“Bipolar Makes Me a Bad Mother”: Performative Dialogue about Representations of Motherhood

  • Jennifer Eisenhauer The Ohio State University

Abstract

This essay explores representations of mothers who have bipolar disorder in popular media through a performative and autoethnographic narrative. I examine the television shows ER and Dr. Phil in regard to their representation of mothers who have bipolar disorder. This critical analysis concerns the manner through which these women come to be constructed as “bad†mothers. The structure of the narrative, like the representations themselves, is intended to be a montage of abutting pieces that come together to create a whole.

Author Biography

Jennifer Eisenhauer, The Ohio State University

Jennifer Eisenhauer is an associate professor in art education at The Ohio State University.

Correspondence regarding this article should be addressed to the author at eisenhauer.9@osu.edu

Published
2010-10-01
How to Cite
EISENHAUER, Jennifer. “Bipolar Makes Me a Bad Motherâ€: Performative Dialogue about Representations of Motherhood. Visual Culture & Gender, [S.l.], v. 5, p. 28-34, oct. 2010. ISSN 1936-1912. Available at: <http://vcg.emitto.net/index.php/vcg/article/view/48>. Date accessed: 29 mar. 2024.
Section
Articles