Review: Next to Normal 4/4/09 matinee (small spoilers) — Page 2

The song makes a fictional doctor look bad, so you're offended? what the **** is wrong with you? You do realize that in many cases, that's the way drug therapy actually works. The goal is simply to make the patient not feel anything. I'VE EXPERIENCED IT. The song is funny, and true (not universally true, but true in some cases).

IT'S NOT UNTRUE. It is true in some cases. there are some doctors who actually do practice drug therapy like that.

YOU ARE WRONG. factually wrong. this isn't about your opinion, this is about you just being flat out wrong.

Wait, tell me again how is gives the audience the notion that all therapists feel that way? I might have missed that part. I thought that the show was about one family's story...

KingKong, you have a very baby-ish way of disagreeing with people.

Drug therapy is NOT meant to make patients feel nothing, it is meant to find the problem and fix it. It also makes it seem as if the patient is puring his/her heart out while the doctor kicks back and relaxes. Completely false, being told confidential 'deepest and darkest secrets' is like being emotionally punched in the face. You try doing the job.

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That's the audience's fault and no one else's. No creative team should have to be forced to censor their show due to an audience being unable to differentiate fact from fiction in a MUSICAL. Simple as that.

Wait...so shows are supposed to depict life exactly as it is for everyone?

My brooms don't fly or allow me to! I never had a nanny, but my babysitters never flew in by umbrella and took me on adventures or tried to feed me brimstone and treacle. Shall I go on? Yes, I shall. I have in fact worked with people in prison and none of them do song and dance numbers to tell about why they're in there! I think I was misled into thinking THAT happens!

Give me a break!

next to normal (and most shows actually...Grey Gardens possibly being the one exception) is not and never has been presented as a documentary. That song is totally from Diana's perspective and her delusions. It is in no way from the doctor's perspective. She's projecting onto him, which DOES in fact happen. He is unaware of what she's doing in the song (not dialogue) because it is HER FANTASY.

And as far as this... Completely false, being told confidential 'deepest and darkest secrets' is like being emotionally punched in the face. You try doing the job. Aren't you like 14? So how would you know what it feels like to do that job?

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Updated On: 4/5/09 at 09:29 PM

AND the creative team has worked with a number of professionals in the mental health field. Are they representing everyone? No. But even those people were comfortable with the depictions in the show BECAUSE THEY REALIZE THAT THAT SONG IS HER DELUSION!!!!!

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I think you could certainly argue that Dr. Madden is a good doctor.

Jail is a realistic situation. Having nannies or babysitters is a realistic situation.

THE SHOW WAS NEVER ADVERTISED AS AN ALL-INCLUSIVE DOCUMENTARY.

And friends telling you things is FAR different from being a trained doctor or therapist. Part of our studies when going into that field is finding ways to distance yourself from what you hear from patients. The moment you lose objectivity and truly start taking their crap home with you is the minute you know it's time to get the hell out of that profession. There's a term "professional distance" for a reason.

(edit for clarity ~ yes, I said "our" because initially in college I was heading in that direction. I changed and went in a couple of different directions. But always in careers where there is a level of distance needed.)

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Updated On: 4/5/09 at 09:42 PM

Do you want something more realistic? If you have sex for the first time you are automatically going to get pregnant just because Melchior and Wendla did in Spring Awakening? Your logic is flawed.

adamgreer and jake6970 ~ You are both totally correct! Dr. Madden is an example of a good mental health provider.

And yes, the bit about needing to find the right person is IN THE LIBRETTO!!!!!!!! Dan says it! "There's someone out there for you. In the depression chat rooms they say it's like dating. You have to keep going until you find the right one."

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Do you want something more realistic? If you have sex for the first time you are automatically going to get pregnant just because Melchior and Wendla did in Spring Awakening? Your logic is flawed.

Even more excellent proof of the point I was trying to make about musicals are NOT documentaries.

I think most people who would attend theatre are people who are capable of holding fantasy and reality in two different places in their heads.

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Also Jordangirl, people are well-informed about prison and nannies and KNOW that information is false. People today have a very small knowledge about mental ilness.

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