An Open Letter to NAMI Regarding Baby Seal Club's "Lunatic Binge"

 

With regard to our upcoming 'Lunatic Binge' music and art performance, it has become clear that some have found the theme of our event offensive. We did not intend any disrespect to anyone by the irreverence in our word-play and comic exaggeration of pop culture representations of mental illness. We apologize if we inadvertently caused harm.

To clarify, what we are presenting is akin to a cartoon using recognizable reference points elevated to illustrate the ludicrousness and absurdities of the stigmas attached to mental illnesses and their treatments. We seek to spoof the stigmas themselves, not to perpetuate them, and certainly not to insult those who suffer from a serious mental illness. We will let the attendees decide for themselves if we have succeeded.

Nearly all of the event's organizers have been deeply and personally affected, either firsthand or through close family members, by mental illness; we know how devastating it can be. In fact, family members of our event's creators who face these challenges have been notified and are in full support. They understand that we simply choose to express our support and describe our experiences with this disease differently. All involved feel that the character of the event is in fact de-stigmatizing mental illness by calling out the darkness in us all, finding the humor in it and celebrating recovery through performance and visual art. In other words, we choose to bring light to the darkness rather than let the darkness consume us.

One could also look at our event as an exploration, a conversation and an integration. We believe part of our job as artists, musicians, poets and performers is to challenge, embrace and release. This often includes topics and subject matter that are tender. Our event is a creative expression intended as a light-hearted look at a very serious subject. We view humor as medicine and understand that not all will share our methodology. We share your earnest dedication to educate, inform and change the stereotypes by revealing them for what they are: silly, sensationalized and inaccurate. We are fortunate that mental health advocacy organizations such as NAMI work tirelessly to advance and improve the care given to those with mental illness from the dark times of just a few decades ago. We are looking forward to a conversation with NAMI's representatives at some point prior to the event.

If there is anything we are mocking, it is the broken archaic system of institutions in a society that puts many of us in boxes, judges us, and medicates us for thinking differently. It is also a criticism of the out-of-control drug and insurance companies and their attempts to frighten and misinform in their relentless pursuit of profit, which can lead to needless suffering of the mentally ill.

In closing, we realize this theme is provocative - and if awareness is raised and the conversation is opened we will have achieved our goals. We would also like to make it clear that the venue, Hopmonk Tavern and its operators have merely provided a space for our performances and are in no way responsible for our choice of subject matter.

Thank you again for your interest and concern. We join in busting the stigma of mental illness and appreciate differences in opinion.

Please see a note below that we have received from an organizer's mother who has been challenged for over forty years by a debilitating mental illness that has led to her being hospitalized numerous times, and who works closely with the mentally ill community in her area. We hope it offers another way to look at our event.

We welcome a dialog. Please contact us at babysealclubevents@gmail.com

 

Baby Seal Club

 

A response directed to NAMI from the mother of a crew member:

Whoa, whoa, whoa, here! Reinforcing stereotypes? What stereotypes exactly? Are you not, maybe, over reacting? As an individual with what has been a very, very debilitating serious mental illness what I see is in fact irony.

Do you realize that many of the Baby Seal Club members and crew members have themselves or have close family members who have serious mental illnesses?

Do you know that what is to be portrayed tomorrow night is indeed lived history of some of these individuals? The artwork that is to be displayed is ACTUALLY work by "demented" individuals, i.e., persons with an SMI.

And do you know that the rough draft of a Recovery Manual by an individual with an SMI who is in recovery will be on display?

Things are not always as they may first seem. Perhaps a stereotypical view of the way things WERE for persons who experience/d an SMI, but an ironic view. Psychiatric care WAS hellacious. Don't you see it? Or is your agenda too sacred?

This is a heroic CELEBRATION for those who have BEEN there and survived to live in recovery. This is also an ironic poking of fun at historical psychiatric treatment. This is not a mockery of the mentally ill, but of an old unworkable system. So come celebrate with Baby Seal Club. Check out the great art. Puruse the Recovery Manual (unfortunately the drastic revision - the final draft - is not yet available) and enjoy the great music. Jump on down from your high horse and mingle - joyously because the present focus is on recovery, which the band and crew celebrate with mirth.

Anna-Magdalena Christianson
Certified Peer Support Specialist / Psycho-social Rehabilitation Assistant
County Mental Health Authority
Berrien Springs, Michigan