Like millions of other people, I am a huge Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson fan. We constantly rewatch their movies and giggle at the same jokes we've heard a hundred times but never tire of. I was thrilled to see trichotillomania represented in a movie they starred in, and a comedy no less!
Oftentimes I see trichotillomania sprinkled in books, television shows, or movies, as a way to bring a bit of darkness or drama. A sudden yank of the hair. An angry rip at an eyebrow. Typically by an unlikable character that will from then be judged harshly by their peers and labeled crazy (Stay tuned for the blog post coming September 28th). The Internship did things differently than I first expected.
This blog post may contain spoilers. Read with caution.
We are first introduced to Yo-Yo's trichotillomania the same moment we are introduced to him. During this brief clip you see that he is a new intern at Google—what an exciting opportunity! Why would he start pulling if this opportunity is something he most likely yearned for? Well, that's what makes trichotillomania so complex. Feeling too much of any emotion, even good ones, can cause us to self-soothe so we can get back to our equilibrium.
On the other hand, this internship comes with a lot of pressure. Each intern wants to leave with a job at Google! That amount of pressure would have anyone needing an outlet to self-soothe. When you have trichotillomania, you are able to turn to the closest thing to you—your own body.
Shortly after we're introduced to Yo-Yo we see him pulling again but this time is different. It looks to me like he is in what we in the trichotillomania community call the "trich trance." He's pulling without realizing. He is unaware of what is happening around him and that people can observe his pulling.
This is something I can completely relate to. It almost felt like I was watching myself. I have vivid memories of the moments after snapping out of the "trich trance" only to realize that I am in the middle of a crowded classroom and missed the entire lesson. My stomach would be in knots.
This next clip is the only one I didn't like out of the 11 I recorded. In this clip Yo-Yo is treating his trichotillomania as a form of punishment or self-harm. This bothered me because we know now trichotillomania and self-harm are very different things. Then again, this movie was filmed in 2013 and I know for a fact the knowledge we had then is nothing compared to what we know now.
I also didn't like the response Yo-Yo received from his teammates. Another, "What the hell was that?" and boring, same old thing where someone is calling a person with trichotillomania "crazy" scene. Yawn. I know this scene was an important part of the storyline because they have to fall apart to get back together but still, eh.
Throughout the movie Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson's characters (Billy and Nick) are bringing the good vibes. They're annoying their teammates with movie references they are too young to know, giving big speeches, and more. But while they are annoying their teammates, they're the glue that keeps the team together. During this clip we see Yo-Yo engaging in his trichotillomania while frustrated. Billy (Vince Vaughn) then supports Yo-Yo by giving him words of encouragement. He doesn't mention Yo-Yo's pulling but you can see from the clip that Yo-Yo reconsiders after he receives Billy's kind words. It is almost like Billy's support was able to keep him from falling into the "trich trance."
At this point, we've seen Yo-Yo tugging at his eyebrow five separate times. This is the first clip where viewers can see that his eyebrow is starting to have patches. A subtle yet powerful image for those in the trichotillomania community. We are seeing someone who looks like us in a realistic way.
After a big let down, as well as a member leaving, the team has an important challenge they need to complete. With such a mix of intense feelings and pressure, we see Yo-Yo has pulled out his entire eyebrow.
What stood out to me in this clip is that Yo-Yo reaches for his bare eyebrow, realizes there is no hair to pull there, so he moves to his other eyebrow. This has happened to me so many times! I'll keep going back to the same eyelid knowing there are no eyelashes but my hand seems to have a mind of its own! I can't tell you how many times I have poked myself in the eye because of it.
After an unsuccessful attempt at the challenge, the team comes face to face with the movie's villain. Although Yo-Yo isn't seen pulling in this clip, we can see that his trichotillomania played a big part in his body language. He is only showing the side of his face that has an eyebrow. Another subtle gesture that maybe only people with trichotillomania would pick up on because this is something we've experienced as well.
This is my favorite clip from the whole movie! It is so full of love and support, it honestly makes me emotional. The team is intact once again and they are ready to give the challenge another shot. Nick (Owen Wilson) hadn't seen Yo-Yo since he completely pulled out his eyebrow and seemed to ask him what happened. Now this could be unintentional but it seems like Yo-Yo doesn't even register that Nick is asking about his eyebrow and continues to tell him how the challenge went wrong. Billy then begins giving another pep talk to the team and once he is finished, Nick uses a sharpie to draw Yo-Yo an eyebrow.
This clip makes me emotional because not once did Nick or Billy ever mention Yo-Yo's trichotillomania in an attempt to make him feel bad or try to have him stop. Besides that one clip, no one on the team ever did. Instead, the first time it is directly referenced is through an act of support.
Throughout the movie, Yo-Yo makes comments about his mother's controlling nature and we finally get to see her at the very end. During this interaction Yo-Yo finally stands up for himself because of his new found confidence and the supportive friendships he has made. Billy makes the comment, his first time directly referencing Yo-Yo's trichotillomania, "Look who grew an eyebrow, Yo-Yo!" This play on the saying, "Look who grew some balls" is another example of the kindness the team has had toward Yo-Yo's trichotillomania. This didn't make Yo-Yo feel uncomfortable, this was a funny comment made by a friend.
And we can't forget that Yo-Yo's dad has trichotillomania too! People in the BFRB community often wonder if their BFRB is hereditary and in this instance, yes it is for Yo-Yo!
I thought The Internship handled Yo-Yo's trichotillomania wonderfully. It felt realistic and believable as someone who has the same disorder while also having a uniqueness to Yo-Yo—not everyone's trichotillomania looks the same. The lightheartedness is something I see reflected in my own relationships and it is something that has tremendously helped my healing journey.
I also enjoyed that the character with trichotillomania was a man! Men have trichotillomania too! Although not as common in men as it is in women, representation is needed and we have it here.
Have you seen this movie? What did you think of their representation of trichotillomania? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
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