“Bojack Horseman” and the power of just mental health representation
“I have the impression that my life is just a series of wacky, unrelated adventures,” Todd Chavez lets out, as if he were a mere spectator of his life. This feeling of being subjected to the succession of episodes that make up life, of being lost in the quest for a possible meaning to it all, is something that seems to be increasingly shared in the face of social change. These themes are central to the Bojack Horseman series, while the treatment of mental health is often accompanied by stereotypes and negative images. And yet, when you consider the long-term effects that conditions such as depression and loneliness can have on the brain, a realistic portrayal is all the more necessary. This animated series attempts to do just that.
Celebrity and redemption
In the 1990s, he was a star of the small screen. The central figure in a family sitcom. But when the series was canceled by the network, Bojack Horseman, a humanised horse, found himself totally deprived. His life, of course, was built around this environment. It was like his second family.
We find him in the mid-2010s. He lives alone in a large house not far from the hills of Hollywoo (in the series, the “d” has been subtracted), with the desire to return to the spotlight firmly in his mind. He may think he is alone, but he is not. Around him gravitate a number of individuals, including Todd Chaves — always in plots that seem to have no rhyme or reason — but also his agent and former partner Princess Caroline, a pink cat trying to juggle the pressures weighing on a single woman seeking personal and professional fulfillment.
Diane Nguyen, an independent young woman, writes with the desire to change the world for the better, but she finds herself under the full force of the contemporary pressures of a patriarchal capitalist society. Finally, her old rival, Mr. Peanutbutter, an ever-enthusiastic golden retriever, whom Bojack doesn’t really understand. “He’s so stupid he doesn’t realize how miserable he should be,” he says of him. “I envy that.”
The weight of depression and addiction
Haunted by a difficult childhood, Bojack is plunged into a state of depression, itself amplified by the abrupt end of his source of recognition some twenty years ago. Since then, he has struggled with this illness without fully accepting it, with lots of parties, lots of alcohol and lots of sex.
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Depression, addiction and mental health in general have often been dealt with in cultural works. In the media, numerous studies have highlighted a stereotypical approach to these themes, either by embellishing aspects or associating these disorders with negative terms. These biases are mainly inspired by popular culture. On the one hand, series such as Sherlock and The Big Bang Theory, and films such as The Accountant and A Beautiful Mind, lend a heroic air to these characters. On the other, films like The Shinning, Split or Halloween make mental disorders into monsters to be feared.
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Fortunately, there are cultural works that raise the bar. If the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why has been accused of misrepresenting mental health, the Bojack Horseman series, broadcast by the same platform, succeeds in setting up a more complete representation.
Happiness is not about ownership
From a distance, you might think that the rich and famous have everything they need to be happy, and therefore have nothing to complain about. This is a line we often hear. The character of Bojack, played by actor Will Arnett, shows a more complex reality. He has everything, everything that could exist or be the dream of many people, everything within his reach. His vast villa is the typical ideal sold by the capitalist dream, what we should be aiming for.
And yet, the horse-like actor is totally immersed in despair. The fictional news channels may go round and round wondering how this rich, well-known man can be so deeply depressed, but that is not the point. Depression is like a black hole that drains you of everything, and buying anything and everything is not going to help. Money does not make you happy. It sounds cliché, but this is because the obvious is sometimes too hard to accept. This emptiness cannot be filled by physical possessions, by any substance or by relationships that we believe to be life-saving… The only solution is to accept this fact, and to work on it. Otherwise, various addictions will be waiting for you.
Resist illusions
In the series, which aired between 2014 and 2020 directly on the Netflix streaming platform, Bojack takes a long, long time to accept his situation. For many episodes, we see him sink, bringing his loved ones down with him, moping around and settling for intense but short-lived experiences. In his early youth, the future star discovered alcohol. During the course of his career, he returned to it headlong, until he could see no end in sight.
Where some creations might embellish this quest, the Bojack Horseman series shows its central character’s journey in all its splendor: the total blindness of an individual who refuses to accept reality, and only sinks deeper.
Bojack is not the only character in the series to struggle with mental disorders. Around him, Diane suffers from anxiety, Mr. Peanutbutter from a personality disorder, Princess Carolyn from obsessive-compulsive disorder (or OCD), and Todd from attention deficiency disorder (ADHD).
This is not to say that all the characters in the series have to live with a mental illness, but rather to show the immense complexity of mental health, and that these illnesses do not affect some people more than others. Anyone can be affected, and there’s no point in stigmatizing some more than others. Hence the importance of always remaining vigilant, taking care of ourselves and those around us.
Coming to terms, sharing, healing
As the episodes progress, Bojack Horseman gradually comes to understand why this is happening to him. This is largely thanks to those closest to him, Diane and Todd in particular, with whom there is no shortage of deep, honest conversations. Mental health is both individual and collective. The series also shows that mental illness is no excuse for bad behavior. Behaviors that Bojack is no stranger to, and he slowly learns that life isn’t like a TV series, and that actions have consequences.
Above all, this leads him to understand that he needs help. It’s not by crying over his fate that the situation will change, it’s not by drinking and taking a whole bunch of substances that the situation will improve, but it is by talking. His meeting with a shrink and the therapy that follows are life-saving.
At the same time, Diane comes to accept that she needs help too. There’s no shame in that. She agrees to take antidepressants, even if it means putting on a bit of weight. The most important thing is that it helps her feel better in body and mind.
“Bojack Horseman”: an important series
If Bojack and Diane have the same realization, it’s also because they’ve been supported and encouraged by their loved ones. This makes Bojack Horseman an important series on many levels. Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s creation highlights the complexity and diversity of mental disorders, far removed from the clichés and stereotypes relayed by too many media. Mental health is a serious subject, not to be taken lightly. While poor mental health is no excuse, it is important to take steps to ensure that as many people as possible enjoy good health. Above all, there’s no shame in seeking help, or taking medication.
If there is one thing this series shows us, it is that we need to take care of ourselves and those around us. Whether you’re directly affected or not, take care of those close to you.
Whatever the case, remember this. You are not alone. Above all, as a mystical figure says at the end of the series’ second season, “it gets easier”. “Every day it gets a little easier. But you have to do it every day. That’s the hardest part. But eventually it gets easier.”
