and yet, there will literally be hundreds of authors who deserve it more
I hope I word this ok
I really do feel like he is the media's safe option for mental health awareness. like, he's this nice mc cishet white dude who had a breakdown in ibiza and convalesced reading Camus at his parents' house - all of this is in his books
and, yes, having money and privilege does not automatically exempt you from mental illness, but people with bipolar, bpd, schizophrenia etc don't ever get this platform. people of colour, LGBTQ+ people living with mental illness don't get this platform
and, yet, here we are. just like the middle class Jack Monroe being the acceptable face of food banks cos she may or may not have been to one once, Matt's the acceptable face of mental health because society isn't ready to hear the reality while it's still easier to buy a book of soundbites