In this TV show about dissociative identity disorder, does pursuit of comedy outweigh its responsibility for maintaining realism?
United States of Tara (2009-2011) is an American comedy-drama about an artist and mother experiencing dissociative identity disorder (DID). This is characterised by having multiple identities (‘alters’) which are different to the main identity (‘host’, in this case Tara). Throughout the show’s three seasons, the audience becomes familiar with each of these various alters, including Buck—the loud, profane, “man’s man”, and Alice—the old-fashioned, archetypal housewife. We watch how the unpredictable behaviour and clashing personalities of Tara’s alters are used as comedic devices for her to literally and figuratively clean up after. The show also focuses on Tara’s relationship with her family, mainly her husband and kids, and the interactions between them and each alter. Tara’s therapists are also important characters throughout the show as Tara tries to figure out why she has DID and how she can best manage it going forwards.
The lead actor (Toni Collette) was awarded an Emmy for her role as Tara and Tara’s alters. Users on the international movie database (IMDb) and Rotten Tomatoes rate this show highly (8/10 and 85% respectively), further acknowledging Collette’s performance in this “Amazing show” which puts the “FUN back into dysfunctional!”. One user, whose wife has DID, suggests it is “one of the better portrayals of Dissociative Identity Disorder” in the media, labelling it as being relatable and accurate from his perspective as a loved-one. He also acknowledges that other aspects of DID, like co-occurring mental health problems and difficulties with accessing treatment, are appropriately left out for entertainment purposes.
Part of the reason why this show, and its depictions of DID, might have received positive feedback like this is that it consulted with Leah Peterson – a member of the public with lived experience of DID. She states:
“It’s bringing more awareness to the general public […] I realise that some of it’s sensationalised, but it makes people want to watch and they’re talking about it. The sooner more people talk about it, the less stigma there will be”
On the other hand, however, in-depth reviews from other people with DID, such as Jenna Kraft from the Gianu System YouTube Channel, offer more challenge towards this show:
“My opinion is that it is subtly insidious […] if someone who has just been diagnosed with DID watches this, they’re probably going to despair of ever being a good parent, a good spouse, or even a good friend”
Here, Jenna acknowledges how the show seems to focus on DID hurting loved ones, for instance when Tara’s alters verbally abuse her children and even try to murder their therapist (like in Split (2016)!). She also criticizes the show for lacking a healing arc, meaning the ‘crushing yet subtle’ overall message is that “it will never get better”. Whilst similar themes have been observed in shows like Mr. Robot (2014), Jenna reassures us that this is not always the case with DID (i.e. actually, it can get better), especially after long periods of therapy. Despite Tara having prolonged support and established relationships with her alters, they remain often villainized – appearing less of a ‘united states’ and more of a dictatorship:
“DID media just doesn’t have to be about how horrible this person is, mistake after mistake. It can be how we can live an amazing life overcoming thing after thing in a healthy way with the people that are around us”
Despite this critique, many fans maintain the pursuit of entertainment in United States of Tara is more important than its responsibility to maintain realism. Do you agree?:
“Some people complain that it isn’t an accurate portrayal of DID, and this may very well be the case; but this is a TV drama, not a documentary […] This is a show about one person’s disorder and how it affects her family, not the whole community of people who suffer from DID.” – IMDb review
