Is This Thing On?
Introducing Closed Captions
Please note: This article may contain a discussion of suicide, self-injurious behavior, depression, and/or reference of other mental health disorders that may act as triggers. Continue on your own discretion.
It’s a compelling situation, being 6 years away, from a day that forever changed you. After all, I’d know, since I am currently sitting here trying to process the introduction of this new, thrilling, venture, while swimming through the emotions of today being April 26th; not just any day, but the day that almost got the best of me. Yet, if it had not been for today, back in 2017, I could never have arrived so wondrously and brutally, by design or some violent, exquisite happenstance...here.
I’m Cade Bethea, creator of Current Episode, and I want to welcome you to Closed Captions. This momentary blank canvas before you, built adjacent to my recap meme account, will serve as a space where our escapism will never end. When we think about turning on closed captions, we want, as watchers, to better understand what is happening and/or what is being said in certain scenes on our screens. But have you ever wondered what would happen if you could look deeper? Find out what the person is thinking, feeling, or dealing with internally that maybe the camera couldn’t capture or what could have been left on the edit room floor?
Soon after TikTok launched its auto-captioning tool, Instagram released one of its own. In today’s society, Closed Captions are used as part of a general trend to more fully represent reality. Plus, you’re right: it’s no coincidence that a massive amount of the content you see via Current Episode is adding Closed Captioning to graphics in the form of yellow and black text. The content I create daily inspired this next chapter.
Closed Captions, my brand-new column, will focus on mental health through the pop-culture lens.
This interview series will be written up and published after conversations with your favorite personalities centered around prioritizing mental health and the escapism we find through various forms of entertainment. Overall wellness and positivity are the goals of Current Episode's digital component!
After attending BravoCon in October 2022, I started working on what you see before you. Thousands of us participated in the convention, and it was clear to me that escapism was the one thing that brought us all together in that space. For me, television has always been a world I could mentally depart to on my worst and best days. Reality tv takes that feeling much deeper because these people are sharing their entire lives. The authentic connection we form with them, our screens playing mediator, produces peak escapism for us fans.
You can never underestimate the importance of mental health and its relationship to escapism.
With that being said, it's been a long time coming. Through the building of this unique space, I have had to remind myself time and time again that anything worth having is worth fighting for. Before anyone else could believe in this mission and direction, I had to find the utmost belief in it and in myself. In fact, just the other day, I was watching James Cordon's final Carpool Karaoke with Adele, and he shared with her that in the beginning, no one would agree to do the segment. He received "no" repeatedly until that one day, Mariah Carey said "yes." All it took was one person, then Carpool Karaoke became a pop culture phenomenon. I'm excited to see who eventually believes in Closed Captions, and I cannot wait to reflect on these days, years from now, and remember when I had to fight so hard for something I believed in with all my spirit.
SO… STAY TUNED! I'm optimistic the first column will be coming to you soon. Until then, DM suggestions of anyone you'd love to see featured via Closed Captions. Oh, and yes, for you non-readers, an audio version is imminent! Who gon' check me, boo?
Six years ago today, I somehow convinced myself that my life wasn't worth living. I had no idea how to manage my depression and anxiety. I didn't have any tools or know of any resources to help. In the wee hours of April 26th, 2017, I promised myself that if I made it out of the shadows alive, I'd do whatever I could to let others know they weren't alone in their struggle. Looks like, today, I finally figured out how. If I had not gotten so deep dark down in that place, I wouldn't be here using the platform I built to launch a positive mental health space where creatives can come to find inspiration, relatability, and connection. It certainly wasn't on my bingo card that it would be born from a Bravo fan account; nonetheless, it's serendipitously on brand.
Meet, Closed Captions, where your escapism is never “To Be Continued…”
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
ABOUT CADE
Cade Bethea is a graduate of Texas Christian University, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Strategic Communications with an emphasis in PR, Film, TV, and Digital Media. Cade is a freelance writer and social media guru in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has worked with various brands and nonprofits, like the Arkansas Cinema Society, Inviting Arkansas, Arkansas Rice, etc., to help further their social reach and creativity online. During the pandemic, Cade took on a production role as a health and safety event coordinator traveling to various award shows like the Grammys, VMAs, AMAs, etc., working on the talent team to ensure the overall wellness of those attending, presenting, and performing during the broadcast.
Cade is the creator of Current Episode on Instagram, where he has created an online community of those who also believe in escaping reality with reality tv and pop culture. He keeps up with all the trends and themes on popular social apps like TikTok and Instagram to create the best content for his clients. Cade is a storyteller; you can find a few places where his story has come to life. He has painted murals in downtown Stuttgart, Arkansas (his hometown) and in Downtown Little Rock as a form of Mental Health awareness and advocacy. His unique passion for the arts, current culture, and mental health make him a bright light!
