Drugs, Death, Denial and Cancer Care: Using  Breaking Bad  in the spiritual care of cancer patients | Zendy

Bowlby Ewan | Zendy

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Drugs, Death, Denial and Cancer Care: Using Breaking Bad in the spiritual care of cancer patients

Author(s) -

Bowlby Ewan

Publication year - 2020

Publication title -

critical studies in television: the international journal of television studies

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.467

H-Index - 7

eISSN - 1749-6039

pISSN - 1749-6020

DOI - 10.1177/1749602020931009

Subject(s) - denial , psychology , cancer , psychoanalysis , silhouette , social psychology , constructive , sociology , medicine , computer science , artificial intelligence , process (computing) , operating system

This article argues that watching Breaking Bad (2008–13) could encourage people affected by cancer to recognise and reconsider damaging reactions to their condition. If viewers are invited to see the series’ antihero, Walter White, as an iconic ‘silhouette’ of a better path not taken, this can provoke them to entertain more honest, constructive attitudes to cancer and death. Using the theological concept of a ‘silhouette of goodness’ and Jung’s theory of the ego-life and true Self, this article suggests that symbolic moments in Walt’s descent into chaotic criminality could help caregivers to meet the ‘need for symbols’ in cancer care.

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