There are genuine gestures in this space…& then there are actions driven primarily by PR/Advertising/Endorsement Deals.
Since about 2017 when athletes/entertainers started talking more openly abt MH we’ve seen examples of one extreme to the other & everywhere in-between. I’ve personally been critical of public figures who share a “reveal” – & in doing so: share only a label they have w little vulnerability, get on a comfy couch in front lights/cameras, & use this reveal to announce an endorsement deal they signed w a product or service. I talk openly abt these bc I believe they set the convo back – they double down on the erroneous msg that “some ppl have ‘it’ & that they are the affected ones.” W/o the vulnerability shared – HOW they got there – the convo isn’t normalized. All that’s normalized is that – labels happen to celebs too. And w those labels, here’s a quick fix they believe in.
Compare that to the two most recent stories of athletes stepping up in this space: Giannis flat out donating $1Mill to MH programming in Milwaukee where he plays…& now yesterday, Bengals QB – Joe Burrow, covering the MH treatment costs for 20 kids in Cinci. Yes it was in MH Awareness Month. Good PR? Sure. But doing it just to double down & make it back in endorsements right away? No. Seems genuine. Need more of this.
Last 2 slides➡️…I’m a little disappointed in my old colleagues at the NBA regarding the Ja Morant situation. Did Ja do a bad thing flashing a gun on IG Live again after an earlier suspension? Yes. Should Adam Silver have come down on him hard w serious words & punishment? Yes.
But what Silver failed to do was ALSO address, how the League & PA will work together to get Ja help (or that he’s now getting help). It’s May, the NBA says they’re “Mind Health” champions. You can’t have a player behave this way, penalize them, & IN this month, not address underlying MH & working WITH your player/partner to find help. They’re judging behavior w/o linking it to what underlies, publicly. That sets the convo BACK. Questionable behaviors come from past experiences. Not addressing that, we miss a big opportunity to educate.
