ASDA Halloween Costume Sh*tstorm

[BoyBlue_1985]

I don't understand the problem. This suit would clearly make you look mental, although as a mental 'patient' I would hope that the treatment received could stop you getting to the covered in blood/ axe wielding stage. The only issue as far as I can see is that it might make it difficult for householders to tell proper mentals from trick-or-treaters on halloween.
Perhaps if you accessorize the costume with rainbow shoelaces it could raise awareness of gay mentalists which would be a win-win?

The problem is Helmet, that people with mental health issues are, by ASDA, being portrayed as the stereotypical 'going crazy with a meat cleaver and is going to cause carnage' type of person while many are working tirelessly to move the stereotype type away from this.

In all honesty mate I have never known a stereotypical view of a mental patient to be a knife wielding blood covered hideous creature thing. If they called it mass murderer someone would still be offended. I agree its a poor use of terminology as it could be called lots of other things but I dont think people stereotype mental health patients as what this costume is other than in horror movies

 

[drthingy]

mental health care is grossly underfunded. scarily so. One of the reasons for this is that it isnt a disease people feel comfortable talking about. things like this costume just highlight the incorrect stereotypes that put more fear into people talking about it and communities providing the help they need.

 

[Helmet Cole]

Just out of interest. Do any of our resident BM mental patients ever go out dressed like this? In my experience mentals tend to look outwardly very ordinary, and it's only when you get them pissed up or start going out with them that the mad stuff starts.

 

[bennyblue]

I thought i was gonna look ace at halloween now im just gonna look mental it really suited my persona too

 

[johnny on the spot]

Just out of interest. Do any of our resident BM mental patients ever go out dressed like this? In my experience mentals tend to look outwardly very ordinary, and it's only when you get them pissed up or start going out with them that the mad stuff starts.

Right, so Helmet's advice is don't let mentalists drink and certainly don't go out with them. In fact, they're probably best left on their own, sipping orange juice.

 

[another generation]

Been flipping between sites the last couple of hours.

... the curse of bipolarity!

;-)

 

[johnny on the spot]

Been flipping between sites the last couple of hours.

... the curse of bipolarity!

;-)

Haha x<br /><br />-- Thu Sep 26, 2013 9:19 am --<br /><br />The best thing about this isn't ASDA's grovelling and guilt-ridden charity donation. But the fact that people are now simultaneously talking about mental health on TV, online, in the papers and hopefully at work. That's a superb result.

 

[kunaguero10]

Don't get halloween anyway, another money spinner for the economy. Why would anyone want to dress up as something scary that is meant to intimidate people and go knocking on random peoples doors on a cold dark night in exchange for sainsburys basic confectionary? Weird

 

[CTID1988]

All this fuss over a halloween costume, its mental.

 

[The Silver Surfer]

Nope.

We've got a result, by the way. Remember this started about an hour ago with two or three bipolars chatting on twitter.

ASDA have been reduced to grovelling, have removed it from sale and have pledged a 'sizeable donation to mental health charity Mind'.

If only all fundraising was this easy.

They will have been in touch with this guy.