes him and everyone is making fun of him. He plays Melvin Udall, a best-selling author diagnosed with OCD, who performs obsessive rituals to combat his intrusively anxious thoughts. Representation is as important in fiction as it is in nonfiction, and it's good to see complex issues like depression, anxiety, and trauma increasingly being treated not only with . Want to be featured in similar posts? Personally, Im a fan of both the musical and the movie adaptation. I felt like jumping out the window."). Wisdom, Wellness and Writing for Conscious Creatives. Once she settles into her new environment, she comes out of her shell thanks to a doctor (Keanu Reeves) with non-traditional and inclusive methods of approaching her mental illness. Or when she sent Aidan to help an injured Miranda? By fate or coincidence, when Alice Klieg (Kristen Wiig) decides to quit her medications cold turkey, she cashes in a winning lottery ticket. I dont know about you, but I find it hard to sympathise with someone who nearly killed his girlfriend due to drunk driving and leaving her in the middle of the road. The assailant couldnt steal her good mood. Vulnerability is what allows people to connect on a deep, meaningful level. In other words, would these be people we would actually like if we met them IRL? At the end of the day, I still believe in possible character development and redemption, no matter how long overdue. That said, weve re-examined some of the most popular fictional characters from movies and TV shows and whether or not they were actually decent enough human beings. Confused? Vulnerability is one of those fascinating topics I find hard to let go of, probably because in real life, we spend so much time avoiding it, and yet true happiness can only be achieved when we fully embrace it. that goes, You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain. The same could apply to some fictional characters who were supposed to be the good guys, but actually might not be. Most notable among them are a quick temper, a willingness to show a little skin to get what she wants and a cutthroat determination, regardless of who gets hurt. 11 Inspiring Fictional Female Characters. But Belle didn't need to be kidnapped to develop a mental disorder; she comes firing out of the gates with one already fully developed: schizoid personality disorder. At the end of the day, I still believe in possible character development and redemption, no matter how long overdue. Fictional Characters Help Us Understand Others. Growing up and watching it again made me realise how much of a twat he was. 5. Is she going to eat them? What no one in the book acknowledges, though, is that Holden isn't acting like your standard-issue Hughesian teen, but actually exhibits classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. She had to talk about herself all the time even when her friends were telling her big news like pregnancy, miscarriage or cancer, she somehow made the situation about herself. You've earned your first teardrop tattoo.". Cartoons are a fond childhood memoryuntil you really start to think about some of the animated heroes and villains. Oh, and the fact that she would move heaven and earth (and ruin lives) for someone as unremarkable as Fitz? Throughout The Wizard of Oz, Glinda never gives any reason for murdering the witches other than that they're ugly and different and therefore -- according to good ole-fashioned Dust Bowl logic -- completely evil. Two new books will soon join these: The Urban and Rural Thesaurus volumes, which help writers write stronger, more vivid imagery by profiling 225 Fictional settings and the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures associated with each. It's one of the best examinations of the role emotions play inhuman behavioral development in movies. diverting attention away from intimacy issues (Edelstein & Gillath, 2008), . Ever wonder why Lucy kept pulling that football away fromCharlie Brown? He is a human being! Women the world over have cited her as a role model and one of the most prominent feminist icons of all time. But even then, she has always exhibited a sense of entitlement to the Iron Throne, while masking her mission in righteousness and freeing the Westerosi. One of the telltale signs of PTSD is reliving the traumatic event over and over. His misanthropic personality, which seems exempt from social graces, is comprised of inappropriate emotional responses and forces him to avoid social situations, which is accuratelyindicative of a number of personality disorders, including narcissistic personality disorder. Janis, on the other hand, is the fake-woke type who would talk about social justice and then slut-shame someone in the same breath. Sadistic personality disorder doesn't just mean somebody is an evil dick. Give important characters a backstory. As the turn of the century neared, the White Russian was just another bad, outdated cocktail from the 1970s. She's never open-minded enough to consider other people's view points and the show tries to spin it to make her look like the victim. Because of course we have to trust some people, dont we? All the characters we used to love but now, we realise theyre kinda awful Be part of Asia's most authentic travel community. And, of course, lets not forget about her constantly stealing roles from Sharpay someone who basically dedicated her entire life to theatre! Are there any other problematic fictional characters that you believe should be on this list? It may feel as if you are frequently unwelcome in social situations, even when that is not the case. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can. Rebecca marks a change in that. Of course they get together at the end, because nothing says genuine romance like forcing someone to admit they're a virgin against their will and then taunting them about it. The strongest, most compelling characters are those who are authentic, true-to-life. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Alice's delusions build a magical world that shows her schizophrenic perceptions. We all have a backstory, and your fictional characters each need one, too. It then makes you wonder how these crowd faves have gotten away with it for so long; but hey, lets chalk it up to not knowing any better back then. Depending on our attachment style we can find attaching to others very challenging or relatively easy. The latter is obviously a horrible human being, but at least she was self-aware. She gad no regard for her staff's feelings, was willing to screw them over to benefit herself and even used her friends' past trauma against them. The worst example was him leading both Peyton and Brooke on, and making them both believe that he loved them. Not gonna lie, he was arguably the best-looking male love interest in the show. He's massively sexist he not only slut-shames Ginny but punishes Hermione for dating Krum, yet snogs Lavender and calls her problematic for liking him. Salinger himself likely suffered from PTSD. Something for everyone interested in hair, makeup, style, and body positivity. He began as a gifted professional musician who suddenly finds himself homeless when he's plagued by the onset of schizophrenia. Empathy is powerful and works incredibly well to soften jaded characters. In that respect,Lars and the Real Girlput a positive emphasis on Lars' way of life by exploring how much it has helped his community confront their own biases. Through therapy and reassessment, she's able to take her mental health seriously. Also she is blatantly using Dorothy as a human shield. One of them is appropriate. In reality, Belle would have probably preferred he stay a beast and all his servants stay candlesticks and clocks, though she'd never admit it. But Ariel has another glaring, deep-seated issue that should be addressed. Don't confuse this with schizophrenia -- we're not claiming the talking monster and sentient candlesticks are figments of her imagination. The worst part is he's marketed to young girls as a hot bad boy type and we all bought into it. Are you frightened by MS Paint and simply have a funny idea? In reality, it was a primitive way to diagnose the thousands of mental breakdowns following conflict that we now call PTSD. All the characters are problematic as hell, but she's on another level. Joy has usually been the predominant emotion inRiley'slife, but the move gives a voice to Sadness, who soon commandeers her personality. Reporting on what you care about. But behind this mask of ultraconfidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.". Believe it or not, lots of thebest cartoon characters on TVsuffer from mental illnesses. And while those traits would win her a lot of competitive reality shows, they are also the definite symptoms of antisocial and histrionic personality disorders. In fact, The Catcher in the Rye wasn't Salinger's only attempt to write about the disorder. By the end of the film, the brothers grow to know a fraternal love unlike anything either has ever experienced. Perhaps 70 years from now, experts will have a name for the ability to slow down time and punch people in slow motion. Its predatory no matter how you look at it. We can simply be ourselves and set aside the mask we show to the world. Lists about your favorite characters that were drawn by hand or generated by computer. He keeps trying to kick that football! Jack Nicholson's character inAs Good as It Gets(for whichNicholsonwon the Academy Award for Best Actor),who wears gloves in public and won't step on cracks in the sidewalk,is so much more than an eccentric New Yorker. Many movies about mental illness focus on the problematic lifestyle of the character afflicted, with them adapting to a neurotypical worldview, rather than the people around them adapting to their neurodivergent perspective. Put the character struggling with trust in a vulnerable situation. ", "Care for a 70th rendition of 'Baa Baa Black Sheep,' my dear Watson?". And, sure enough, one of the main side effects of disposophobia is obsessing over the collection at the expense of daily obligations. He literally attempts to rape Jenny in the first episode and it's never addressed again. So a trustworthy person we can be open with regarding our deepest beliefs, fears, and feelings. Matilda by Roald Dahl. Do you possess expert skills in image creation and manipulation? We're guessing not even Disney would dispute that one. He and his military father often lock horns over trust issues. Maybe they share a time when they felt the same way, or tell the character that they did the best they could with the information they had. He's supposed to be the rebel and the hero, but spends about 75% of the movie repeatedly sexually harassing Claire, almost to the point of assault when he puts his face between her legs without her knowledge or consent. Scott's battle with depression, anxiety, and ADD are shown realistically in his issues around impulse control, executive dysfunction, and various neurosis. These uneven obsessions with random topics -- in Holmes' case, things like tobacco ashes and regional soil consistency -- are not signs of an enthusiast; they are symptoms of a disorder. Lets be real IRL, this wouldve been an absolute disaster. Here are some of the best responses. Hence, the dangerous message it sends: consent doesnt matter if youre rich and handsome. It's unlikely that the writers who created these characters consciously decided they would give them an undiagnosed mental disorder as one of their traits. Lets keep this short and simple: there was totally enough space for both her and Jack on that floating door. In fact, she's likely suffering from sadistic personality disorder. In fact, many teenagers who watched it would say that he and Aria Montgomery were such an adorable couple. Gone With the Wind's Scarlett O'Hara is one of the most iconic heroines in American film. ", NEXT:10 Best Movies About Tortured Geniuses, Ranked. I appreciated that the characters, while based on fictional characters, were still familiar. Benny devoteshimselfto supporting her in those times so that she can live an isolated life far away from the jarring pace of the world. When it isn't either of those, its "madness" is the perfect fuel for horror films by misconceptions of aggressive psychosis. Check out, The Greatest Talking Animals in TV History, The Greatest Fictional Pets You Wish You Could Actually Own, This Artist Turns Disney Characters Into Pokemon Evolutions, A Ranking of Disney Villains, Based on How Stupid Their Plans Are, The Greatest Cartoon Characters In TV History, The Most Attractive Cartoon Characters Of All Time, The Best To Worst Kingdom Hearts Characters, The Greatest Cats in Cartoons & Comics, Ranked by Fans, 13 Villains Who Went Evil Because Of A Wounded Ego. After all, there are people that would give anything to be him for just a day, despite his problems. The story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) may seem singular enough to be featured as the premise of a movie, but his circumstances are far more common than viewers might think. A lot of fiction gets more depressing when you realize that writers are usually writing about themselves, whether they admit it or not. Characters Who Didn't Live Happily Ever After, Cartoon Characters You Never Realized Suffer From Mental Disorders. 1. Want more pop-culture disorders? But its weird to think that your favorite silly, zany cartoon characters can suffer from those same afflictions. The iconic comedy trio has had a lot of interesting things pop up along the road to stardom. These theories create a base for a framework of the growth milestones children will experience from birth and into early adulthood. Andy Serkis is not an animal! On a different note, weve also previously written about movies and TV shows whose characters arent such lost causes. Eventually, however, after Sam and Joon run away to start a sweeping romance, they realize that the stability Benny provided was necessary, and Joon's mental illness needs treatment, not just hopes and dreams. If you know someone with Asperger's, you're well familiar with this habit. #27: MAKE THEM SWEAT. This coming-of-age comedy-drama features many of the tropes of teenage films (partying, first love, big exams), but through the lens of a boy dealing with mental illness. Love is not supposed to be a prison with your partner the fucking guard, isolating you from everyone else in the world. Content Warning: The following article contains discussions of mental health conditions, violence, and suicide. They have suffered pain, emotional wounds that leave them paralyzed when it comes to trust. When she isn't writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she's working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. She is unable to control her emotions, which resulted in her hurting her younger sibling when they were children. Even ifJokerdidn't tangentially connect its main character to the DC Universe, itsinvestigation ofwhat might lead tothe origins of a "psychopathic clown" would be thought-provoking in the context of a callous society. She creates an emotional attachment to every object she finds, and this is another common problem among hoarders: they find sentimentality in random, worthless items. The fact that he got into Yale despite barely applying himself in school is seriously one of the worst messages to send to kids. Shes in total denial about her manipulative behaviour and unfortunately, she wasnt a good friend either! And this is it gets tricky. You character will probably never be able to trust others, even when people get close to her. This is why we bond with family members, form friendships, and search for that special someone. Are there any other problematic fictional characters that you believe should be on this list? Even when the other person feels close and for them everything is fine, she'll feel like a thin, invisible wall is stuck between them. A character can also have an internal struggle when they have to act against their morals or grapple with opposing beliefs. Believe it or not, lots of the, People are used to seeing mental disorders on TV. She is completely engrossed with being the most beautiful person in the kingdom. Rose from Titanic. Disturbed, Elsa locks herself away and refuses to face the world out of fear of hurting more people. Life would be lonely and unfulfilling without at least one person to have a meaningful connection with, someone to share our most intimate dreams and desires, safeguard our secrets, and support us when we voice our fears. But this guys record is hard to beat: multiple attempts at forcing himself on women, manipulation, and even trying to sell his girlfriend for a hotel. He is fun-loving, good-hearted, and a natural leader in his peer group, but cocky about his gifts. Cinema in general has had a dubious history of portraying mental health in an authentic or even sensitive light. As discussed above, relatively effortless empathy with a fictional character imbues us with the perception that we are similar to the character in question. Shows like Girls, Monk, and Parenthood allow the spectator to get a small sense of what its like to be around a person afflicted with a mental illness. Check out the most narcissistic superheroes. Ariel, there is a certain reality show we want to put you in touch with . We're going to avoid the obvious fact that Belle's relationship with the Beast who is imprisoning her shows all the signs of Stockholm syndrome (and in fact we've already detailed that here). Yes, I definitely did just lump these two in the same item. It then makes you wonder how these crowd faves have gotten away with it for so long; but hey, lets chalk it up to not knowing any better back then. COPYRIGHT 2005-2023 Cracked is published by Literally media Ltd., Glinda the Good Witch -- Sadistic Personality Disorder, Scarlett O'Hara -- Antisocial and Histrionic Personality Disorder, Molly Shannon Got Hired on Saturday Night Live and Mugged on the Same Day, Conan O'Brien Runs Down Every Hideous Mutation of His Hideous Body, 15 Bits Of Trivia So Powerful, They Would Have Instantly Vaporized Our Ancestors, Kevin Bacon Was in a Band Called Footloose When He Was 15, 12 Healthcare Innovations That The US Needs To Adopt ASAP, 6 BELOVED CHARACTERS THAT HAD UNDIAGNOSED MENTAL ILLNESSES, is characterized by a long-standing pattern of detachment from social relationships, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, puddle of melodrama when she is rejected by a man, 9 Beloved Characters Made Horrifying by Japan, 6 Famous Characters You Didn't Know Were Shameless Rip-Offs, 5 Employees Who Spectacularly Told Their Bosses to Take This Job and Shove It, How The Big Lebowski Turned the White Russian into a Milk of the Gods, 12 Behind-the-Scenes Photos That Ruin Iconic Scenes (And Actually Improve The Bad Ones), 5 Boring Things That Movies and TV Have Managed to Make Scary as Hell, 15 Trivia Tidbits About The Lonely Island, Five Times Michael Shannon Showed Up and Made Everything Better. Bella Swan might have gotten a lot of flack for being utterly bland (hey, not her fault she was written that way), but at least she wasnt a centuries-old vampire who went for a literal 17-year-old. But while were all for character development, none of his misdeeds was ever really addressed. Obsessed with travel? Whether the characters you relate to fly on broomsticks, survive high school with perfectly-timed sarcastic comments or pack a punch in an action flick, fictional characters can be so relatable because they capture real human emotions. Mediocre? One of the chief signs of antisocial personality disorder is the inability to understand the motivations and feelings of other people. They dont want to make mistakes, they worry about decisions, they fear what they cant control. In one of the Holmes stories, A Study in Scarlet, he doesn't know that the Earth revolves around the sun (because, he says, the information doesn't have any effect on his everyday life). Or would they be someone wed rather not be in the same room with? That need to demean people in the presence of others is a primary symptom of sadistic personality disorder, and Glinda's unwavering enjoyment throughout the ordeal is a testament to her sickness. In fact, someone with the disorder is more likely to find stronger intimacy with animals than people, so it's little surprise that Belle develops a relationship with a beast instead of a man. These are tackled through dark comedy and emotionally vulnerable drama by acompelling performance by Davidson, making the portrayal of mental illness particularly effective. Why she ever wanted him back I'll never know. The Diagnosis: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), What Is ADHD? RELATED:10 Jamie Foxx Characters Ranked From Heroic To Most Villainous. Following World War II, Salinger was diagnosed with "battle fatigue," which sounds much milder than PTSD (and in fact sounds like it could be cleared up with a quick nap). She makes impulsive decisions, gives ultimatums and forces her beliefs on people with the expectation that they'll be accepted. This dude is as misogynistic as they come, and while Robin Scherbatsky was far from the best character, she certainly deserved better. Lady, I just dropped a house on someone.". Yet I still cant wrap my head around how her actions could be justified. "Congratulations, Dorothy. It's hard to be normal when the town constantly follows you down the road, singing. Everyone says Big was a bad character, but seriously they both sucked so much they deserved each other. She literally needs constant praise, or as Rhett Butler puts it, she "needs to be kissed often." Web Design by Viva la Violette. He's often overlooked but his behaviour is both abusive and problematic. OK, she's just a kid. She could have evolved into a great, complicated character but instead just made bad decision after bad decision. Alice from Alice in Wonderland clearly suffers from schizophrenia. Here we examine how attachment relates to different ways of engaging with fictional characters, including two forms of character engagement previously unstudied in this context and considering important controls. He embarks on long-winded monologues about very specific topics, oblivious to the listener's lack of interest. We want to expose ourselves, for our deepest core to be seen. It certainly changes the tone of the happy ending. Yep, the 00s were clearly the heyday of the cold and brooding bro kinda fictional characters. Presumably, their concerts were strictly dance-free. He never did his own homework despite knowing his so-called best mate was fighting the worst villain of all time, and always expected Harry and Hermione to carry him. She showed every sign of being a manipulative and emotionally abusive person and never once had a positive play in the storyline. Mark Ruffalo is at his mercurial best depicting Cam, a single father suffering from manic depression, unsure of how to take care of himself let alone his two spirited daughters.