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Cruel intentions: how toxic tabloids and celebrity culture changed the way we talk about mental health

Cruel intentions: how toxic tabloids and celebrity culture changed the way we talk about mental health

If you opened up a magazine in the 2000s, you'd likely be met by countless images of celebrities on their worst days. And the conversation accompanying those images? Pretty toxic. We've come a long way in how we talk about mental health since then, but how did we get here? What changed? Today, we reflect on the cruelty of tabloid culture and how the internet shifted the narrative about mental health. If you want to hear more about our relationship with celebrities, check out our episode Moog became a Youtube megastar — and it messed with his mental health. Guests: Jo Piazza Author and host of Under the Influence Sophie Gilbert Staff writer for The Atlantic Author of Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves Dr Jessica Ford Lecturer in Media University of Adelaide Professor Nick Haslam University of Melbourne Clinical Professor Jonathan Shedler Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences University of California Hadley Meares Hollywood historian Matthew Suarez Author of Paparazzi Daze: Celebrity Encounters David Kamp Contributing Editor Vanity Fair Magazine Credits: Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar Reporter/producer: Jennifer Leake Producer: Rose Kerr Senior producer: James Bullen Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

All In The Mind · Australian Broadcasting Corporation

August 23, 202529m 38s

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Show Notes

If you opened up a magazine in the 2000s, you'd likely be met by countless images of celebrities on their worst days. And the conversation accompanying those images? Pretty toxic.

We've come a long way in how we talk about mental health since then, but how did we get here? What changed?

Today, we reflect on the cruelty of tabloid culture and how the internet shifted the narrative about mental health.

If you want to hear more about our relationship with celebrities, check out our episode Moog became a Youtube megastar — and it messed with his mental health.

Guests:

Jo PiazzaAuthor and host of Under the Influence

Sophie GilbertStaff writer for The AtlanticAuthor of Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves

Dr Jessica FordLecturer in MediaUniversity of Adelaide

Professor Nick HaslamUniversity of Melbourne

Clinical Professor Jonathan ShedlerDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioural SciencesUniversity of California

Hadley MearesHollywood historian

Matthew SuarezAuthor of Paparazzi Daze: Celebrity Encounters

David KampContributing EditorVanity Fair Magazine

Credits:

  • Presenter/producer: Sana Qadar
  • Reporter/producer: Jennifer Leake
  • Producer: Rose Kerr
  • Senior producer: James Bullen
  • Sound engineer: Simon Branthwaite

You can catch up on more episodes of the All in the Mind podcast with journalist and presenter Sana Qadar, exploring the psychology of topics like stress, memory, communication and relationships on the ABC Listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.

Topics

perez hiltonbritney spearscelebritiessocial mediapop culture