Carrie Fisher had a bizarre performance on a cruise ship after which she was hospitalized. TMZ has the exclusive video and I watched it expecting something horrifying, but it’s really just cringeworthy. It’s nothing like the bizarre meltdown Kanye just had during a live performance where at the end of his song he started screaming, over and over, and then violently threw his microphone on the floor, almost hitting the front row. THAT is something that I could believe would lead to a necessary hospitalization.
In the video, Ms. Fisher is cleaning up after her dog who just pooped onstage (and by cleaning up I mean she picks it up with a napkin and then throws it on a couch, saying, “Where else am I supposed to put it?”) and then starts singing. I’m not sure what the context is here; if she was expected to sing or if she was there to do a reading, or what. There’s no musical accompaniment. She’s singing a cappella swaying and stumbling around, forgetting lyrics, and then asks the audience what song they’d like to hear.
But it was apparently weird enough for her publicist to release this statement,
There was a medical incident related to Carrie Fisher’s bipolar disorder. She went to the hospital briefly to adjust her medication and is feeling much better now.
Okay, let me say something here. I realize that not everyone is the same when it comes to mental illness. There a varying degrees of how severe an illness is. There’s a bipolar spectrum; some are on the high end, some on the low end. But saying that because someone did a weird, seemingly spontaneous singing performance on a boat and blaming it on being bipolar makes no f-cking sense to me. Honestly, I think she’s just drunk. She’s singing on a boat and it’s a little embarrassing but she’s not having a major episode like when Britney Spears shaved her head. It seems like now we’re so quick to blame everything on mental illness, and I don’t like it.
I am keeping in mind though that I know NOTHING about her condition or her treatment, and it is entirely possible that this has something to do with being bipolar and maybe needing meds adjusted but I still think it’s bullshit. When you have a mental illness and you stop being happy for 2 seconds the first thing people ask is, “MAYBE YOU NEED YOUR MEDS ADJUSTED???” My theory is that she’s drunk and that’s not something her people want to admit, considering that she is a recovering alcoholic.
What do you think? (And by the way, I’d like to add that I know that Carrie Fisher is bipolar. I recommend her book Wishful Drinking to anyone. I know that she has a history of mental illness. I’m not saying that she isn’t bipolar, I’m saying that I’m annoyed that we’re using mental illness as a blanket excuse for any behavior that isn’t deemed “normal.”)
I hope she is well, she’ll always be Princess Leia to me and I adore her.
Drunk!!!
You’re spot on in pointing out the over-medication of the western world, but your comments on mental illness betrayed that you really do “know NOTHING about her condition”. When people are struggling with certain mental illnesses, their behaviour might seem odd- that’s all part of their insight, judgement and perception being impaired by said illness.
I do understand that this is a gossip website, and lord knows I love the Evil Beet snark on a daily basis (and I think you’ve done a great job since joining on!)
Stigma against mental illness is particularly damaging, since mental illness effects many of us within our lifetime and shaming in society at large makes it difficult for people open up about mental health struggles and seek help when it’s needed. Many feel that “mental illness” is a damaging blanket term that obscures the wide spectrum of disorders, traits and episodes. Carrie’s behaviour certainly could have been the result of drinking (*clutches pearls*), but if she struggles with Bi-Polar Disorder it could also easily be the result of a manic episode- or drinking while experiencing manic episode, which would certainly make a lot of sense.
“saying that because someone did a weird, seemingly spontaneous singing performance on a boat and blaming it on being bipolar makes no f-cking sense to me.”
That’s okay, but it does make sense to myself. People get manic, and sometimes when they get manic they get giddy and silly- and sometimes they get giddy and silly and drunk. Singing and swaying isn’t cause for hospitalization, true, but impaired emotional regulation and judgement as a result of mania could be.
More information on Bi-Polar Disorder for anyone interested:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bipolar-disorder/DS00356
Anyway, thanks for listening and thanks for all your work on the blog- I really mean it when I enjoy it daily. You guys are the best part of my coffee break between meetings! (Except for coffee. Nothing beats coffee.)
I have to second Paisley here. I suffer from a mental illness myself…I can imagine how shocked most Evil Beeters are to hear this. Getting mental illness out of the shame game and officially recognized by the public at large as a disease (because the AMA already has) has been an uphill battle. Be thankful you don’t suffer from one. On another note, maybe she was on a Carnival Cruise ship and just freaked the hell out. I know I would!!!!
Exactly! I’m with you on all of us. I also suffer from mental illness and that’s why I get so annoyed when people want to diagnos any sort of non-typical behavior with something as serious as being bipolar. THAT’S the part that I think is bullshit.
Yup, we’re fighting the same fight here! I am with you on ALL of this. Thank you for such an eloquent comment! The reason why I said this: :“saying that because someone did a weird, seemingly spontaneous singing performance on a boat and blaming it on being bipolar makes no f-cking sense to me.” is because I have first hand experience of manic episodes. I’ve seen real mania and real highs and real lows and I hate when people try to build stories out of nothing. I flinch at the idea of the media using mental illness as a blanket excuse. HOWEVER, I am also aware that my experiences do not equal everyone else’s. And not everyones’ illness is alike. I just don’t want anyone to take the term bipolar lightly, and what I saw here was, “lol someone is drunk on a boat, let’s call her bipolar.” And THAT’S what I think is bullshit. Does that make sense? Thanks again!
Makes total sense- and thanks for the clarification! I agree with your sentiment- let’s not pathologize non-normative behaviour by claiming that everything slightly out of the ordinary deserves some sort of “disorder diagnosis”.
Personally, I think I’m just also particularly hyper-sensitive to comments about ‘mental illness’ (to use the blanket term) in the media after some of the *really* uninformed commentary (not yours!) about mental health after the VERY tragic incidents in Newtown. I probably just felt kinda triggered last night; thanks for continuing such a positive discussion! :)
*Re-word: I meant thanks for continuing the discussion in such a positive way. :)
Oh and by the way, thank you so much for your kind comments!
Here is an interview with Carrie Fisher from a couple of years ago where she speaks frankly about living with bipolar disorder and her ongoing 30 year struggle with alcohol and drug addiction: http://www.bphope.com/item.aspx?id=630 . Fisher has never claimed continuous sobriety, although the 8-year stretch she achieved is considered long term. Many people living with untreated bipolar or who are in a manic episode with “medicate” with alcohol and drugs. I love the celeb gossip on this site, the photos, the rumors and even the snark. But posts like this–where a blogger makes light of a real, difficult situation or reveals gross ignorance by her comments–are totally off-base. Lainey over at LaineyGossip is about as bitchy, snarky and intrusive as they come, but she reigns it in and refuses to post anything that she deems “sad smut.” You newer gals here might want to take a page from her book. You can be clever and reserve a little class, too.
Whoa, whoa I hope you’re not implying that I’m making light of this. I am bringing this out to light. I suffer from the same condition, and that’s why I don’t like the idea of slapping the “bipolar” label on everything. People are so quick to use the word bipolar as an unnecessary description (like, “Omg she was so mean to me today she’s so bipolar.”) So this: “But posts like this–where a blogger makes light of a real, difficult situation or reveals gross ignorance by her comments–are totally off-base.” is very hurtful to me. I’m sorry you saw it that way. I don’t see where in this post I made “off-base comments” or “made light of a real, difficult situation.” I have a very thick skin, I don’t care if people think I’m an unfunny, name-dropping jerk, but to call me insensitive about mental illness when I myself suffer with mental illness, is very, very hurtful.
I am with JCamp11. As a family member of someone who suffers from Bipolar disorder I also found your comments to be insensitive, seemingly uneducated, and a perpetuation of societies reluctance to take mental illnesses seriously. I understand that you too suffer from mental illness but perhaps that goes to suggest that even individuals suffering themselves have misinformation and a misunderstanding of the field of mental health.
I saw Ms. Fisher’s publicist’s comments, not as a “blanket excuse” for her behavior but rather a factual update on her health status. My loved-one can also seem giddy and happy when he is in a manic state but it is a signal to those around him that he is in danger or hurting himself (ODs, suicide attempts, etc) or making some very damaging or dangerous decisions. In one of these episodes he appears to act similarly to Ms. Fisher, which some people think is innocent or funny, however, if you were to talk to him you would find that he is not just “giddy” he has lost touch with reality.
In the case of Ms. Fisher, it is likely that she was experiencing other symptoms and exhibiting additional behaviors that resulted in her hospitalization and adjustment of medication, not just a result of how she acted on stage. I mean no disrespect to you in this post, I just wish to urge you to reserve judgement on an individual’s mental state for their psychiatrist, as is done with other medical issues.
And by the way, I am WELL aware of her struggles. I love her books! Perhaps I make the mistake of assuming that everyone knew that *I* knew she was bipolar.
“we’re so quick to blame everything on mental illness, and I don’t like it.”
SO TRUE.
I did not find your comments insensitive or uneducated. I interpreted your comments to reflect on the “spinning” of every situation by publicists to gain empathy for their client. This lessens the publics awareness of mental illness instead of conveying the difficulties of it.
I loved your comments, Ms St Ives. Keep on keepin’ on <3
Your comments were not in the least insensitive…you can’t make everyone happy, and some people will always be offended, but I think it’s pretty clear that you weren’t making light of anything and your intentions and comments were from a good place. I personally am loving the new writers. it’s very refreshing!