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“I Saw It In A Movie”: Film Representations of the Mentally Ill Community & its GIF
Transmediation onto Tumblr

Isabella McCloskey
Department of Critical Media Practices
Faculty Advisor: Betsey Biggs, Department of Critical Media Practices
Date Defended: April 13, 2020
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Table of Contents

Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………... 3

Chapter 1- Literature Review …………………………………………………………………...4

Chapter 2- Methodologies ………………………………………………………………………20

Chapter 3-​ ​Ventriloquism……………………………………………………………………….22

Girl, Interrupted (​ 1999)

Silver Linings Playbook ​(2013)

Chapter 4- Identity Construction & Romanticism………………………………………………30

American Horror Story (2011-)

Skins (UK) (2007-2013)

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………………38

Bibliography ………………………………………………………………………………….... 41
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Abstract

This paper reviews film representations of mental illnesses, such as depression and

anxiety, and their GIF transmediation in order to draw conclusions about the existence of the

idealized “sad” cultures present on the Social Networking Site, Tumblr. After exploring previous

research findings, this text analyzes a set of popular GIFs that were created from two movies

(​Girl, Interrupted, ​1999​, ​and​ Silver Linings Playbook, ​2013)​ ​and two television shows (​American

Horror Story, ​2011 and​ Skins UK, ​2007-2013) that attempt to represent mental illness(es), or

behaviors associated with mental illness(es). Each GIF and film was chosen based on if they

appeared to be the most circulated on Tumblr at the time of my search. In conclusion, this paper

explores the findings from each set of analyses and makes informed claims about how

adolescents are the most affected most by the romanticization of mental illnesses on Tumblr and

how. This paper also found that depression-related content GIFs are circulated by Tumblr users

in order to express something they feel they can not express in their own lives, to construct their

identity through an online platform, and to romanticize mental illnesses.

 McCloskey, 4

Chapter 1: Literature Review

Introduction

Mentally ill individuals have undergone a long history of stigmatization. This

stigmatization has affected mentally ill individuals' own understanding of themselves, primarily

due to the inaccurate, normalized and glorified representations in the media (Wedding, et al, p.

3). Representation has serious implications for the people situated in this community, especially

when they are depicted negatively in the media and viewed by the rest of society as ‘dangerous’

or ‘unpredictable’.

However, we do need to recognize that there have been many efforts taken by filmmakers

and people within the filmmaking community in order to represent the mentally ill community in

the best, most honest way. These films are rewarded for their impressive accuracy and

recognized by programs and organizations such as the annual Golden Psi Media Award

presented by the American Psychological Association. This award, for example, recognizes

book, television and film writers that respectfully and accurately portray individuals with mental

illness conditions (American Psychological Association).

There are still many examples of media, specifically within films, that simplify, glorify or

use mental illnesses as a scapegoat to excuse violent behavior by characters, which inaccurately

represents real-life people battling these illnesses. What happens when these representations are

given a new life, and are remixed into Graphics Interchange Format (GIFs), for example, and

shared on online communities such as Tumblr?

As an aspiring filmmaker with a personal history of mental illness, I was drawn towards

studying this topic. Growing up, I was confused by what it meant to be someone with a mental
 McCloskey, 5

illness. I had learned about the so-called warning signs, or symptoms, of being depressed or

bipolar, but there wasn’t much information readily available to me about how mental illnesses

would shape my personality and everyday life. Being born into Generation Z where the main line

of communication was the internet, I looked for a way to identify with myself and my mental

illnesses on streaming platforms like Netflix, and internet blogging sites like Tumblr.

I joined Tumblr in 2011 but became an avid, everyday user in 2015. This also happened

to be a pivotal time in my adolescent and teen years, as I was roughly 16 years old. When I

began this research project, I decided to investigate whether there was a difference in the sort of

content I was reblogging, saving or liking starting in 2015, so I utilized Tumblr’s “mass post

editor” tool to see. I found that from roughly November of 2015 to now, I began reblogging

content (GIFs, images with text, quotes, etc.) related to “happiness” or “sadness”. This timing

directly aligns with when I experienced an increase in everyday symptoms related to my struggle

with depression and bipolar disorder. Thus, I turned to Tumblr more and more to understand, or

even as an attempt to “fit in” with a subculture that was situated in and around media texts that

highlighted mental illness topics. However, I began to feel one of two things based on what I was

watching and reading: Either it was cool, or trending, to be mentally ill, or that there was

something intrinsically wrong with me. Now, with a much deeper understanding of what it

means to be mentally ill and an undergraduate college career of studying media and film

production, I am dedicated to joining the conversation regarding the representation of mentally

ill individuals in films. That being said, I believe that I bring a unique slant and accessibility to

this research topic. This paper fills gaps in the literature by specifically examining and reflecting
 McCloskey, 6

upon the transmedial texts that travel from films to Tumblr, or vice versa, that are situated within

the mentally ill community.

Through an extensive research project and multiple film analyses, this paper aims to add

to the already existent conversation surrounding representations of mental illnesses in

motion-pictures, how GIF content is chosen and shared from these films to Tumblr, as well as

offer new contributions to the conversation surrounding the mentally ill community present on

Tumblr. Previous research has looked at mental illness in the social media world, as well as

representations of mental illness in film, but it has not yet tackled what it means to translate a

representation of mental illness from a film, into a GIF, and onto a social networking site such as

Tumblr, where it then joins the online, mentally ill community. The films I’ve chosen to analyze

are based on the most frequently shared and popular GIFs that derived their content from the

films. Due to the fact that there are nearly three hundred identifiable mental illnesses in the latest

version of the ​Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, I​ will focus on

specifically those GIFs and films that represent or reflect on depression and the risk-behaviors

that accompany that illness. In order to understand the substantial impact that this

transmediation, or translation of work into another medium, from film to GIF, or vice versa, has

on individuals, we must first look at the history and influence of films and social media, and

even more specifically, their representation of mental illnesses.

Media’s Influence

To first understand why representation matters and how the media can impact us in such

a deep, psychological way, we must understand that we, as humans, are inherently individual
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while also being social creatures. According to Berger (p.19), we have a personality of our own

but are unavoidably influenced by societal factors such as our education, parents, peers, and the

media. In addition, previous research has found that “people’s primary source of information

about mental illness is the mass media” (Wahl, pp.87-88). These findings, combined with the

fact that, on average, we spend about ⅓ of our lives immersed in some form of media (Sardar,

p.87), indicates that media consumption has a profound effect on shaping our consciousness, and

therefore how we place, form opinions and identify with certain groups and subgroups within a

society.

Although, it is also important to understand that some viewers watch critically, but still,

all viewers are influenced by their mediascape.

Societal Influence

Films, however, communicate differently with viewers in comparison to other types of

media. Film does more than simply transport texts like types of print media do, for example

(Berger, p.32). Instead, film shapes the text that is intended to be transported to its audience by

being cut, edited, manipulated, organized, etc. in a certain, intentional way by the filmmaker.

This concept of the shaping of texts is also referred to as ​media framing.​ However, films

combine our visual sense with auditory stimulation, literally creating a “trance” or dissociative

state similar to a dream, causing the viewer to become so deeply absorbed into the film that all of

the technical aspects that go into its creation are largely forgotten and unbothered by the viewer

(Wedding, et al, p.2). In other words, all of the modes of manipulation that go into film creation

can go unnoticed by the viewer, yet still, pass into their consciousness. This is, again, why so
 McCloskey, 8

many consider the film medium to be the most influential medium of mass communication. The

choices made by the filmmaker, such as shot composition, color grading, camera movement,

casting, etc., are intentional in that they all come together to portray a certain image,

representation or aesthetic. Because many people are uninformed and do not already hold strong

opinions about people with mental illnesses, the media, and specifically the film medium, is very

important in shaping our perception of what it means to be mentally ill (Wedding, et al, p. 2).

The general public is also uninformed about mental illness due to the fact that mental illnesses

are not readily visible. Unlike in movies where the viewer is aware that a character has a mental

illness, people in real life don’t need to inform everyone of their illness. The reality is, mental

illnesses are unrecognizable for the most part (Myrick & Pavelko, pp. 576-584).

The conversation surrounding film representations of mental illness is even more

significant now than in the past, with so many viewers having access to entertainment and

streaming sites such as Netflix and Hulu, in addition to social media and networking sites like

Instagram and Facebook. That being said, the ability to replicate and multiply meanings and

societal knowledge through film has become increasingly significant with the constant

introduction of new entertainment and networking platforms.

Just as the influence of films on society is great, the influence of social networking sites

is too and is only going to continue to grow. Although this paper focuses specifically on the

transmedial texts found on one social networking site, Tumblr, it is still important that we grasp

and understand the influence of these online communities as a whole.

In 2015, it was reported that 65% of US adults were social networking site users. An

arguably more telling statistic, though, found that roughly 90% of youth and young adults (13-29
 McCloskey, 9

y.o.) internet users were on at least one social networking site (Perrin). Social networking sites

are considered to be widely popular due to their ability to allow for self-expression and

anonymity, provided by the option to create an account under a pseudonym or expressive

username (Marwick & Boyd, pp. 393-411). Because the majority of social networking site users

fall under the youth to young-adult category; a category that tends to be easily influenced by the

media and their direct surroundings, it is increasingly important to understand the content that is

being posted, why it’s being posted in the first place, and what influence that has on individuals.

Influence of Films on Mentally Ill Individuals

The influence of film representations of mental illnesses looks a little different when the

viewer of the film is situated within the mentally ill community themself. This is for two main

reasons. First, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) found that “only 20% of those

with mental disorders actually reach out for help with their problems” and that the fear of

stigmatization is one of the primary reasons for this. To apply some scope to this statistic, the

NIMH also found that one in four adults in the United States will suffer from a diagnosable

mental illness in a given year. The second reason being very basic: mentally ill persons watch

films and take part in media consumption just like everyone else. The only difference is that

when a mentally ill person absorbs a film that represents another mentally ill character if that

character is represented inaccurately, the viewer may draw from those inaccurate meanings when

they identify with themselves and contemplate what it means to be truly ​them ​within their

community. More specifically, Caputo and Rounder found that the notion of identification has

the ability to move viewers from an “individual state” to a “shared” identity, making them more
 McCloskey, 10

easily persuaded because they have forgone their perspective and taken the perspective of a

character (pp. 596-597).

Representations of Mental Illnesses

As mentioned above, film representations and media framing of mental illnesses have

historically been perpetually inaccurate and known to enforce negative stereotypes. The most

common ways that mental illnesses are represented in films are as “aggressive, dangerous and

unpredictable, simplistic, disillusioned and/or innocent” (Wedding, et al. p. 2). Even more

specifically, Hyler and his colleagues categorized and analyzed six, frequent movie stereotypes

that contribute to the stigmatization of the mentally ill community. The stereotypes include the

mentally ill person as the: rebellious free spirit, homicidal maniac, seductress, enlightened

member of society, narcissistic parasite, and zoo specimens.

The film medium has a long history of attempting to tackle complex narratives and

subjects such as those situated within the mentally ill community — with varying degrees of

subtlety. In 1919, the film ​The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari​ by Robert Wiene was released to the

public — this is arguably the first film representation of mental illness. The film utilized the

camera “subjectively”, placing the audience in the character’s point of view, supporting the

whole point of the film: to see the world through the eyes of a mentally ill man. This film was

the first of many that attempt to cover a similar narrative. This being said, history has shown us

that, on a fundamental level, people are drawn towards narratives they cannot experience

themselves; the unknown. History has also shown us that people fear the things they don’t

understand. After Wiene’s 1919 film, there were a plethora of other early films that depicted
 McCloskey, 11

“madmen, demented doctors, and psychopath scientists” in order to evoke horror and suspense in

the viewer. Over time, feature films about mental illness and mentally ill people became

increasingly common, such as ​Anna Karenina​ (1935), ​The Virgin Suicides​ (1999) and ​Sylvia

(2003) (Wedding, et al., pp. 76-83). All three of these films exemplify some of the same

stereotypes and messages deployed in the films we will later analyze, such as placing romance

into a narrative where there should be none, glamorizing mentally ill characters, and placing

mentally ill characters as the seductress or enlightened member of society.

Though mental illnesses are represented in multiple different ways, the most frequent

way it is represented is through violence. In reality, the percentage of those living with a mental

illness and who have also exhibited violent behavior is considerably small (Kondo, pp. 250-252).

In 2006, a national survey found that 60% of Americans thought that people with schizophrenia,

for example, were likely to act violently towards someone else. However, research suggests

otherwise. Only 3%-5% of violent acts can be attributed to mentally ill individuals, and actually,

people living with severe mental illnesses are ten times more likely than the general population

to be the victims of a violent act (MentalHealth.gov). This is because of the stigma surrounding

mental illnesses. Due to the fear of stigmatization, those who identify with the mentally ill

community feel safer, and in turn engage more, on social networking sites where they can

unapologetically feel themselves, and generally without being ostracized because of who they

are.
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Social Media and Mental Illness

Social media has come to be known as an outlet for self-expression- A place to share

ideas, stories and memories. For many, though, it has been a place for users situated within the

mentally ill community to interact and receive support from other individuals who share similar

issues (Robinson, et al, p. 29). However, the findings of one analysis that looked at responses

from YouTube videos that contained content related to self-harm found that comments rarely

included mention of recovery. This indicates that social networking sites and users that engage in

​ ental
content and conversation surrounding depression, for example, may ​normalize or glorify m

illnesses and risk-behaviors associated with them, such as self-harm and suicidal ideation

(Whitlock, et al., p.409). This glorifying and normalizing of harmful behaviors is a major

concern right now because, generally, suicide and suicidal tendencies and behaviors can “cluster

among youth and young adults”, regardless of the fact that media may easily influence this

demographic (Becker, et al, pp. 111-114). In addition, although many users utilize social

networking sites such as Tumblr to gain and give support for their shared issues, they aren’t

receiving sound advice from mental health professionals, but most likely, other struggling youth

and young adults with no medical background.

In addition, this topic is extremely relevant right now with the current and unprecedented

COVID-19 pandemic we are experiencing on a global level. Right now, everyone is stuck at

home, school is online and emotions are running high. There are exponentially more reasons for

everyone to be present online. More concerning, however, is the fact that those with pre-existing

mental illnesses have fewer resources to turn to- not to mention the increase in feelings of

isolation or loneliness amongst this community. The so-called symptoms of pandemics,

 McCloskey, 13

generally, are an increase in stigma, xenophobia, unnecessary hoarding, and fear-mongering. The

combination of all of these symptoms can lead to poor sleep, irritability, vulnerability, and many

anxiety-related behaviors (Fuller). This morning, I even saw celebrity Howie Mandel come

forward on FOX News to say that this pandemic is literally his “worst nightmare” because he

already suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Following Mandel’s testimony, President

Trump and Vice President Pence also addressed their concerns in regard to the pandemic’s effect

on mental health and illness. But these symptoms can affect anyone, even those without

pre-existing mental illnesses. In the wake of this pandemic, the National Alliance on Mental

Illness (NAMI) has provided a brochure with other, online resources for those struggling, such as

online support groups and chats, but what of the already existent, yet unregulated, support

communities such as those on Tumblr? This (Fig 1.1) is what my feed looked like when I

searched COVID-19 on Tumblr:

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Half of the posts I read seemed to be geared towards mental health awareness, while the other

half seemed to promote mental illness. Based on my own experience with Tumblr, this seemed to

be accurate most of the time, and despite a pandemic that threatens our well being on a global

level. The bottom line is that, right now, with fewer places to turn to for help, we will almost

definitely see a surge in adolescents jumping onto Tumblr because they have more time on their

hands, but for those with pre-existing mental illnesses seeking comfort on Tumblr, there is even

greater concern in regards to the type of content they will encounter while online.

That being said, let’s take a look at what type of “support formats” these users have the

ability to access and share via Tumblr.

Tumblr

Tumblr is a social networking site and online community where users can reblog, save or

like posts from other users, as well as posting their own original content. Mccracken describes

Tumblr’s infrastructure as the following:

“User engagement on Tumblr involves two components: the ‘dash’ (for

‘dashboard’) and the user’s individual blog (their ‘Tumblr).’ The dash is similar
to a Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram feed in which users scroll through the posts
of their chosen followers and ‘like,’ comment on, or share (reblog) them. A user’s
reblogged post (with any likes or comments or hashtags they add) goes back into
the general dash feed, but it also goes to the user’s personal ‘Tumblr’; this blog
functions as a visible digital scrapbook, diary, or virtual bedroom space users
create and ‘curate’ by both reblogging and posting original material that evokes
strong feelings for them” (Mccracken, p. 154).

As a result, many users feel Tumblr is a safer and more private space in comparison to

other social networking sites.

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Tumblr posts are typically in the formatted as text, pictures, video clips and graphics

interchange formats (GIFs). In a research analysis done on depression, self-harm, and suicidal

ideation content on Tumblr in 2017, researchers found that depression and suicidal content was

readily observed. The research method executed for this analysis was the following:

“From April 16 to May 10, 2014, 17 popular depression-related Tumblr accounts

were monitored for new posts and engagement with other Tumblr users. A total of
3,360 posts were randomly selected from all historical posts from these accounts
and coded based on themes ascertained by the research team” (Cavazos-Rehg, et
al., pp.48-49).

Out of the 3,360 posts, 82% of them were related to depression, suicide, or self-harm, and

the content was either reblogged or liked a median number of 1,677,362 times, and 20% of these

posts were in GIF format (Cavazos-Rehg, et al., pp.48-49). One might argue that reblogging or

engaging with depression or self-harm related content could be considered a cry for help or

attention-seeking, but this argument holds little validity when talking about Tumblr because it

offers the option to remain anonymous, meaning they aren’t necessarily interacting with content

in this way for someone specific to see, but more for their own, internal and emotional reasons.

However, they could be looking for support from their curated online community of other

Tumblr users while still remaining anonymous. Again, Tumblr’s appeal is that it is more

inclusive than other social networking sites and users generally feel safe expressing their

thoughts, ideas and emotions because of the option of anonymity. However, circulating

depression, suicide or self-harm GIF content can also be seen as a ​public​ cry for help. The

difference is that there is a screen dividing the help and the person in need of help, and users

typically don’t know each other outside of their online community. This means that the user

circulating alarming content remains mentally distant from the help they may or may not receive
 McCloskey, 16

online. But amongst thousands of other similar posts and GIFs, it’s easy for a cry for help to get

lost and go unnoticed into the endless and timeless waterfall of content that makes up Tumblr. In

many ways, Tumblr’s timeless infrastructure is similar to the GIFs.

GIFs

So, what is a GIF? Similar to Tumblr’s uniqueness as a social networking site, the GIF

offers a unique use and effect compared to other media formats, such as still images or video.

One reason is that the format does not allow for audio accompaniment or playback control,

making it a perfect format to support Tumblr’s “waterfall of endless content” infrastructure

because the GIF itself is an endless loop. GIFs are also very small in file size- they only allow for

256 colors. Although many companies and media developers view this as a shortcoming that

needs fixing, there is actually a distinct value to it: It demands less attention in comparison to the

video format (Eppink, p. 303). The GIF’s effect is similar to the cinemagraphs, where most of an

image remains still while one element moves in a loop. Eppink so eloquently describes the effect

as “a haunting moment seemingly stuck in time that typically fetishizes a consumer good or

identity.” The emotional effect this evokes in viewers is similar to that of emoticons; they are

two visual ways of communicating online and are meant to deploy and express a simple emotion

such as sadness or happiness (Gradinaru, p. 302). ​For this reason, the GIF offers a certain ethos;

an elemental sentiment that informs a certain group or identity on a fundamental level, and tells a

short story, or describes a certain expression, that viewers may identify with on an intimate level.

The most important difference, however, is ​where​ the GIF is encountered: not in the movie

theaters, but on networked, private screens that are simultaneously socially public. Mccracken
 McCloskey, 17

says, “In this way, Tumblr is most similar to older online spaces such as Myspace and

LiveJournal, and it also fits within a longer history of the customized affective bedroom spaces

(often devoted to pop idols) so central to teenage girl culture” (p.155). Although this paper won’t

use a gender studies framework and does not explicitly focus on gender, it is necessary to point

out that there are both equal numbers of male and female users on Tumblr (Mccracken, p.154).

A popular or trending GIF is one that is shared, contributing or commenting on an

essential part of a cultural conversation. As Eppink says, “the (GIFs) result is a digital slang, a

visual vocabulary unencumbered by authorship, where countless media artifacts are viewed,

deployed, and elaborated upon as language more than as art products. Even though individuals

process the pixels, communities make the GIFs” (p. 301). This is important because digital slang,

similar to private jokes or references, elicits a feeling of intimacy and connection, which is

important for those who feel depressed or lonely. In the same way that one might decide to go

meet up with their peers when they are lonely, someone may turn to Tumblr for the same

comfort. Most often, frequently reblogged GIFs are those that a majority of a community

identifies with. That being said, we may ask ourselves, what makes up the content of a GIF? For

the purpose of this thesis, I will be focusing on the GIFs that include content from movies and

TV shows, specifically: ​Girl, Interrupted ​(1999)​, Skins UK (​ 2007-2013)​, American Horror Story

(2011-)​, a​ nd ​Silver Linings Playbook (​ 2012)​. ​However, GIFs can be made up of any sort of

digital medium, really; there are even cell phone applications that you can download now to

make GIFs in seconds from your own digital camera roll. The ways in which you can manipulate

GIFs are as endless as their looping effect; You can add text, color grading, effects, etc. Because

of this, GIF creation is a sort of art, and it is typically situated within the remix culture. However,
 McCloskey, 18

the GIF’s creator is deemphasized because when it is viewed, the viewer is typically alone and

the GIF is surrounded by other images and texts (such as what you would see on the Tumblr

dashboard). In other words, the GIF creator is not calling attention to themselves, meaning they

aren’t creating the GIF for the purpose of recognition. Instead, they are creating GIFs as

simulacrums; images or representations of someone or something (Oxford Dictionaries, 2020).

In the GIF’s we will analyze, the creators, more often than not, intend to represent ​someone, ​such

as movie or television characters, as well as ​something, s​ uch as emotions or feelings.

Remix Culture

All of the GIFs we will discuss in the analysis chapter of this paper are remixes. In other words,

they consist of digital, copyrighted material, such as scenes from movies or TV shows. However,

the GIF creator took fragments of copyrighted material and manipulated it by adding effects such

as text or black and white filters, thus in a way, making it their own. Another signifier of what

​ eaning it causes a
type of work can be classified as “remix” is if it is deemed ​transformative, m

shift in perspective or viewpoint. Another word that is frequently used to describe remixes is

“mashup”, which was often used to describe musical tracks that superimposed vocal tracks onto

instrumental tracks. For the sake of this paper, we will define a remix work as snippets taken

from various sources or works and combined to create a new work (Hetcher, p. 1872). But, why

do people remix? Who participates in remix cultures? Often, and especially amongst teens, those

situated within the remix culture remix original or copyrighted texts “based on their own

interests in order to create a new work that encapsulates their ideas and concerns about the issues

that matter most to them” (Reilly & Robison, pp. 96-100). Another more obvious reason for the
 McCloskey, 19

creation of remixes, however, is that some people are simply fans of the original work. It’s

important to remember, however, that fan fiction has a lot to do with why remixed texts from

films or television shows are circulated, but this is outside the scope of this paper.

Conclusion

It is clear that the media has a profoundly pervasive effect on those who consume it. With

the ever-growing arsenal that is mass media, it’s influence is embedded into our consciousness as

much as the influence our parents, peers, and teachers have on us. When we form our opinions

about the world, we must take into consideration the media’s part in creating it. Film tends to

attempt to represent mentally ill persons or the mentally ill community as a whole, and it also has

a rich history of inaccurately and negatively representing mental illnesses, which continues to

perpetuate the already-existent stigma surrounding mental illness. When these film

representations leave the confines of the film itself, are transformed into GIFs, and then shared

and reblogged on Social Networking Sites such as Tumblr, the intensity of the effects on

individuals may only increase, along with the growing audience reach each post possesses.
 McCloskey, 20

Chapter 2: Methodologies

My research analyzed the relationship between the circulation of mental

illness-related-GIFs within the “sad” community on the SNS site Tumblr, and the users who

circulated them.

In order to understand why certain representations are circulated, and their ultimate effect

on their viewers, I performed a set of film analyses. Through a qualitative research approach, I

chose the films to analyze based upon the most frequently reblogged, liked or shared GIFs on

Tumblr that derived their content from the films, at the time of my search. More specifically, I

focused on the GIFs and films that represent the mental illness of depression and it’s related

risk-behaviors, such as self-harm and suicide.

The research was conducted through a film, media studies, and social media lens-- and

more or less a psychology lens. However, my own personal experience informed this research as

well, as it helped me navigate Tumblr in order to do my initial depression-GIF search.

I performed my Tumblr search by using a variety of key phrases and words, such as,

“depression gifs” and “depression movies”. Then, I looked at the GIFs that directly mentioned,

through the use of text, depression or sadness; or that visually depicted depression related

risk-behavior, such as self-harm or suicide. I then determined what films they were from, which

was informed by my own knowledge of films, as well as hashtag’s (#moviename) attached to the

GIFs. Because Tumblr has a certain and distinctive waterfall of endless content, I didn’t look at a

certain ‘day’s worth of’ content, per say, but rather the content available to me at the time of my

searches. After I compiled these GIFs and determined which films are most frequently shared as

GIF content, I watched the films and performed the analyses. I looked for representational
 McCloskey, 21

deviations between my own personal experience in the mentally ill community and what was

shown on the screen, and then looked closer at the film conventions that made these

representations possible. Some of these conventions were camera movement, scripting, costume

design, color grading, use of slow motion, etc. These film analyses were conducted under a

rhetorical analysis framework, which allowed me to critically analyze and evaluate the

conversation, through words, phrases and images and draw conclusions about representation.

More specifically, representations that seemed to normalize or glorify having a mental illness.

These film analyses were also conducted under a contextual analysis framework, meaning that I

was looking at how the film and it’s representation of mental illness may contribute to a broader

context. Some other questions this framework supported were: How did the meaning of the film

change when seen outside of its culture or subculture? Did it accurately represent said culture, or

did it stigmatize it? What characteristics distinguished the film as being of its particular culture?

Ultimately, my hope with this research was to draw a connection between film

representations of the mentally ill community and their transmediation into popular, trending

GIFs in order to further understand the “sad”, yet idealized, youth and young adult community

on Tumblr.
 McCloskey, 22

Chapter 3: Ventriloquists

Girl, Interrupted​ (1999)

Girl, Interrupted,​ directed by James Mangold, is a film based on Susanna Kaysen’s

record of her 18-month stay at the renowned Claymoore mental hospital in the late 1960’s after

attempting suicide. The film was adapted from Kaysen’s book, ​Girl, Interrupted​.

Throughout the film, there are many ways in which the whole idea of mental illness seems
glamorized.
During my film analysis, I found a few issues in regards to representation. First, the cast

is stacked with attractive and renowned stars. Susanna Kaysen is played by the moody yet

beautiful Winona Ryder, while her best friend Lisa is played by the award winning Angelina

Jolie. The cast also includes stars such as Brittany Murphy, Jared Leto and Whoopi Goldberg.

My point here is that mental illness doesn’t always look beautiful or handsome, and portraying it

as so gives off the perception that it does.

Secondly, the terminology the cast uses surrounding mental illness is poetic and almost

romantic. There is one particular scene where Kaysen is lying depressed in bed and says, “But I

know what it’s like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can’t. You

hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside”. I have seen this quote hundreds

of times on Tumblr, where it is reblogged by thousands of people. Maybe this quote, typically

paired with depressing and moody GIFs, is reblogged so many times because people can relate to

what Kaysen is saying, or it is so popular because depression is considered trendy today for the

people that can’t relate. Young, easily influenced girls are seeing the beautiful Winona Ryder

portrayed as this depressed poet, and soon they want to be her. Tanya Parker, a clinical social

worker wrote an article about how she has come to see, from working with adolescent girls, that
 McCloskey, 23

this is an understandable notion. She said, “​It’s easy to see why some young women may relate

to the media pre-packaged version of mental illness. It provides a possibility of escape, for

camaraderie with peers who may understand how you feel, and it provides an answer. Identifying

with movies like ​Girl Interrupted​ can make you feel like you’ve just figured out why life is so

hard” (Parker, 2016). It may seem like a good thing that people can find comfort in identifying

with mentally ill characters, but at the same time this is extremely harmful for those who don’t

already struggle with mental illnesses because the desire to be just like the characters in the

movies and television shows also creates the desire to be mentally ill just because a movie

character’s life came off mysterious and interesting.

In addition, the patients in the film are always sneaking off from the hospital on

unrealistic, spur-of-the-moment adventures. For example, all of the patients sneak into the

basement of the hospital where they go bowling and later sneak into their psychiatrist’s office

and read each of their files. In reality, there is no way this would ever happen. So, the

implications are that patients in psychiatric facilities are able to roam freely whenever they

please. This scene also implies that ​mentally ill people are rebellious ​free spirits, which Hyler

earlier was one common stereotype found in movies that represent mental illnesses. Another very

eventful part of this film follows Susanna and Lisa as they escape from the ward and visit one of

the released patients who is played by Brittany Snow. Susanna Kaysen, the author of the book

actually accused Mangold of adding “melodramatic drivel” to the real story because of this

excursion that never really happened (IMDb). As if everything that Kaysen actually went

through during her 18-month stay and battle with mental illness wasn’t enough, a sense of wild

excitement had to be added to the film, further supporting the stereotype that mental patients are
 McCloskey, 24

“rebellious free spirits”. This stereotype is one of six that Steven Hyler and his colleagues

described as common in perpetuating stigma surrounding mental patients (Wedding, et al. p. 8).

The final plot point that seemed to glamorize mental illness was when one of the male

nurses in Kaysen’s ward falls in love with her, adding romance to a place where there is

realistically none. This part of the plot is a key example of another common misconception that

is perpetuated by film: “The treatment of mental illness involves boundary violations by a mental

health professional” (Wedding, et al. Appendix D).

GIF Analysis

Stripped of all context, this GIF (Figure 3.1) is an animated image of a distraught and

angry woman, soaking wet, wearing a hospital gown and holding herself up in a bathtub. The

text, paired with the woman’s visual appearance, communicates a set of angry, chaotic and

distraught emotional states.

 McCloskey, 25

This GIF, and other similar ones, are deployed in order to be relatable to the community

it circulates within. When you reblog this GIF, you are saying, “this is how I feel right now.” It’s

almost as if the reblogger is using the GIF like a puppeteer would a puppet; as a form of

ventriloquism. This is an amazing phenomenon because the GIFs purpose then transforms from

the creators original intent into a virtual expression of the words that Tumblr users feel they can

not express themselves. In Chapter 1, we talked about Tumblr’s uniqueness as a social

networking site because it allows for anonymity, inclusivity and community.

This GIF (Figure 3.2) is a looping black and white sequence of a woman appearing to be

disappointed. With the help of the text subtitles, the woman seems to be disappointed in herself.

Behind her, we see the shape of some sort of moody lighting or candles. The woman’s

expression also says a lot, in addition to the fact that it’s a tight camera shot so we really see her

facial expressions… She never looks at the camera and we never see her eyes; in other words,

one might argue she is quite literally looking down on herself, and for whatever reason, lacks

confidence in herself.
 McCloskey, 26

But why would this be a popular GIF? Why would this be deployed? Why was it one of

the top GIFs under the search, “depression movies”? Again, because it’s relatable to the mentally

ill community and helps some social media users assemble a virtual “mood board” of how they

are feeling or who they identify as. However, more so than the last GIF we looked at, this

sequence is a prime example of a GIF that supports self-sabotaging behavior or thought

processes. The woman is literally saying she is disgusting, and appears as though she genuinely

believes that. Based on that conclusion, I would argue that the people who are drawn towards

this type of GIF; the users who make this GIF popular by interacting (reblogging, liking,

commenting, etc.) with it feel the same way about themselves that this woman feels about

herself. I am not to say that this GIF is directly harmful to the users who interact with it, however

I don’t believe this type of inner dialogue is helpful whatsoever in securing an ideal level of

mental health.

This GIF (Figure 3.3) alone highlights the sheer emotion that the character (Susanna) is

dealing with. We see that her eyes look wet, probably because she was crying, and that she is
 McCloskey, 27

lying curled up in bed. The duration of the GIF is fairly fast, and we can see that she is saying the

words included in the caption, which reads, “I know what it’s like to want to die” and then the

GIF restarts and loops again. The GIF is also fairly small, meaning the creator has intentionally

cropped the aspect ratio of the film itself, and the shot is tight on Susanna’s face. The creator of

this GIF may have cropped the aspect ratio to make the playback speed faster for viewers. This

decision is consistent with the instant gratification mentality of our times, and more specifically,

of the adolescent population. The GIF format allows for immediacy-- it plays endlessly and

simultaneously-- which is another reason why this GIF, being short in duration and fast in

playback speed, is circulated so often. This GIF, although similar to the first two from ​Girl,

Interrupted,​ seems to focus more on the sheer emotion that Susanna is going through and tying

that into feelings of hopelessness or the desire to die.

Silver Linings Playbook (2013)

Silver Linings Playbook, ​directed by David O. Russell, is a dramatic romantic comedy

about an adult former teacher, Pat, who after spending some time in a mental institution, moves

back in with his parents and dedicates his time to reconciling with his ex-wife. During this time,

he meets and builds a bond with a troubled and mysterious girl, Tiffany.

I came across this film shortly after it came out in 2013, but in this case my motivation

was not inspired by Tumblr. Instead, I saw many trailers and commercials on the tv before it

came out. Looking back, though, I found it interesting that each trailer I saw rarely highlighted

the fact that the two main characters were mentally ill-- instead, the focus was on their romantic

relationship. In reality, this film had everything to do with mental illness.

 McCloskey, 28

After watching the film once, I did some research to see how other scholars, critics and

viewers felt about the representation of mental illness throughout the film before watching it

again with a more informed eye. The majority opinion seemed to generally be that the film

would be a hit for those who view hyperactivity as a failure and depression as a bad attitude; it

goes against the medical establishment and the ability of medical science to bring about results

(Brauser). At first glance you may not notice this, and most viewers aren’t necessarily thinking

about representation when they watch a movie for entertainment, but these themes and messages

are still being subliminally instilled into us as viewers.

Stripped of all context, this GIF is a long (roughly 6 second) looping sequence of a

woman yelling at a man about how she feels empty because she exerts all her energy into helping

everyone else but herself. The GIF feels very manic in nature, as the woman is flailing her arms

around and being extremely expressive with her facial expressions and movements.

GIFs are typically not this long, so I’d like to offer another possible motive for the

creation and deployment of this GIF…The way that the text is lined up perfectly with what the
 McCloskey, 29

woman is saying demonstrates to me that this content was created to express something the user

who created this felt like they couldn’t say themselves, but deeply related with. In other words,

the GIF and its contents are acting as a stand-in for the creators emotions, as well as the emotions

of those who interact with it. Based on the woman’s words and facial expressions, I would argue

that the emotions felt by the creator of the GIF were situated along the lines of anger, sadness

and frustration.
 McCloskey, 30

Chapter 4: Identity Construction

American Horror Story​ (2011-)

For this paper, we will be focusing specifically on the first season of ​American Horror

Story​. The series, created by Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy, as a whole is an “anthology series

centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an

insane asylum, a witch coven, a freak show circus, a haunted hotel, a possessed farmhouse, a

cult, the apocalypse, and a slasher summer camp” (IMDb). The first season, titled “Murder

House”, is about a family that moves into a house with a murderous past and is infested with

ghosts- one being Tate, a main character in the show. However, the show overall is very

psychological and delves deeply into mental illnesses. One season of ​American Horror Story​ is

even called “Asylum” and takes place in a mental institution in the 50’s.

Although the show generally avoids the cliches of mental illness, there are some

worrisome scenes in the first episode. First, one of the main characters, Tate (pictured in one of

the GIFs) literally tells Violet how to commit suicide. After attending a therapy session in the

Murder House he walks in on Violet in the bathroom cutting herself with a razor blade. He then

says, “You’re doing it wrong. If you’re trying to kill yourself, cut vertically- they can’t stitch that

up… If you’re trying to kill yourself, you might also try locking the door.” That is the first

interaction between these two characters who eventually fall in love with each other. In fact, Tate

actually tells his therapist that he met a girl he is interested in based off of this first interaction of

her harming herself and him telling her how to harm herself permanently. The second interaction

is even stranger- they bond over the scars on their wrists from self-harm as if it’s cool and

trendy. As a depressed teenage girl, this scene is deeply imprinted in my mind; Maybe it’s
 McCloskey, 31

because I’ve seen the season multiple times, or because I’ve seen GIFs from this scene on

Tumblr a countless amount of times, but I literally retained this information like it would be

valuable to me at some point. Not only is Tate telling Violet how to commit suicide, but the

writers of ​American Horror Story a​ re also telling their viewers. So, what else are the writers

telling their viewers?

In many films and shows, there seems to be a pattern of interjecting love or relationships

into a narrative where there really isn’t logical room for it, as in ​Girl, Interrupted​. In that

instance, ​the film suggests that all you need is love to conquer mental illness. In ​American

Horror Story, ​however, the writers used Tate and Violet’s relationship and the theme of love to

say something much darker. As their relationship progresses throughout the season, Violet and

Tate decide they want to be together forever. On the fandom side of things, viewers loved this,

which I found really interesting based on who they are as characters and who they are as a couple

in the show. We already know about Violet and her history of depression, but what about Tate,

played by Evan Peters? Tate is a self-proclaimed homicidal maniac who thinks the world, and

people, are filthy and disgusting. He even goes so far to say in therapy that by him killing

someone, he would be taking care of the problem. The very first time we meet Tate, he fantasizes

about being a high school shooter, yet viewers and Tumblr users who were fans of the show

praised him, empathized with him and supported him. The online community of AHS fans

“shipped” him and Violet, meaning they were fans of their romantic relationship, even when

things got really dark. As their relationship progresses, Tate wants Violet to kill herself so that

they can be together forever- and spoiler alert, she does, which leads me to the first GIF:
 McCloskey, 32

Stripped of all context, this GIF (Figure 4.1) is a very fast moving, flickering black and

white sequence of what looks like a young girl, crying and washing prescription pills down with

alcohol. Most likely, this is a suicide attempt. With the help of the hashtags that accompany the

GIF, such as #suicidal and #overdose, we see that this is in fact a suicidal teenage girl

attempting to overdose. This is also the first GIF that we have looked at that is not assisted by

any text or subtitles- What we see is what we get, and it’s a dark message that is, yet again,

idealized by the online community.

We can also take note that yet again, we have a black and white GIF. Black and white

color grading in film is sometimes used to render an increased emotional impact on the viewer.

However, this was a choice made by the GIF creator and not anyone involved with the television

series the content is derived from. The GIF creator made a conscious decision to go with a black

and white filter over this GIF, most likely in order to evoke a deep emotional state in the users

who interact with the GIF. In some ways, these creations function as propaganda - propaganda

supporting and idealizing a level of sadness that a young girl felt so deeply, she felt she needed

to die.
 McCloskey, 33

This GIF is from a sequence where Violet commits suicide due to her depression and

other mental illnesses. The interesting part is that her father in the show is a therapist, so it’s

almost like the show was commenting on how someone so depressed can easily be looked over,

even when living under the same roof as a mental health professional. Nevertheless though, the

contents of the GIF are strictly highlighting the girl’s suicidal tendencies.

This show, along with ​Skins​ UK, were both a huge reason as to why I got involved and

interested in this subject matter. As a teenager scrolling on Tumblr and creating my own, digital

mood board, I came across many GIFs like this derived from the American Horror Story series,

and especially Season 1 of the show. The way I saw my online community interacting with this

type of media was shocking. I would see comments on similar types of GIFs like, “I LOVE

THIS SHOW” or “I LOVE VIOLET HARMON”, even though she is a tragically sad and

suicidal character in the show. It made me pose the question… Why are we perpetuating the idea

of being sad? Why is it cool to be sad? To hurt yourself? I came up with two possible answers to

these questions. First, it’s an attempt to express and identify with one’s self as a member of the

mentally ill community. Secondly, the people who interact with this type of content don’t truly

want to get better, or at least not yet. As someone who has personally undergone many cycles of

depression throughout my life, I can understand this; There is a safety in not getting better. It’s

easier and it hurts less when you accept the way you feel and don’t think about the alternative,

and change in general is difficult. My therapist once told me, “You listen to sad music when

you’re happy because you don’t really want to be happy… You aren’t comfortable being happy

yet, because you were sad for so long…” I think that applies here, too. In the same way that one

would turn on a sad song to feel sad, one might reblog a generally sad GIF. Although this may be
 McCloskey, 34

hard to grasp if you have not been clinically depressed or mentally ill, for some, sadness ​is

safety, and in a way, the GIF serves as both the thing that is keeping you from being happy, but

also keeping you, temporarily, safe and comfortable in your sadness. The next GIF we will

analyze is similar in it’s message:

This GIF (Figure 4.2), stripped of all context, appears to be a quickly moving image of a

character who is making a hand signal to shoot himself in the head. The GIF has no text, and no

added color grading, meaning there is nothing else for Tumblr users to relate to other than the act

of killing oneself. We can also see that the character is moving his mouth and appears to be

saying “pew” or “boom”, as if he is trying to mimic the sound of a gun going off. At the same

time, we see that he isn’t scared but ​fearless, ​because he isn’t begging for his life, but rather

welcoming the idea of death. Once again, we have a GIF that does nothing but emphasize

suicidal tendencies, and by reblogging it, users are emphasizing it too.

Skins (UK Version) (​ 2007-2013)

The British television series ​Skins,​ created by Jamie Brittain and Bryan Elsley, follows a

group of rebellious British teens who are trying to grow up and find love and happiness despite
 McCloskey, 35

questionable parenting and teachers who more want to be friends (and lovers) rather than

authority figures. There are many mental illnesses represented throughout this series, such as

bipolar disorder, depression, and eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. There are also

many representations of the risk-behaviors associated with these disorders, such as severe drug

abuse, anger management issues, self-harm and murder. The show gained so much viewership

and traction that it was remade into a U.S. version in 2011. Despite my obsession with the U.K.

version, I never watched the American version because I heard that the plot is less focused on the

intimacies of the characters, but more so on what goes on around them.

Content from the U.K. version of the show, along with ​American Horror Story​, was what

I saw most on Tumblr when I was a teenager. However, I hadn’t seen the series yet. I reblogged

GIFs similar to the ones we will analyze later while having zero insight into the context of the

show and it’s characters. I remember spending so much time following the trail of GIFs, images,

and hashtags that were circulated from this show in order to figure out what it was called so I

could watch it. In other words, I watched the show ​because ​of the GIFs. My obsession with the

show only grew when I binge-watched the whole series (consisting of 7 seasons) in less than a

month, but ultimately, it was the show’s immense presence and the romanticization of the show,

and mental illness, that sucked me in.

 McCloskey, 36

I chose this GIF (Figure 4.3) because most of the other GIFs we have analyzed have

included text that has subliminally guided our opinions or thoughts about the GIF and its

contents. This GIF and it’s popularity, however, rely solely on the emotion, facial expression and

positioning of the character in the GIF and how much the users who share this content relate to

the sheer emotion showcased. So, what are those emotions that Tumblr users are relating to so

much?

First and foremost, we need to talk about the character in the GIF. Effy, played by Kaya

Scadelario, has a whole fan culture dedicated to her performance in ​Skins​ UK. She became

wildly popular on Tumblr- similarly to Violet from ​American Horror Story.​ Personally, she

became a fashion icon for me, but I must admit, it was her chaotic and depressed representation

that made me, and many others, want to be her.

In this episode (Season 4, Episode 5), Effy’s boyfriend Freddie arrives at her home when

he realizes she has thrown a party. It caught him off guard because earlier that day she was

severely struggling with her mental health. Freddie begins looking for her but she is nowhere to

be found. Before he discovers her, he notices that she has completely covered her bedroom walls

with scraps of paper, drawings and images, which is representative of manic behavior and often a

symptom of bipolar disorder. Eventually, he finds her completely alone and crying under her bed

as the party rages on below them. Next, Freddie lies down and comforts Effy. Similar to the lack

of text in the GIF, there isn’t much verbal communication between Freddie and Effy in this

scene, which makes it even more chilling. There is something about the way he simply sits with

her and lets her know he is there for her that makes this scene so powerful. She is also looking

directly at the camera which is placed where Freddie is sitting, thus, breaking the fourth wall.
 McCloskey, 37

The fourth wall is an imagined, invisible wall that separates actors from audiences. However,

this is a very rare performative convention, which is why it’s worth discussing. By looking

directly into the camera, the character seems to be directly interacting with the users on the other

side of the screen. This could evoke a sense of comfort for many users because it’s as if Effy is

right there next to them. In this case, this GIF is most likely circulated by fans of the show, or

those who relate to the out-of-context emotion evoked by the GIF.

This GIF (Figure 4.4) is similar to Figures 3.4 and 3.5 in that the text imposed onto the

GIF matches perfectly with Effy’s lips as she says, “I’m officially off the rails.” In the frame, we

can see another person, which is unlike many of the other GIFs we have seen so far. In the other

GIFs, the characters seem to be alone in the shot. We assume they are speaking to someone, but

rarely see them. The effect this has on viewers is a feeling of loneliness or isolation, so in this

GIF, those feelings are felt on a lesser level.

There is also a strong sense of confidence within this GIF. The way that Effy tilts her

head and almost smirks as she expresses that she’s “off the rails” comes off like she’s proud to

feel frenzied, unstable, or even manic. Mania is a symptom or side effect of bipolar disorder, and

the term “unstable” is often used to describe those who suffer from bipolar disorder. By
 McCloskey, 38

reblogging this, and GIFs similar to this, users are participating in the construction and curation

of their identity-- bipolar or not. They may feel as though they are also “off the rails” or even

want t​ o be unstable.

When I was a depressed teenager, I remember self-diagnosing myself with bipolar

disorder based on how my life appeared to match up with Effy’s and the kinds of things people

were saying on Tumblr about the disorder. Later, I was medically and professionally diagnosed

with bipolar disorder, but at the time, Tumblr assisted in blurring the lines between what were

symptoms and what I ​wanted​ to be symptoms in order to better understand my identity. Based on

the conversations I’ve had with other Tumblr users, I’ve heard similar things in regards to users

self-diagnosing themselves with depression or anxiety disorders. It wasn’t until they sought help

from a medical professional that they realized the error in their thinking. This made me wonder,

why do people ever ​want t​ o have symptoms of a mental illness when there is a chance their

mental health was just deviant at the time? It’s because mental illnesses are romanticized in films

and on social networking sites such as Tumblr.

Conclusion

When I set out on this journey and began putting pen to paper, I wondered what I would

find amidst this research. I thought it was only fitting to ask my personal social media following

what they thought about the “sad” culture that is present on Tumblr and if they would be willing

to share their own experience with me, anonymously or not. Many of the responses were exactly

what I expected they’d be, but some made me remember exactly why I set out on this project in

the first place.

 McCloskey, 39

One girl shared with me the following response:

“Essentially, Tumblr depression pages, the show ​Skins​, and the first season of
American Horror Story were the reasons why I started self harm in the 8th grade.
I looked at all the black and white cutting GIFs, and all the people who were
saying “people cut to feel better”, and it made me think I also wanted to. I vividly
remember pictures of girls with their legs cut up and I mimicked it once. I
eventually stopped thinking about depression like that and got 1000% better.”

Another girl shared this with me:

“I remember scrolling through Tumblr in 8th grade and reading posts I related to
but it made it seem or feel like it was normal to feel the way I felt, which was
super depressed and anxious. It (Tumblr) always glorified mental illness on that
platform and it was one of the reasons I denied help for so long because I thought
everything I felt was normal to feel.”

That’s when I noticed the problem and who was affected most by the glorification of

mental illness through GIFs on social networking sites like Tumblr: adolescents. Out of everyone

I spoke to over social media about my research, they all said that they used Tumblr during a

period of intense depression when they were teenagers.

If I really wanted to, I could analyze every GIF on Tumblr. What it really comes down to,

though, is ​why ​content like the GIFs we have analyzed so far are being reblogged so frequently

or even at all. This brought me to the following conclusion: Tumblr users circulate

depression-related GIFs in order to express something they feel they can not express in their own

lives, to construct their identity through an online platform, and to romanticize mental illnesses.

However, the content of these GIFs originally came from films and television shows, which

further emphasizes the need for filmmakers to honestly and accurately represent mental illnesses

and the mentally ill community from the very beginning of the media production process. Once a
 McCloskey, 40

film or GIF is distributed and sent out into the world, there is a tendency to forget about it’s

influence and impact on certain communities as it circulates. The purpose of this paper was to

outline, highlight and analyze those influences and impacts, and to advocate for a future where

honest representations of the mentally ill community are a necessity.

 McCloskey, 41

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