Most people glean what they know about mental illness from television and films. Unfortunately, these media portrayals are inaccurate and create stigma. They portray people suffering from mental illnesses as different, dangerous and ridiculous. Characters are often addicted to drugs or alcohol, violent, dangerous, or out of control. Horror film characters such as Norman Bates in Psycho, Jack Torrance in The Shining or Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs associate the typical "psycho-killer" with people suffering from a mental illness. But dramas and horror films are not the only film genres that create stigma. Comedies like What About Bob and many others not only stigmatize, but also make fun of mental illnesses and the people who suffer from them. This article will discuss how the film Me, Myself & Irene is an inaccurate, offensive, and stigmatizing portrayal of an individual with schizophrenia. It also discusses what can be done to counteract the stigma created by these types of films. Me Myself & Irene The film Me, Myself & Irene was a blockbuster hit released in 2000. The comedy stars Jim Carrey as a Rhode Island state trooper who is portrayed as having two personalities: Charlie and Hank. Charlie is a sweet, gentle, non-confrontational character who is too kind for his own good. Hank is his maniacal alter ego being the complete opposite of everything he is in terms. When "mild-mannered" Charlie forgets to take his schizophrenia medication, he transforms into "aggressive and violent" Hank. Complications arise when he is assigned to escort a woman named Irene, played by Renee Zellweger, to New York and ends up falling in love with her. Me, Myself & Irene reinforces many common stereotypes and ... middle of paper ... ...tation.Conclusion People with schizophrenia are inaccurately portrayed in the offensive and stigmatizing film Me, Myself & Irene. The only way to prevent the stigma associated with these films is to get involved. Observe your attitudes and behaviors and educate yourself and others as much as possible. Comedy and fantasy find their place in cinema, but not at the expense of children and adults who struggle daily to overcome mental illness. A comedy that made fun of cancer or AIDS in the same way would never be tolerated. The entertainment industry must learn that this exploitation of mental illness is unacceptable. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry continues to present people with mental illnesses in a negative light. They have wide-ranging consequences for the lives of people with mental illnesses and for how people act towards others with psychiatric disorders.