Another Article about 13 Reasons Why

If you haven’t already heard about it, I’m sure you will soon. Let me be the first to tell you that this show explores touchy topics that our world today is too afraid to notice. We all know it happens, but it’s easier to leave it hidden in the dark than to bring it out and handle it. I’ve wanted to write about this show since I started it, but after finishing it, I needed some time to process everything. The show is very heavy and can be very triggering for those who suffer from depression and/or self-harm.

13 Reasons Why is a Netflix Original series co-produced by Selena Gomez. The show is a series of flashbacks mixed with actual time that is narrated by Hannah Baker. Hannah committed suicide after dealing with severe depression, cyber bullying and sexual assault. She leaves behind 13 cassette tapes explaining why she felt the way she did and what drove her to end her own life.

The show is very graphic, some say it shows too much. Maybe. Or maybe it’s the first show to stop glorifying suicide and self-harm. It’s meant to make you feel uncomfortable. In a documentary, Beyond the Reasons, Katherine Langford, who plays Hannah, said the script actually said to “keep camera on Hannah’s face longer than comfortable,” during the rape scene.

Many shows and books seem to follow the plot line of “pretty, nice girl is depressed and kills herself, and then the whole world realizes she was perfect and how they wronged her.” Not this one, thankfully. Beyond the fact that the producers don’t portray these feelings of worthlessness as a “beautiful tragedy,” they opt not to make Hannah perfect. She has flaws just like every other character. The plot of 13 Reasons Why shows how full-circle actions can be- starting with one person, making its way to Hannah and the rest of the cast, back to the original person.

The show, along with Beyond the Reasons talks about sharing your story- sharing your story to free yourself of being held a prisoner to it. In the last episode, after much contemplation, Jess (a former friend of Hannah’s) finds the strength in herself to tell her dad about the time she was raped. By encouraging others to share their stories, we open a door to discuss things that aren’t exactly “acceptable.”

But why aren’t they acceptable? This is happening in our world. Whether we want to accept it or not, it’s happening. Why are we slut-shaming young girls and asking them what they were wearing and if they had been drinking during the night of their rape? Why aren’t we asking the boys why they thought “no” meant “yes,” or why they thought it was okay because “she didn’t say no.”

Society is creating more problems by avoiding the issues at hand. They’re avoided because they’re hard to talk about. They require us to think and have opinions, something we don’t know how to do anymore (Issue discussed in “Today’s Flawed Education System). We aren’t being taught to form opinions, and this is why nobody has one. Those who do have an opinion are too afraid to say it and rock the boat because society doesn’t accept criticism very well. It’s time to educate ourselves and start making some changes.

Personally, having dealt with many of these feelings, I think the show accurately portrayed all of the feelings. Hannah’s narrations are her truth, her life, and her story. Throughout the show, there is speculation that Hannah is lying about the events in her life. Tony, a trusted friend of Hannah’s actually says to Clay, “but it’s her truth.” Everyone perceives things differently, but that doesn’t mean someone else’s perception is wrong.

This show does exactly what it was meant to do without minimizing or glorifying the act of suicide. Everyone is talking about it. GOOD! It needs to be talked about! Whether you liked it or hated it, you’re talking about it- forming and sharing ideas and thoughts. You didn’t think it depicted suicide accurately? Tell me why. Give me more information to form my opinion on. You think it did a good job showing how actions affect others? Share your thoughts with me. The show has done its job, and it has done the job well.

You don’t think these issues exist? What about Chelsea Halm, a freshman at Bowling Green University who was raped and the school did nothing to her rapist? What about Markeice Brown who was cyber bullied after his girlfriend committed suicide? He killed himself two days later. I think these issues merit more conversation than they get. People need to talk about it, not because a show has become popular and is creating discussion, but because they are issues that need to be addressed. However, 13 Reasons Why is a great start to bringing more attention to these issues.