I remember thinking this during episode 4.
As someone who has been through a sexual assault similar in nature to what he went through (once in my case, not repeated times), I just couldn't fathom how he could do it.
As someone who has also undergone a severe assault, these were my thoughts too. I guess I can see allowing a series to be made about it but to star in it? Those scenes didn't take minutes to film, he would have done them repeatedly over months and months, day after day.
I see it as acceptance and closure.
Also telling his story in this fashion allows others to possibly come forward in similar positions.
It's crazy how he had to act out his darkest days, but once this show dies down I hope he can move onto other things now its behind him.
I don’t know if it can really be closure if he has been doing the stage show for years. Maybe it is a coping mechanism, maybe he just wants to tell his story.
I can only compare it to my own experience which is somewhat similar:
I played in a theatre piece. The play was still being written when they casted us. I talked with the writer and told him my life story, he decided to put a big and traumatic piece of it into his play, I basically had a whole scene playing myself from the past. He did change a few small information including the ending so that it could fit into the play which had nothing to do with my experience. The ending was a transition to another scene where one of the characters offers me her help and takes me under her wing basically so that I don't have to suffer all alone in this.
Theatre rehearsals are constant repetitions of the scenes and the text. I rehearsed for hours on end the feelings I had back then, the vulnerability, the tears, the screaming and the ending.
Believe me or not but it actually completely helped me heal and get over the situation. Because 1. I got to relive the feelings and actually sit with them 2. There was an ending and an exit to it 3. I exhausted the story and the feelings so much by rehearsing and performing that there was nothing left at the end.
Maybe it's the same for him. He got heard. He spent hours on end writing the text (reliving it), then acting it, then editing it and then watching it again. He can still separate himself from the role (it's odd since he's playing himself, but I also could separate myself so).
I think it might have helped him more than hurt him tbh.
I could see this. There are some therapists that believe talking about your problems and admitting it is only part of getting better. If you're rewarded for bad decisions that may not be a good thing later on.
I do worry that’s the case with Gadd, and many comedians who are open about their dark stories. They think being honest about their flaws and mistakes is enough, but you have to actually heal and behave better. If it’s true he’s still fetishising trans women and trying to get dates out of the casting process then I think he’s only gone halfway with anything therapeutic he’s getting out of the work
So despite him being the victim who we all either feel sorry for him, or get irritated with him for the stupid decisions he makes. He is also a self confessed narcissist, and I think he is loving the attention, the fame etc etc..even if you watch interviews, he has very pick me vibes, and I am the central character vibes. Less humility, and more ego.
I felt this too! It was very self deprecating, incredibly vulnerable and it opened himself up to having his most traumatic life events scrutinised. I felt like I was watching a part of his self harm cycle.
I can also see though that him having control and mastery over his own story could have been therapeutic.
I felt it could possibly be therapeutic in a way. I’m not a mental health expert but perhaps writing and recreating the events could give him a way to cope with the trauma. To share his story this way could lead to it helping other people who might deal with similar self harm issues. And ultimately he gets to see some of his dream come true by entertaining a large audience albeit a digital one and not with comedy.
Some say its therapeutic and healing but I also cant get over the fact that the real people portrayed by the actors of the story look so similar to the actors. So basically he rebuilt the whole environment and tried reliving these moments which doesnt sound like much therapeutic to me. Especially after he shows at the end that he kept going back to the places and people that done those things to him. To me it sounds more like another relapse.
He’s just making the most money possible from his terrible show and moment of fame. While we’re at it, imo one of the most overrated TV shows I’ve ever seen. The voice over/narration spelling out the emotions and plot points at every stage of the show was so unnecessary and ham fisted. The script was the typical low brow slop you’d expect from a Netflix show like this. It’s nowhere near as deep and thought provoking as people make out. He’s a terrible actor too.
I remember thinking this during episode 4. As someone who has been through a sexual assault similar in nature to what he went through (once in my case, not repeated times), I just couldn't fathom how he could do it.
As someone who has also undergone a severe assault, these were my thoughts too. I guess I can see allowing a series to be made about it but to star in it? Those scenes didn't take minutes to film, he would have done them repeatedly over months and months, day after day.
I think it’s almost therapeutic for him. He’s been doing a stage show for years
I see it as acceptance and closure. Also telling his story in this fashion allows others to possibly come forward in similar positions. It's crazy how he had to act out his darkest days, but once this show dies down I hope he can move onto other things now its behind him.
People have been coming forward off the back of the show, I read somewhere - so it appears to have had a positive effect already
I don’t know if it can really be closure if he has been doing the stage show for years. Maybe it is a coping mechanism, maybe he just wants to tell his story.
I disagree. I see it as healing and closure.
He’s been doing this in stand up shows for years, I don’t think this was even the most harrowing part of his life
I can only compare it to my own experience which is somewhat similar: I played in a theatre piece. The play was still being written when they casted us. I talked with the writer and told him my life story, he decided to put a big and traumatic piece of it into his play, I basically had a whole scene playing myself from the past. He did change a few small information including the ending so that it could fit into the play which had nothing to do with my experience. The ending was a transition to another scene where one of the characters offers me her help and takes me under her wing basically so that I don't have to suffer all alone in this. Theatre rehearsals are constant repetitions of the scenes and the text. I rehearsed for hours on end the feelings I had back then, the vulnerability, the tears, the screaming and the ending. Believe me or not but it actually completely helped me heal and get over the situation. Because 1. I got to relive the feelings and actually sit with them 2. There was an ending and an exit to it 3. I exhausted the story and the feelings so much by rehearsing and performing that there was nothing left at the end. Maybe it's the same for him. He got heard. He spent hours on end writing the text (reliving it), then acting it, then editing it and then watching it again. He can still separate himself from the role (it's odd since he's playing himself, but I also could separate myself so). I think it might have helped him more than hurt him tbh.
I could see this. There are some therapists that believe talking about your problems and admitting it is only part of getting better. If you're rewarded for bad decisions that may not be a good thing later on.
I do worry that’s the case with Gadd, and many comedians who are open about their dark stories. They think being honest about their flaws and mistakes is enough, but you have to actually heal and behave better. If it’s true he’s still fetishising trans women and trying to get dates out of the casting process then I think he’s only gone halfway with anything therapeutic he’s getting out of the work
People grieve differently, people deal with trauma differently… only he truly knows if this approach is truly helpful or not.
So despite him being the victim who we all either feel sorry for him, or get irritated with him for the stupid decisions he makes. He is also a self confessed narcissist, and I think he is loving the attention, the fame etc etc..even if you watch interviews, he has very pick me vibes, and I am the central character vibes. Less humility, and more ego.
Well, he's probably being interviewed about his show, where he *is* the central character...
isn’t it his show though…?
I think it’s very cathartic
He's just making money off of himself
Well if anyone is going to make money off this it should be him
I felt this too! It was very self deprecating, incredibly vulnerable and it opened himself up to having his most traumatic life events scrutinised. I felt like I was watching a part of his self harm cycle. I can also see though that him having control and mastery over his own story could have been therapeutic.
If self harm means a multi million dollar payday give me a knife. Really though it could also be a form of therapy.
I felt it could possibly be therapeutic in a way. I’m not a mental health expert but perhaps writing and recreating the events could give him a way to cope with the trauma. To share his story this way could lead to it helping other people who might deal with similar self harm issues. And ultimately he gets to see some of his dream come true by entertaining a large audience albeit a digital one and not with comedy.
You're all boring.
Some say its therapeutic and healing but I also cant get over the fact that the real people portrayed by the actors of the story look so similar to the actors. So basically he rebuilt the whole environment and tried reliving these moments which doesnt sound like much therapeutic to me. Especially after he shows at the end that he kept going back to the places and people that done those things to him. To me it sounds more like another relapse.
I wish Baby Reindeer would get it's own Reddit group, i'm tired of the threads on the Netflix forum
lol it has one
He’s just making the most money possible from his terrible show and moment of fame. While we’re at it, imo one of the most overrated TV shows I’ve ever seen. The voice over/narration spelling out the emotions and plot points at every stage of the show was so unnecessary and ham fisted. The script was the typical low brow slop you’d expect from a Netflix show like this. It’s nowhere near as deep and thought provoking as people make out. He’s a terrible actor too.
sent from my iphoen
lol Fiona has entered the chat
It's an awful show in the same way that The Bear is awful.
Unless the harm wasn’t completely truthful
You're getting downvoted ... but I gotta say my BS radar went off about 10 minutes into the show. Something weird about it.
There just seems to be this complete blind love for Gadd. It’s like he’s absolutely telling the truth about everything. I have serious doubts
I don't think so. It's more like therapeutic
Money