By ELIZABETH VALENTIN
Contributing Writer
The new Netflix original series, “13 Reasons Why,” based on the novel by Jay Asher, has been the newest sensation among viewers. The show depicts the events that follow the suicide of teenager Hannah Baker, who leaves cassette tapes for 13 people who she claims played a part in her life, and ultimately her death.
The violent and triggering scenes that take place throughout the show are likely to resonate with viewers who may have had similar experiences. The show, produced by Selena Gomez, is meant to send a message to viewers to be kind to one another.
Throughout the show, the idea that you don’t know what is going on in someone else’s life is repeated constantly. Gomez wanted this message to come across strongly because she claims to have experienced bullying throughout her time working for the Disney Channel.
While the message to be kind is clearly stated, there has been some backlash about the messaging of the show. The show has been criticized for glorifying suicide and for not opening up the conversation of mental illness. While Gomez believes that suicide should never be an option, the show does not provide viewers with a healthy alternative.
Viewers suffering with mental illness are likely to identify strongly with Hannah as she tells her story. For these viewers, it is important to include a conversation about mental illness. However, the word “depression” is not mentioned at all throughout the course of the show.
In addition to showcasing the hardships that Hannah experienced prior to her death, the series also tells the stories of the individual hardships of each of the characters that were sent the tapes. While, according to Hannah, these people bullied her to the point of suicide, she, in turn, bullied them into listening to her tapes. She tells them at the beginning of the tapes that if they do not follow her rules by listening and then passing them on, a copy of the tapes will be made public.
The characters that have been sent the tapes come together at several points throughout the series to discuss what they should do about the situation that Hannah has put them in. They debate whether the tapes should be made public, especially when the events of sexual assault are mentioned, not once but twice.
The characters ask themselves why they are “defending a rapist” and discuss if they can believe what Hannah says on the tapes.
The series also follows the heartbreak that Hannah’s parents go through as a result of their daughter’s death. This aspect of the show allows for viewers to see the collateral damage that is done when a person commits suicide. This is important to show viewers because it helps them to understand that their actions can severely hurt those they care about most.
The series overall shows few, if any, alternatives to suicide and bullying. While it begins get viewers thinking about the importance of just being nice, it is hard for viewers to see this happen throughout the show. Even after characters receive the tapes and hear the ways that they hurt a girl so badly that she took her own life, they continue to torment one another.
This makes it hard for the viewer to see the good that can happen if kindness is spread. This is because malicious actions are what is most prominent throughout the show.
