As long as we're airing The Sims 3's dirty laundry, can we talk about its depiction of mental illness? I think the polite word to use in this situation is "problematic."
There are two traits that cover mental illness. The first is "Insane," which is about as problematic as you can get.
A Sim with the Insane trait:
- Will talk to themselves, in one-sided "conversations" that often escalate into arguments.
- Wear inappropriate outfits, like swimwear to a formalwear party, or an exercise outfit in the shower.
- Gets Wishes that are completely random - more random than usual, that is.
- Has special conversational option to "Talk about conspiracies" and "Speak madness." Both of these options make other (non-Insane) Sims extremely uncomfortable, and are usually dubbed "awkward."
- Often react to social interactions at random, regardless of the situation or their relationship score. Insane Sims are notorious for getting suddenly angry for no reason.
- Can fish in swimming pools. (What?)
- Can rummage through trash cans.
The second trait is "Neurotic." This trait is so spot on with the Wikipedia definition that I'm pretty sure some developer used this article as most of their source material. Neurotic Sims suffer from a grab bag of actual neuroses, including:
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Your Sim will occasionally get a Wish to "brush teeth twice" or "check sink." After they do this, they get a positive moodlet.
- Anxiety. Sometimes after using something, your Sim will get a negative "Feeling Anxious about X" moodlet. If you have your Sim "Check X," the negative moodlet will be replaced by the "Feeling Calm" positive moodlet.
- Hysteria. You can click on your Sim and make them "Freak Out."
- Perfectionism. Your Sim will take longer to do some things, but they will do them really really well.
- Compulsive tidiness. Your Sim will often get wishes to make the bed, wash the dishes, etc.
- Whining. You can "Share worries" with another Sim, which helps the Neurotic Sim to de-stress.
(It's worth noting that this entire concept of neuroses belongs in the dust bin of psychiatric history.)
Both of these traits display an underlying understanding of mental illness which is primitive at best; cartoonish at worst. And it doesn't help anyone. It borrows bits and pieces from various real mental illnesses and just lumps them into the single pejorative term, "Insane."
There are people in the world - perfectly decent human beings just like you and me - who suffer from mental illnesses. It's a real thing. It hurts people, and makes their lives very difficult, and trotting it out as a "har har that's wacky" joke in a video game is pretty effing insulting, if you ask me.
It's a very frat boy sense of humor, and that's not how I like to think about my favorite game. As something a caphole wrote for a laugh.
Put simply, the Neurotic and Insane traits perpetuate stereotypes and play mental illness for a laugh. Is that okay to do now? Really? Because I did not get that memo.
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