Tell Hollywood to Stop Making Fun of Narcolepsy (and other disorders)
- by: Air Bender
- recipient: Hollywood Writers
Tell Hollywood that Narcolepsy is NOT A JOKE.
Movies and T.V shows have made fun of narcoleptics by having actors fall asleep in a bowl of soup or just collapsing at the most random moments. First in movies like My Own Private Idaho (1991), Bandits (2001), Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo (1999), Moulin Rouge (2001), The Soprano, and now in the Nickelodeon T.V show "Victorious" that was meant for kid entertainment.
In the episode "Tori and Jade's Playdate" (Season 3 Episode 6), the cast made a play about when an astronaut (played by Tori Vega) figured out he was narcoleptic and kept falling asleep at the most random moments. [Click on petition picture to watch the play or Victorious Play about Narcolepsy . He couldn't remember the names of his own twins and fell asleep and collapsed while talking. He kept saying that he was "so dang narcoleptic" that he couldn't different regular things in life. The play was meant to be funny, especially when he kept falling over things, but it was just as insulting like all those other movies that find disorders funny.
Narcolepsy is not a joke. Narcolepsy is sleep disorder caused by a malfunction in nervous system. It causes excessive daytime sleepiness and sleep attacks at very inappropriate times, like while driving. Narcoleptics also often experience: Disturbed nocturnal sleep, Abnormal daytime sleep pattern, Cataplexy, Sleep Paralysis, and Dream-like hallucinations. Narcolepsy usually occurs in ages 10-25. It affects millions of people worldwide, 1 in every 2000 people (like me, for instance). It has no known cure, so narcoleptics have to take medication lifelong. For some reason, Hollywood finds this hilarious.
Hollywood exaggerates the symptoms of narcolepsy, and while this may be really entertaining to watch, it is not completely accurate and it's making fun of a disorder that has not known cure. Hollywood should just keep its mouth shut about narcolepsy, and about other disorders in general, because they are totally oblivious to the people who are affected by it.
Let us start making a difference by signing this petition. This petition will be sent to the writers of the Nickelodeon show Victorious to demand a written apology for making fun of narcoleptics on the episode "Jade and Tori's Playdate."
Dear Writers of Nickelodeon T.V show "Victorious",
In the episode "Tori and Jade's Playdate" (Season 3 Episode 6), the cast performed a play about when an astronaut (played by Tori Vega) figured out he was narcoleptic and kept falling asleep at the most random moments. The play was meant to be funny, but instead just made fun of narcoleptics.
Narcolepsy is not a joke. Narcolepsy is a nervous system disorder, not a mental illness. It's a chronic sleep disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness, sleep attacks, sleep paralysis, cataplexy, and other symptoms.
I am a fan of Victorious, but that play they made about the narcoleptic astronaut was cruel. Narcolepsy may be one of the rarest sleep disorders, but there are still people out there who are affected by it. The play may have been meant to be funny, but you failed to realize that there are still millions of people worldwide who affected by narcolepsy, like I am. I am an actual narcoleptic teen who loves your show, but you really went to far. It was totally inconsiderate to over exaggerate a disorder, especially one with no cure, just to get a cheap laugh. That play was just like the other movies like The Soprano and the Bandit (2001), totally oblivious to others feelings.
Writers of Victorious, I and other supporters of this petition would really appreciate it if you apologize for the play, and make a monetary donation to American Sleep Association to help find a cure for narcolepsy and other disorders.
Sincerely,
Air Bender
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