The petition notes that 'Split' misrepresents mental illness.
Previously, we had reported that HBO Max was taking down Gone With The Wind because of its depiction of ethical and racial prejudices. Now, according to a report by Movieweb, a 'Get Split off Netflix' petition has started over the movie's portrayal of dissociative identity disorder. M Night Shyamalan, the movie's writer and director, is a well-known name in the horror/ thriller genre. His 1999 movie The Sixth Sense made him a household name but over the years, the Oscar-nominated filmmaker has gathered quite a cynical following.
Hey, #GetSplitOffNetflix
— irl catgirl (Gaymer™) ❀✿ (@SlimeStarshine) June 23, 2020
Split is a movie that has caused many many many plural people & the plural community at large significant harm due to it's misrepresentation of both DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder) & Plurality in which it demonises them & more.
The petition that is launched to remove Split from Netflix demands the thriller be removed because of its misrepresentation of Dissociative Identity Disorder and says it is offensive to those suffering from the condition. While the hashtag has already started gaining momentum on Twitter and many users have supported the idea, it is worth noting that Split is not available on Netflix US.
It demonises plurality for entertainment when plural people aren't like that. Plural people need support & love. 💖❤️
— irl catgirl (Gaymer™) ❀✿ (@SlimeStarshine) June 23, 2020
Split released in 2016 and saw massive success at the box office. The movie was appreciated by the critics and James McAvoy's performance was class apart. In the psychological thriller, McAvoy starred as a man who is struggling with 23 different types of personalities and it is one of the biggest movies in Shyamalan's career. In 2019, a sequel to the movie was released titled Glass.
Bruh if y’all think SPLIT is actually how people with DID are...
— 𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙣𝙩𝙮𝙨𝙤𝙡 ⅞𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙮𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜... (@fntysol) June 23, 2020
#GetSplitOffNetflix pic.twitter.com/6ec8oJds8X
While Glass was the final chapter in Shyamalan's Unbreakable trilogy, the movie still didn't receive the appreciation or success that Split saw. Unfortunately for Shyamalan, the recent attention towards his movie is not positive. A Twitter user named Darth Grayson pointed out that a growing petition at Change.org demanded the movie be removed from Netflix. The creator of the petition, Kairos Collaborative, insisted that the movie is quite insensitive and harmful to those who actually suffer from DID. The movie's depiction of the disorder will lead to incorrect public assumption that people suffering from dissociative personality disorder are violent and criminals.
this movie literally implies that people with DID are “monsters” and it completely stigmatizes an already heavily stigmatized mental illness. this shit is just wack and ableist #GetSplitOffNetflix pic.twitter.com/2dXaeuzOxI
— a¹²⁷ (@sIutwoo) June 23, 2020
At present, the petition has around 1750 signatures out of its 1500 goals. Apart from pointing out that the movie's depiction of split personality disorder is wrong, the petition also stated that Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is another movie that misrepresents those who suffer from DID. The petition also mentioned that Netflix's decision to continue streaming Split as being key to the “heavily dehumanizing stigma” that the film offers.
@KimKardashian support our movement to #GetSplitOffNetflix
— Mara Lilith (@BarbieBitchVibe) June 23, 2020
This movie makes people suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder look dangerous. Theres already so much misinformation and stigma out there and this movie made matters way worse!#WEARENOTTHEBEAST
When Split released, the movie was criticized by some mental health advocates for stigmatizing DID, so these kinds of complaints are not new. But what is different now is that lately, these kinds of petitions are becoming successful. Recently, the reality shows Cops and Live PD were both pulled down despite their high ratings, and some people even suggested that Chase the Police Dog should be removed from Paw Patrol on Nickelodeon.
Normalize not using mental illness as stupid horror movie tropes but use it for respectful representation. #GetSplitOffNetflix
— Neverland System 🌸 (@Neverland_systm) June 23, 2020
Not only shows and movies, but many celebrities have also been getting fired or suspended in recent weeks after multiple reports against them surfaced online. Needless to say, the debate of removing Split from the streaming channel has divided users.
#GetSplitOffNetflix I DO NOT NEED MY FAMILY THINKING I AM A MONSTER.
— Smol Legion (@ShelKRiddle) June 22, 2020
If you don't understand how this can affect real life people, look into how the movie Jaws affected sharks.
I wish people were smart enough to not let movie fantasy cloud their judgements but alas.
One person wrote, "It’s just a scary movie. Why are y’all now thinking it’s real all of a sudden? If you already know the movie is fiction, why tf you care? #GetSplitOffNetflix." A second one added, "Y’all Split is literally a fictional movie about heroes and monsters?? A comic?? Y’all can’t be serious." A third one quipped, "You’re dumb if you think Split calls people with DID monsters. He literally has superpowers. Do people with DID have superpowers, am I missing something?!? "
#GetSplitOffNetflix - the hashtag explained for dummies
— muffin 💙 | BLM (@catieonmain) June 23, 2020
-it's a good movie cinematically
-it is many people's only exposure to DID
-it has legitimately endangered people with DID because of idiots that think it's factual
-entertainment value not worth the harm
What do you guys think? Let us know in the comments below.