i didn’t want to make another corny video about male mental health so i created this instead (Spoken Word)
greetings from New York City.
Introduction.
Man stands in front of the mirror, and his reflection is stoic. The lights in his room are low; the apartment is mad quiet, and gradually the man's face turns into a frown just before — the doorbell rings.
Man shakes his head, shrugs his shoulders, and a smile flashes across his face as he rushes for the door.
Man's friends are at the door, a group carrying bottles and snacks — ready for a night out. It's inaudible, but as Friend One reaches for Man's shoulder, he asks how Man is.
'I'm fine,' Man's mouths with a smile.
Friends cheer, and the group head inside for a night of fun. As the group disappears into the crib, a voice speaks.
'Over *insert statistic* men commit suicide every year, ' Says a generic female television voice as the door to Man's house closes. 'Make sure you get help.'
Scene fades. The end.
From personal experience, I know how important mental health is, so I'm not knocking the type of advert above — anything is better than nothing, right — but the subject becomes cliche when it comes to men's mental health. Men are encouraged to 'talk more' or 'open up about their mental health, but the reality is that most men don't even know how to recognise their suffering. I didn't want to make a video that asked men to speak up. I wanted to create something to let my bros know they aren't the only ones going through it.
I’m not a licensed mental health professional, but I hope this video speaks to someone: I didn’t want to make another corny video about male mental health so i created this instead.
I am in NYC this week on a business trip shooting some episodes for another one of my creative ventures: ‘Books Are Bloody Boring’ (check it out if you haven’t already); it’s a show about books and cool people; think Celebrities go sneaker shopping meets a bookshop.
Don’t forget to check out my other newsletter, ‘For Better Or Worse’, for my tales and insights on marriage from my 15-year relationship.
Here are a few highlights from my NYC trip:
Creative inspiration:
I drove past some mansions near Rockaway beach and couldn’t help but feel inspired to take pics:
Of course, some food: