Robin Williams was probably trending on at least 1 social media platform when you woke up today. Robin Williams isn't the most popular social media trending topic today, as it often happens with social media. It's not his birthday nor the anniversary of Williams' death. Twitter was abuzz with stories about Williams' kind acts and the inevitable mutterings about how it is okay to not be okay, and what help he could have received, as is customary when a celebrity passes away.
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A few days back, Anthony Bourdain was trending in Twitter for the exact same reason. With the exact same result. Twitter doesn't care if someone is beyond its reach.
America's compassion for Williams and Bourdains was evident. You might be surprised then to learn that the reaction to Calvin Ridley, Falcons wide receiver, posting on social media that Calvin was taking time off from the game to take care of his mental health was very different.
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You get the idea. There were many people who tweeted their support for Ridley, encouraging him to do what he needed to and coming back strong and healthy. The mere fact that Ridley received such a strong response from odious Twitter users proves that Americans have a long-standing theory about their parasocial relationship to celebrities. Americans are more supportive of someone's mental health if they are already deceased.
How can we explain the difference between the Robin Williamses and the Anthony Bourdains of the world and those who are actively working to improve their mental health like Naomi Osaka and Calvin Ridley? Americans are known for their #BellLetsTalk Day and love to support mental health awareness. But not during the NFL season. Or the Olympics. Or, God forbid a grand slam tournament of tennis. Not when we rely on you to entertain us at pre-determined events or when you are on our fantasy team. You may be required to make a public appearance. Oder when we tweet at or for you.
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Is it really that hard?
Americans see athletes differently from movie stars, artists, and successful businessmen. Famous non-athletes have worked hard to achieve everything and deserve every advantage. It is the closest thing America has to the Divine Right of Kings. The athletes, however, have not won the genetic lottery and are just playing a child s game. They should be thankful for what they have. Giving back to the community or sharing wealth doesn't mean being grateful. It means being available for us, the fans, whenever we need you. This includes accepting whatever salary your team owners decide you deserve. Billionaires, after all, are not athletes and therefore inerrant.
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You might be right if you believe that part of the entitled demand for athletes labor is due to a large Black population. Imagine how different these tweets would look if Drew Brees or Tom Brady had to take time to care for their mental health. It would be different, I think.
The National Institutes of Health estimates that more than one quarter of Americans aged 18 and older suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Anxiety. D epression. B ipolar disorder. OCD. We have it all. Many of us have it. This includes the author of this article, who has been in treatment since 2000 for anxiety and depression. Mental illness is a major problem in the United States. However, stigmatization surrounding mental illness keeps many Americans from seeking the help that they need.
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Perhaps we could support people who are in need of mental health care while they're still with us and helping them to work on their problems, instead of waiting until they have taken their own lives. It's more difficult than just adding a #RIP hashtag to a tweet.
We should all be cheering those in public who seek help. This includes Bucky and Sam attending couples counseling in The Falcon & Winter Soldier.
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Although we don't know the exact cause of Ridley's mental illness, or whether it is a diagnosable one, everyone should applaud his willingness to admit that he has a problem and that he is committing to putting his mental health first.
All.
There is a good chance that someone you love won't have to deal with mental health issues at some point in their lives. Calvin Ridley and Simone Biles, Michael Phelps and Naomi Osaka are all heroes.
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Chad, it doesn't matter how stupid your fantasy team is.
