'Schizophrenic' Album Cover Causes Stir

[foxmonkey]

Oh my. Well, sales could either skyrocket or...

[His Amazon sales rank is at 148 right now.]
[It's been about ten minutes since I first posted this, and his sales rank is now 145.]
[At 3:05 p.m. the rank took a nosedive to 182, and now at 5:06 p.m., it's at 177.]
[Last time I'll check tonight - at 7:00 p.m. it's at 196.]

JC's all over the wire services again. I checked one second, nothing new. Checked a minute later, and this is out there at ten sites (1:17 p.m., now 22 sites) (1:32 p.m., now 43 sites) (5:06 p.m., and it's been holding steady at 51 sites).

Pretty short, so I won't cut. The article is accompanied by a picture of the cover. This one's from the West Palm Beach Florida channel.

*NSYNC Singer Causes Stir With 'Schizophrenic' Album Cover
Chasez Pictured In Straight Jacket

POSTED: 12:14 p.m. EST March 4, 2004

The singer who was dumped from the Pro Bowl halftime show is angering a publication dedicated to people who suffer from schizophrenia.

JC Chasez 'Schizophrenic' album coverJ.C. Chasez is causing a stir with the publisher of the Schizophrenic Digest over the cover of his debut album "Schizophrenic." On the cover, Chasez -- a member of the pop group *NSYNC -- is pictured in a straight jacket.

Bill MacPhee, himself a schizophrenia sufferer, said the cover does nothing to help eliminate the stigma of mental illness.

Calls to Chasez's representatives were not returned.

The NFL pulled Chasez from the halftime entertainment lineup of the Pro Bowl in Hawaii in February as a cautious move sparked by the breast-baring incident involving his fellow *NSYNC singer Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson.

The NFL instead asked Chasez to sing the national anthem, but since the singer said he was asked to switch song choices and change lyrics before being dumped from the halftime show, he refused.

Comments

[charlidos.livejournal.com]

Good lord! *sigh* Can't they take JC's words to heart and focus on the really important stuff instead.

[powrhug.livejournal.com]

we at JCST.org just got an email from someone I assume is a member of the above organization complaining about the cover. Not sure what she thinks we should do...but we're evaluating how or whether to respond.

[lisachasez.livejournal.com]

Wah wah wah. It's a joke. Did they get all upset when they did IDMC?

[kcchiefs91.livejournal.com]

Crap.

I was afraid something like this would happen when I saw him strapped into a straight jacket for the cover.

The press has been so good to him through the whole pro bowl mess I hope they dont turn on him now.

[brighton-girl.livejournal.com]

I don't know whether to laugh, or just be grateful for the press.

It's a play on words. Why does everyone have to take everything so damn seriously.

[stamplet.livejournal.com]

You know, between this and the Pro Bowl thing (oh, and his sex-obsessed lyrics), there might be enough for a Diane Sawyer interview! *g*

[poprocks-inc.livejournal.com]

Seriously, like someone above said, it's just a play on words. I remember a few months ago when there was a small article about people being upset at the album's title, but nothing came of that. I was really nervous that there would be some type of protest or something. I wonder what they'd like JC to do? Print a new cover, apologize, what? Craziness, man.

[diggybear.livejournal.com]

Don't know if I should be glad it's more press or if I should be worried that people seem to get offended at every single thing that no one can do anything without some sort of controversy these days.

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

Bill MacPhee, himself a schizophrenia sufferer, said the cover does nothing to help eliminate the stigma of mental illness.

He's absolutely right. It does nothing to eliminate the stigma. I'm not sure, though, if we can extrapolate that to mean that it perpetuates the stigma. Or what his responsibility is in either case. And I've actually thought about this a lot because I did not have a strong initial reaction to his choice of cover or even the name of the album.

[epiphery.livejournal.com]

I pretty much saw this coming when I first heard the album title was called 'Schizophrenic'.

First, he's using it inaccurately, so it's not even really a metaphor or play on words. He's trying to reflect the diversity of his musical tastes, to which the correct mental illness comparison is disassociative identity disorder (better known as multiple personality disorder). Not as catchy as 'schizophrenic', I know. Schizophrenia would actually reflect delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, and flat affect (in catatonic type). I don't think JC wants that :)

I'm not personally offended, but as a psych major and a person who works with people who have schizophrenia, I kind of agree with the complaining organization. But I also think it's kind of useless to complain now. The title of JC's album has been known for awhile. Why are they complaining NOW when the album has already been pressed, distributed, and is being sold?

JC meant no harm, I'm sure. But yeah, it wasn't the most PC of title choices.

[lovelypoet.livejournal.com]

Yeah, except there is a secondary non-medical definition of "contradictory or antagonistic qualities or attitudes"

[swabian.livejournal.com]

::sigh:: It was just a matter of time before somebody complained. It seems that you can't do anything anymore without some organization complaining. At least it keeps his name out there. :)

Anyway, I just wanted to point out that JC is not the only one on a CD cover in a straitjacket right now. Twista's new album Kamikaze shows him in a straitjacket too.

[foxmonkey.livejournal.com]

Anyway, I just wanted to point out that JC is not the only one on a CD cover in a straitjacket right now. Twista's new album Kamikaze shows him in a straitjacket too.

I saw that! Someone at the JJB linked to it. And there's another 'Schizophrenic', too, but I can't think of the artist. They linked to that, too.