Media Letter

Dear Mr. Dan Fogelman,

            I wanted to say thank you for allowing This Is Us to be more “real” than any other show I have watched before. You have brought attention to many different subjects that need to be normalized in society. Almost more than anything else, seeing the relationship and dynamics between not only the Pearson family after Jack’s passing, but also the Pearson’s relationship with Miguel, and Miguel’s relationship with his kids. It is such a prominent and common issue in our society, I think it is important the viewer can see both sides of the relationships.

            The issue with struggling with self-confidence issues has been one that I, and many others, have struggled with through life. Seeing the struggle Kate faces is one that shows us we can be confident in our body no matter our size or the way we look. Along with Kate, infertility is something I have seen my family members deal with. The realness it was portrayed with, and the emotions it elicited let me better understand what my family members had to go through. So thank you for allowing me to better understand and connect with my family members.

            Lastly, mental health normalization is something I am very passionate about. I am so grateful you address different issues such as anxiety and depression. The portrayal of Randall’s panic attack was filmed and talked about in a way those who struggle with anxiety can’t express in words. Also, showing that a successful man like Randall can suffer from something like anxiety is very realistic and eye opening to those who have never experienced anxiety first hand. The new development with Toby’s depression is something I think a lot of people can relate to. Depression can be represented in a lot of different levels, so seeing how Toby copes strangely helped me understand how I cope with stressors and depression in my life. Also, seeing Kate be understanding and supportive of Toby during his depression was helpful to see what I can do when I see a loved one struggling.

            So thank you. This is just a few of the things I am grateful you covered, others including inter-racial families, foster children, and so on. Thank you for not being afraid to talk about what the rest of the world gets so scared to talk about. It helps normalize these things that are so prevalent and debilitating in life. I would love to see these ideas incorporated into other shows as well. Many know This Is Us as a dramatic show that talks about these tough topics, and I believe it could be very beneficial to tie these issues into other shows as well. Even just acknowledging that these types of hardships are real and in everybody's life is beneficial. Thank you again for being bold in your media production, and for taking the time to listen to some of my thoughts.

Sincerely,

Madysen Messer