Suicide Prevention Groups Protest "The Office"

NEW YORK — Some suicide prevention groups aren't laughing over a scene in "The Office" where Steve Carell's character tries to scare young children by struggling in a hangman's noose.

The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and other mental health organizations say NBC and other entertainers should stop using suicide as a punchline. They worry that depiction of a method of suicide might encourage mentally ill people to take their own lives.

"We try not to be zealots about this," said Robert Gebbia, the foundation's executive director. "But this one ... kind of crossed the line."

A spokeswoman for NBC's entertainment division did not have an immediate comment.

There's been a run of television shows that have inflamed sensibilities lately. The Parents Television Council has urged affiliates of the CW network not to air a Nov. 9 episode of "Gossip Girl" following on-air promos for a sexual threesome. Some religious groups were angered by an episode of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm" where a drop of Larry David's urine is splattered on a portrait of Jesus Christ.

"The Office" Halloween episode last Thursday opened with the paper company hosting a haunted house for young children. Carell's socially clueless office manager Michael Scott promises a scare, and pops out with his depiction of a hanging.

Afterward, Scott speaks like an exaggerated public service announcement: "Kids, just remember, suicide is not the answer. It is the easy way out."

Gebbia said it's impossible to imagine a death due to breast cancer, for example, being used as a joke. He said he wants entertainers to be aware of the impact of their work.

Mental Health America, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and Suicide Awareness Voices in Education are other organizations that joined Gebbia's group in calling for sensitivity. They said research has shown that explicit depictions of suicide may prompt vulnerable people to copy the act.

Two years ago, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention protested a General Motors commercial that showed a robot leaping off a bridge, and a Volkswagen ad with a man standing on a ledge threatening to jump.

"We're not trying to be censors or fall into the trap of wanting everything to be PC, politically correct," Gebbia said. "But on the other hand, it's offensive to some people who have lost relatives to suicide by hanging."

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NBC is a unit of General Electric Co.

Comments

[markcanfora]

Suicide Article.

MY son's hanging death was ruled a suicide. After my own thorough investigation, it was later determined by me to be an "accidental" death by hanging.
Children experiment, copy-cat, etc. what they "see or hear" about. The night I stood over my son's body in the morgue, the medical examiners said this: "Half of the children I see come through here, don't intend to be here..." These words rang hollow in my ears. Here I was standing over my precious child as I said: "what?" He further explained: "In as little as two-three seconds a person can lose consciousness when cutting the air off to the brain & eventually they die when all alone with no one to help them escape from their mistake." Getting too near something as dangerous as a rope or belt around the neck is deadly in many, many circumstances. That's why having "fun or joking" can be dangerous & lead to death, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally".

My true story: www.TrueTreasuresinLife.com "A Child Died, a Father Cried & God Answered!"


Steve Carrell's comment was as bad or worse than the actual act seen in the show...
NBC needs to please follow-up.

Afterward, Scott speaks like an exaggerated public service announcement:

"Kids, just remember, suicide is not the answer. It is the easy way out."

Nothing easy about suicide!
A dad in Florida who knows,

Mark Canfora

[georgiegirl]

There is nothing funny about suicide....period. I don't necessary think someone has to be mentally ill to kill themselves, nor do I think it is 'the easy way out'. I lost both of my maternal grandparents to suicide 27 days apart when I was 5. My dear mother was 27 with two small children and she never got over her parents death until her death 5 years ago from self inflicted gunshot wound. Do I think she took the easy way out....absolutely not. I think she was one of the strongest women I have ever known, and had been through a hell of alot by the time she was 76.
So, no, I find nothing funny about suicide.

[HDR]

The operative word in your statement is "I". That's really the core of this "debate," isn't it?

[skybar]

the whole point of that show is that the Steve Carrell character is a buffoon with no sense of social appropriateness. You'd think they'd understand that.

[soundping]

Political correctness gone wild.

[mykebee]

YAHOO! Poppers all around.

[sparky73]

I was so offended when I saw that episode I sent a letter to NBC protesting. Please Boycott NBC until they offer free ads to the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention

[injinplease]

You could have written a letter to your congressmen asking for more mental health funds , NBC isn't the producer of the show which you think was so oblivious about a subject that isn't a TV issue nobody kills themselves from seeing a person mock suicide, they do it because they are mentaly ill . What a waste of a letter and energy you could use to do something real .

[sparky73]

actually NBC pays for the show by the production company and sells ads around it. If you boycott the network and its advertisers, you are taking power away from the network. That is what we need to do. Please try to not take light something very serios

[MissingAmerica]

The Office is one of the most irreverent, politically incorrect sitcoms I've ever seen. If you aren't sure, ask those involved with the show and I'm sure they would agree. They cross the line almost every week. To take this show seriously can be disastrous. If a person is prone to suicide, that person will commit it one way or another. It is life, inner and outer conflicts that push them, not irreverent sitcoms.

We have sleepaids which advertise side effects of depression, insomnia, nausea, hallucinations and thoughts of suicide. After issuing the warning, they urge you to take their product and have a good night's sleep! I should say the 2 minutes of media time taken by this ad is far more lethal than 30 minutes of The Office.

[Clare53]

Oh pulease.

[injinplease]

Sitcoms don't make people kill themsevles people kill themselves . While Robert Gebbia was wasting time with this he could have kept the phone lines open so people could call the hotline , I was on hold for 20mins .

[up420oz]

light'n TFU!

[PresidentRobertBooth]

A hangman's noose is generally more associated with execution rather than suicide.

[mykebee]

You certainly are correct, but it just wouldn't be funny if Steve used a belt and rope ala David Carradine.

[empiricalWeb]

If he were in fishnets, it just may have been

[JoeBlough]

So, don't watch it if it offends you.

[DeeW]

It's not about being "offended". Clearly you either didn't read the article or did and completely missed the point.

[chasmader]

Well, I read the article and I have to agree with JoeBlough.

Lighten up.

[jwredd]

Speaking of censorship, unfortunately your profile has been removed. Too bad because I fully agree and love the profile pic.

[Gingergirl]

I guess it would have been easy not to watch it if we had all had the script beforehand. I enjoy watching "The Office" but I definitely think this was out-of-line.

[Eric8869]

The point of the humor of THE OFFICE and particularly the character of the boss Michael Scott is how INAPPRORIATE the behavior is. It's a comedy of manners - particularly lack of.........

I think they need to pick and choose their battles.

[Kara Torrent]

this is a funny show...they demonstrate obsurdity by being obsurd...not that suicide is obsurd mind you.....but that's the whole point of the show...Michael Scott's character does and acts in the most ridiculous and outlandish ways...

[wm1066]

In this political climate the movie "Harold and Maude" could not be made. Having said that I don't watch this show...its too painful to watch, I don't get the humor in it.

[MikeDu]

Who are these self-appointed guardians, anyway? Could I form my own "bearded left handers with bald spots" league and protest all negative stereotypes of bearded left-handers with bald spots in the media on their behalf? I'm seeing a lot of people protesting this *in anticipation* of someone somewhere *potentially* being offended.