Chronic Illness in Entertainment: Movies, TV, & Books...Oh My!

What's the last movie you saw where you said, "Wow! They totally portrayed that chronic illness right?" Okay, now...name a movie that isn't a documentary. Yeah, you have to really think, right? Chronic illness in entertainment is a thorn in most Spoonie's side, because we just don't always see ourselves portrayed properly on screen or on the page.

On this week's episode we talk about how we've been portrayed in entertainment over the years in various mediums. We discuss what movies and shows we think got it right, how they got it right, and why we think they got it right. We also talk about common flaws in the industry and why we think they continue to perpetuate these myths about our illnesses. 

After all, aren't we tired of being used as silly tropes like the villain, the friend who dies of actually curable illnesses, or the sad disabled person?

However, we also get real about showing chronic illness on screen. Can it be shown realistically? When should it even be discussed? 

We get into the writers room and how they should be looking at our chronic illness in real ways. 

So let's take a little dive into chronic illness in entertainment, and maybe share a little about your take. Comment on your favorite portrayals, movies, etc. What have you seen that has worked or hasn't. We'd love to hear from you here or in the Facebook group!

We also encourage you to check out our My Chronic Spoonful Life Planner where you can track everything going on with your chronic illness. It comes in a downloadable form that you can print, a digital form you can use in apps like GoodNotes and Notability, or a quarterly hard copy.