title: Truly enthralling: epileptiform events in film and on television--why they persist and what we can do about them.
abstract: Seizures and epilepsy have been portrayed in film since 1900 and on television since the 1950s, but unlike many other conditions, their depictions have not improved with increased scientific understanding. At this time, most individuals who are under 45 years of age will never witness a seizure. Thus, their information about what seizures are comes from depictions in film and on television. Because especially on television these fictive and often erroneous images are increasing, many think of them as accurate. The research addresses three questions in relation to these images: How do directors use the images? Why do uses of seizures in visual media not reflect contemporary scientific knowledge? Why have they persisted and increased in use? Data consist of material from 242 films and television episodes. The general category of seizures includes seizures in characters said to have epilepsy or some other condition, seizures related to alcohol/drug use, feigned or pseudoseizures, and a "throwaway" category. The research demonstrates how epileptiform events drive the narrative, support the genre, evoke emotional reactions, highlight traits of characters with seizures, accentuate traits of other characters through their responses, act as catalysts for action, and enhance voyeuristic experience. Through connecting categories, we explain a basic social process (Glaser, 2007). The conclusion is that these images are so enthralling that their use is likely to persist. The authors suggest that advocates acknowledge this and then find ways to have more continuing characters with correctly depicted epilepsy be part of television series as a way of exploring the truly enthralling dimensions of the condition.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research, Bryn Mawr College, 300 Airdale Road, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA. tkerson@brynmawr.edu
authors.forename: Toba Schwaber
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Kerson
authors.forename: Lawrence A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Kerson
mesh_terms: D003469:Culture; D004827:Epilepsy; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009040:Motion Pictures; D013690:Television