Most people gather what they know about mental illness from television and movies. Unfortunately, these media portrayals are inaccurate and create stigma. They portray people with mental illnesses as different, dangerous and laughable. Characters are often addicted to drugs or alcohol, violent, dangerous, or out of control. Horror film characters like Norman Bates in Psycho, Jack Torrance in The Shining, or Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs associate the typical "psycho-killer" with people suffering from mental illness. But dramas and horror films aren't the only film genres that create a stigma. Comedies like What About Bob and many others not only stigmatize, but also make fun of mental illnesses and the people who suffer from them. This article will discuss how the film Me, Myself & Irene constitutes an inaccurate, offensive and stigmatizing portrayal of an individual suffering from schizophrenia. He also discusses what can be done to counteract the stigma created by these types of films. Me Myself & Irene The film Me, Myself & Irene was a blockbuster hit released in 2000. The comedy stars Jim Carrey as a Rhode Island state trooper who is depicted as having two personalities: Charlie and Hank. Charlie is a gentle, gentle, non-confrontational character who is too nice for his own good. Hank is his maniacal alter-ego, the opposite of everything he is. When “gentle” Charlie forgets to take his schizophrenia medication, he transforms into “aggressive and violent” Hank. Complications arise when he is assigned to escort a woman named Irene played by Renee Zellweger to New York and ends up falling in love with her. Me, Myself & Irene reinforces many common stereotypes and...... middle of paper .. ....tation.ConclusionPeople with schizophrenia are inaccurately portrayed in the offensive and stigmatizing film Me, Myself & Irene. The only way to avoid the stigma associated with these films is to get involved. Monitor your own attitudes and behaviors and educate yourself and others as much as you can. Comedy and fantasy have their place in cinema, but not at the expense of children and adults who struggle daily to overcome mental illness. A comedy that also makes fun of cancer or AIDS would never be tolerated. The entertainment industry needs to understand that this exploitation of mental illness is unacceptable. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry continues to portray people with mental illness in a negative light. They have far-reaching consequences for the lives of people with mental illness and for the way people behave towards other people with psychiatric disorders...