The Titicut Follies

I did some training today for my second job, and part of that training was watching a movie called The Titticut Follies. I was surprised that I have never heard of it before.
From Wikipedia:

Titicut Follies is a black and white 1967 documentary film by Frederick Wiseman about the treatment of patients at Massachusetts Correctional Institution in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The title is taken from a talent show put on by the hospital's inmates. (The talent show was taken from the Wampanoag Indian name for the nearby Taunton River).

Titicut Follies is widely considered to be a masterpiece of the direct cinema form in documentary film, portraying the existence of occupants of Bridgewater, some of them catatonic, holed up in unlit cells, only periodically washed down with a hose and taken out in order to receive force feeding. It also portrays the indifference and bullying on the part of the institution's staff. As such, it makes an implicit statement about the power of authority and total institutions. The stark black and white photography and unflinching cinéma vérité presentation, make this film a particularly powerful experience.

The film's release was

banned (outside the field of education) in the United States from 1967-1992 by a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that, since it was filmed in a hospital, it violated the patients' rights to privacy.[1] Wiseman, the film's director, however, has pointed out that he received permission from all of the people portrayed in the film or else their legal guardian, in this case the superintendent of Bridgewater. He believes that the Massachusetts Government, feeling concerned that it portrayed a state institution in a bad light, took the film out of circulation to protect their own reputation.

In 1992, it was allowed to be shown on PBS. The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has ordered that "A brief explanation shall be included in the film that changes and improvements have taken place at Massachusetts Correctional Institution Bridgewater since 1966."[2] The film is now legally available through the distributor (Zipporah Films, Inc.), for purchase or rental on VHS, DVD and 16mm film for both educational and individual license. Zipporah Films released the DVD of the film to the home market on December 3, 2007. (Zipporah Films, Inc.)

I couldn’t find a clip of this on Youtube, or I would show you. But if you are willing to shell out the $34.00 for the DVD I would highly suggest it, especially if you want to see how they treated people in the mental health system back then. Actually, just in the past year, a state hospital was just closed in our area for the same treatment, or worse.

One of my favorite lines in this movie is when a psychologist (who was obviously a quack) was talking to one of the inmates who had committed rape on an eleven year old girl (this is summarized because I cannot remember the direct quote):

Psychologist: Well why did you do it then? What did your wife say when she found out?

Inmate: Well...she said that it was a problem.

Psychologist: Well obviously, she wasn't giving you enough sexual pleasure, if you were doing things like that.

Ill leave you to make your own jokes from there.

I cannot think of a title for this one, perhaps you can help.

This was a post that I made on my private livejournal awhile back. I thought you may enjoy:

The most grandiose ways of appreciation are nothing compared to the little things that show me that I'm making a difference...

I had a fellow that I was training a few years back to do floor maintenance in a large factory. For 8 hours a day this guy was asked to take a dust mop and sweep the whole factory (it manufactured car and paint products) and after that, he was to use a large machine to scrub the floors one row at a time. My job was to provide training and help accommodate him so he would be able to keep this job.

Charles, lets call him, has a diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome with probable OCD disorder. He was very meticulous about some things, like his knowledge of Conan the Barbarian books and the bus schedule (even though he never liked to ride it, I could always count on him to help me schedule other clients). However, his Asperger's caused him to be very inflexible about some things and even though his hygiene was somewhat poor, his OCD caused him to spend a considerable amount of time in the bathroom. (I never asked why, although I heard reports of how he would spool the toilet paper off the tube or continually yank paper towels out of the dispenser)For the most part, him and I had a good relationship. We talked about books and movies and he tried his best to be personable while I tried my best to break through that structured shell he used to protect himself. However there were some times that he got frustrated at me, like the time that he spent more than 45 mins. in the bathroom and I came in after him (he was in the stall, I was outside of it), or the time that I grabbed him because he was in his own little world while a forklift was about to run him over (he hates to be touched). There were also issues that I had to address with him that he did not feel comfortable with such as his pace and hygiene. All in all though, he was trying, just a bit stubborn.

Anyway, one of the difficulties that he was having was the fact that he was just slow paced in general. For completing the actual task, that was fine. I mean 8 hours was long enough to get the floors done, and as long as it was done right, no worries. What the main problem was, if the break alarm went off while Charles was using the machine, he would have to take it back to where it belonged before going to break. Because he was so slow, he ended up wasting half his break time and was late back from the break itself. This was a problem for the supervisor.To accommodate this, I pulled some strings on my end to buy him a watch with several alarms. One would go off 5 mins. before the first break, the second five mins before lunch and the third 5 minutes before the second break. This gave him enough time and advanced warning to be able to get his scrubber machine back to where it needed to go before break.

At first Charles HATED that watch. Even though he stated that he would try it, he usually kept it in his pocket and when asked to wear it, he would put it on while I was there but then quickly take it off when I left. Little by little however, he started to appreciate it, as it did help and he felt more comfortable about it being in his "space." Id say that watch helped him keep his job, as I was able to fade from him after that and he was closed as a successful case.

Two years later (yesterday) I get a voicemail message from Charles. He wants to know if I can look for the watch manual on the, "computer thing" as he calls it. It seems that he was able to move out on his own and lost it and now he cant correct the watch due to daylight savings time. He didn't leave his new number (as he was always apt to do) so I reached his mother using the contact information that I had. She informed me that Charles has continued to work at the factory doing floors. Charles mentioned to her how he loved his watch and was upset that he wasn't able to correct it. I was able to leave a message telling him how to do so.

I know it seems trivial, but things like that really give meaning to what I do. Because of a 10.99 watch, this guy is able to be gainfully employed and live independently for two years. And he still wears that damn watch. Some people make snap judgments about what a person can and cannot do. Sometimes you are correct in your assumption, but other times you just have to hit the right series of events or try something a bit unordinary to help someone along. And that makes all the difference to me.

Videos of people with disabilities

I thought these were pretty interesting. Its not what they don't, or can't do that makes these performances, its what is created from working around those disabilities that is incredible.

Man With One Leg and Woman With One Arm Perform Ballet/Gymnastics Routine


This dance is simply beautiful. All of the performers are D/deaf.
Dance of 1000 Hands


This guy is amazing. I don't think Id want to go up against him seriously.
Dustin Carter Wrestles With no Arms or Legs

Bob the can man

We have an individual that comes in our offices at least once a week to collect cans. We tried getting him into programs, but his schizotypal personality will not hold sanity at bay at any point in time so we decided to let him be. When we had housing on the upper floors of our building, he used to stay there so he could stay out of trouble. When those were turned into offices about ten years ago, he found housing at a homeless shelter nearby. He likes his independence and likes to make money by collecting cans to buy the things he needs, and if they don't get stolen by his housemates, he can (sort of) survive.

However, Bob has become sort of a mascot to us. He comes in for some coffee and to collect the cans we have saved for him, he talks disjointedly about his ongoings and such and then he leaves. No matter what time of year it is, hes known for wearing this tall, colorful woolen cap with a large fluffy ball on top. He is a loud but kind gentleman, but riled easily. He tends to never sit still and he could probably have a short conversation with you as long as he could pace and flap his hands continually. He has been coming here for at least ten years or so, and everyone pretty much tolerates him and some people even, *gasp* dare to speak to him. (Even though this is an agency that works with disabilities, some still think they are not classified as real people) When our new CEO came to occupy this agency, Bob was mad that the coffee machine did not have large size cups, and happened to bump into him:

Bob: Do you fill the coffee cups in the vending machine?
CEO Dressed in business attire: *cringing* No, I certainly do not.
Bob: Well what do you do?
CEO: I am the CEO of *name of place omitted*
Bob: Well what does that mean?
CEO: It means that I'm the boss of everybody.
Bob: *looking disjointed* Oh, is that all. *walks away*

It seems he knows more then most people give him credit for.

Anyway, a few months back, Bob disappeared. No one had seen him in the agency or out on the streets. Because he is a low functioning schizophrenic, it is very possible for him to come across some serious harm such as being beaten, mugged or hit by a car. We had no contact information for him so all we could really do is wait and ponder on what had happened to him. He counted on aluminum cans for his income and we had quite a few piling up for him. Finally he did show up. He stated that he was in the hospital because he had contracted a "super bug" as he calls it, the first in the state and he was down for quite awhile. When he was asked if he had received a flu shot this year, he asked quizzically, "now what would I need that for? I got a S-U-P-E-R B-U-G!" and then ran out, his large bag of cans in hand.

Hello again!

Why have I not posted in this? I have so many stories to tell. Sorry readers (if I have any that is), I will soon rectify this.