True to life
MTV among networks leading the charge in how mental health is portrayer, handled
When MTV introduced its longrunning documentary series “True Life” in 1998, the first installment offered a grim look at heroin addiction. Reporting from the affluent Dallas suburb of Plano, Texas — where a spate of teen overdose deaths had caused nationwide alarm — Serena Altschul interviewed young adults as they used intravenous drugs.
Director Wilson Van Law told the Houston Chronicle he was so unsettled by what he’d documented in “True Life: Fatal Dose” that he temporarily quit smoking and drinking. “It certainly depressed me,” he told the newspaper. “It was the most difficult story I’ve worked on, and I’ve done some pretty dark stuff.”
Though groundbreaking in its own way— the broadcast was followed by a number for Narcotics Anonymous and a roundtable on addiction—“True Life: Fatal Dose” stands in stark contrast to a new MTV series about teens struggling with addiction. “16 and Recovering,” which premiered Sept. 1, follows students at Northshore Recovery High School in Beverly, Mass., a Boston suburb hit hard by the opioid epidemic.
As principal and founder Michelle Lipinski says in the first episode, relapses are a reality at Northshore. But viewers never see the students using substances. While there are serious moments — one episode involves the overdose death of a beloved student — the overarching theme of “16 and Recovering” is one of hope, as Lipinski doles out hugs (and surprise drug tests) in the school’s hallway. “The world needs to be a kinder, gentler place with people who are struggling with addiction,” she says. That sentiment extends to the world outside the show: A companion website for the series lists resources for those who may be struggling with substance use.
“16 and Recovering” offers a glimpse into a shift executives at MTV and its parent company, Viacom-CBS, hope will lead the entertainment industry when it comes to tackling mental health on-screen. The forward-looking approach is outlined in a comprehensive mental health media guide the network compiled in partnership with the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative and a group of mental health organizations, including the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the youth-focused Jed Foundation.
Mental health experts have for years emphasized that sensitivity is needed when it comes to exploring topics such as mental illness, addiction, suicide and sexual assault in media. The efforts at Viacom-CBS arrive as TV creators are increasingly grappling with how to address those issues and support vulnerable viewers. MTV and its expert advisers describe the media guide as a blueprint for doing that. Seen as a “living document” that will continue to evolve, it calls on TV and film creators across the industry to take a proactive and holistic approach to mental health issues in story lines.
MTV is uniquely suited to spearhead such an effort. The network was among the first to promote mental health awareness when it teamed with Jed in 2006 to launch Half of Us, a Peabody Award-winning campaign geared to decreasing stigma on mental illness. Over the years, several notable celebrities have opened up about their own mental health struggles and related issues such as addiction on MTV’s airwaves.
But the network has faced criticism, too.
MTV and its sister network VH1 have a flawed legacy when it comes to unscripted television. A slew of questionable incidents have unfolded on “Teen Mom” and its spinoffs: In 2017, the network was slammed for airing footage of an impaired driver after Ryan Edwards, who shares a son with “Teen Mom OG” cast member Maci Bookout, was shown driving erratically.
The following year, MTV aired footage of Jenelle Evans, then a cast member on “Teen Mom 2,” reaching for a handgun during a confrontation with an aggressive driver as her 8-year-old son sat beside her.
VH1’s “Celebrity Rehab,” which premiered in 2008, was heavily criticized for making TV drama at the expense of individuals suffering from life-threatening addictions. Backlash rose following the deaths of several former participants, including former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr, actor Jeff Conaway, Rodney King and country singer Mindy McCready, who died by apparent suicide in 2013. Later that same year, host Drew Pinsky announced the show would end.
Pinsky recently told The Washington Post’s Emily Yahr that he still thinks the show raised public awareness. “And as the opiate epidemic has unfolded in the public consciousness, I think people understand now even more vivid ly how serious this condition is ,” he said.
Chris McCarthy, president of entertainment and youth brands for Viacom CBS — which, in addition to MTV and VH1, includes Comedy Central, Logo, Paramount Network and Pop TV— said part of the Annenberg partnership involved a critical look at the company’s programming. That self-reflection could lead to changes in theway Viacom CBS networks screen for potential reality show participants, he added. In fact, the media guide suggests that creators get mental health experts involved during the casting process so producers can make informed decisions about whether individuals whomay be struggling with mental health issues or addiction are ready to share their story with the world.
Scandals notwithstanding, both VH1 and MTV have already made mental health a focus in documenting the lives of reality show personalities.
Even “Jersey Shore,” for all its eyebrow-raising debauchery, spurred important conversations about mental health. A 2012 episode showed cast member Vinny Guadagnino’s chronic anxiety, which prompted him to leave the shoreside party house temporarily to seek treatment. And Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino has talked publicly about his battle with addiction to prescription painkillers.
Last February, VH1’s “Black Ink Crew: Chicago” stunned viewers with an emotional episode in which cast member Phor Brumfield opened up about his depression and suicidal thoughts. The rapper and tattoo artist was surrounded by castmates, who urged him to get help. McCarthy said VH1 had been unaware of his struggles, but “with permission,” producers incorporated them into the show’s fifth season. “We were able to tell what we felt was a really great and thoughtful story over the arc of the season,” he said.