Social Media Before Social Media: 'Diary of a Mad Housewife' (1970) When Group Therapy Was Like Today's Comment Section In "Diary of a Mad Housewife" (1970), Tina Balser (Carrie Snodgrass), an educated, frustrated Manhattan housewife and mother, is in a loveless marriage with an insufferable, controlling, abusive, social-climbing husband, Jonathan Balser (Richard Benjamin). Jonathan has, on top of everything else, confessed to having an affair. Tina has been carrying on a torrid affair of her own with the cruel and coarse writer George Prager (Frank Langella), who also treats her with contempt. But she doesn't tell Jonathan that. She listens. The final scene is a group therapy session from Wikipedia: "Tina is shown telling this story in a group therapy session, thus opening the possibility that her presentation of these events has been slanted to make her look more put-upon and the men in her life more mean and foolish. However, the other participants of her therapy group criticize and belittle her, while complaining about their own lot in life and how her issues seem petty by comparison. The final shot is of Tina's steadfast face as angry voices from the group are heard from off-screen with the credits rolling at the sides." The movie also features an uncredited cameo by Peter Boyle in a therapy group session. But, this could be the comments in every social media post. Am I right? "You think that's bad? Let me tell you about MY problem...", the "misery Olympics", invalidation, harsh criticism.. -- this is all not new. It's just amplified.
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