NYCC: Interview with Jenny Jaffe (A Force for Good Panel)

by: Anthony Zangrillo

Following their groundbreaking mental health in comics panel at the 2015 San Diego International Comic-Con, Project UROK is now taking part in a panel at the 2015 New York Comic-Con in October entitled A Force for Good: The Powerful Partnership Between Mental Health and Pop Culture. Awareness of pop culture’s power to help people with mental illnesses is reaching new heights, from celebrated depictions of superhero struggles to the personal stories of creators themselves. This Sunday, Comic-Con attendees can join the speakers as they discuss how comics can be a force for good in mental health.

The Motion Picture Club received an opportunity to speak with the founder of Project UROK (pronounced “You Are Ok”) Jenny Jaffe. Jenny studied Television writing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and was instrumental to NYU’s premiere sketch group, Hammerkatz. After graduating, Jenny pursued a career in comedy writing and performing. Jenny is a member of the comedy group Forever Dog Productions, with whom she writes and performs regularly at The PIT. She has written for Vulture, The Washington Post, xoJane, Bustle, Reductress, and The Devastator, and her work has been featured in Playboy and Slate, among others. Along with Mara Wilson, she is the co-host of the live show Send In The Clowns at NYC’S Duplex cabaret theater. She can also be seen in the upcoming feature films Jack of the Red Hearts and Punk’s Dead. In addition, Jenny started Project UROK, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating the isolation of mental illness through funny, meaningful web content aimed at teens and young adults.

As I spoke with a fellow NYU alumni, our conversation began with a fond remembrance of our experiences in the Washington Square Park campus. Jenny passionately explained her involvement in the Hammerkatz sketch group during her free time at the university. As our conversation continued, I briefly described the changing landscape of extracurricular activities at NYU (without The Motion Picture Club, how else would students and alumni get to attend advance screenings and premieres).

Turning to Project UROK, I wanted to know why Jenny felt the need to form this organization. Jenny explained the great importance of “creating a safe space” and “peer support communities” for teens. Analyzing the current state of mental health conversations many tend to be “very scared and clinical” creating an impersonal environment. “1 in 4 Americans are diagnosed with mental illness,” yet most of these people live normal lives. Jenny was greatly troubled by the blatant misconceptions that the public possesses about mental health. Statistically, the mentally ill are more likely to be hurt by violence, rather than perpetuate it. Jenny emphasizes that “mental illness is not the reason” for violent tragedies, such as recent mass shootings. John Oliver recently discussed the common misconceptions of mental illness, while chastising some political leaders for rashly and incorrectly blaming violence on mental illness. It is sad when a comedian has to point out that the prison system is the largest mental health reform initiative that this country possesses. This fact unfortunately perpetuates the mental illness stigma even further:

The real strength of Project UROK is its transformative goal. As Jenny explained, Project UROK is not merely “putting a human face on mental illness.” In addition, UROK hopes to capture the “voice” of every user, transforming UROK into a “platform for storytelling.” Through video confessionals and blog journals, users can share their experiences with the world in a safe environment. This concept is a refreshing idea for an internet medium filled with negativity. Ultimately, UROK aims to prevent the “’Othering’ of the mentally ill.” Too many times, mental illness is “wrapped in other issues,” yet the videos allow people to look into the eyes of certain people suffering from mental illness and hear their story.

Jenny hopes that UROK will result in a “bigger chance of people coming to the site and recognizing issues.” The recognition of storytelling is very important to Jenny. She feels that videos are a very powerful tool in shaping and owning the conversation of mental illness. Jenny excitedly explained the wide variety of users representing URO, including many comedians.

Transitioning into Comic Con, I asked about the recent prominence of mental health in comic book storylines. Comic book writers have accepted the challenge to talk about former taboo topics, and I feel this has a great positive effect on society at large. Jenny agrees, as she explained a very interesting observation in the world of Batman comics. Jenny posed a simple question to me: “Where do Batman’s villains live?” As a proud aficionado of the Dark Knight, I quickly responded Arkham Asylum and suddenly realized Jenny’s point. The Batman legacy has a stigmatizing effect on mental health patients. Even though Jenny is only a casual Batman fan she knew that “once the villains get picked up, they are taken to the asylum.” Jenny explained that some kids believe they will “grow up to become the villain because of their diagnosis.” In this case, the comics have a negative impact on the prevailing culture’s definition of mental health. However, Jenny proudly remarked on the recent shift in comic book storytelling. For example, Jenny explained to me that the Batgirl story is at the forefront of the mental health debate in comics. The writing team has decided to “change Batgirl’s character by putting her in therapy, which is awesome,” Jenny exclaimed. In the past, writers would shy away from this risk, but the current evolving medium of comics welcome this challenging subject matter.

Jenny believes that pop culture creates shifts in society’s perception of social issues. For example, Jenny recalled how Modern Family greatly changed many people’s opinions on gay marriage. Furthermore, Jenny also praised Orange is the New Black for its depiction of a transgender character. However, Jenny warned that “one depiction isn’t enough.” While these isolated examples show that it’s possible for media to have lasting impacts on society, more still needs to be done. Ultimately, Jenny believes that “media reflects the world,” so therefore, it shouldn’t “perpetuate biases.”

As a final topic for our discussion, we turned to the role of media as a tool in personal coping. As a form of personal reflection, I recounted my younger self-identifying with the ups and downs of teenage Peter Parker. If I was having a tough day at school, I would dive into a daring exploit of the Amazing Spider-Man (through the 90s animated cartoon or a random comic book issue). Spider-Man defined my childhood and became a part of my personality and psyche. Similarly, Jenny found support in comedians. Jenny’s motto” “if you’ve done it, you seem to be doing well,” kept her focused on her goal of comedy writing. One of her biggest idols was Stephen Colbert. Ultiamtely, comedy became more than an entertainment experience, comedy became a tool and a coping mechanism.   To this day, Jenny still utilizes media to relieve the stresses of life. If Jenny experiences a troubling day, she sometimes chooses to jump into the world of Leslie Knoepe and the hilarious antics of Parks and Recreations (sometimes you just have to “treat yo self”).

Additionally, Jenny believes that media can re-shape the debate around mental health. The book “Marbles” has a truly important story concerning a child diagnosed bi-polar. Jenny explained that “people are scared about medication. They think that something is wrong with me.” Thankfully, Marvels attacks this misconception.   To Jenny, “finding relatable characters is healthy.” She hopes to accomplish this goal, but urges creators to be active: “if you’re a creator, you can’t sit around. You can definitely help create the world around you.” Ultimately, Project UROK has the ambitious goal of inspiring artists to shape the future of pop culture and society at large. With so much conflict in the world, why does mental health have to be scary? Jenny professes that all people “need to be able to identify.” This is an important element that is often overlooked in treating mental health symptoms. Project UROK plans to stop the self-perpetuating stigmatizing cycle by creating a two-way medium of video messages and confessionals to create a community of identification.