*WARNING SPOLIER ALERT*
Recently Neflix released 13 Reasons Why, a show that is adapted from a novel by Jay Asher . The novel and show now have a cult following. Ranging from fans getting semicolon tattoos to the internet being flooded with “Welcome to your tape…” memes.
Many people are praising the show for its forward and blunt approach at creating a conversation about suicide, rape, rape culture and mental illness.
However I personally have not seen the show and as of right now , have no intention to watch the show. Mostly my refusal to watch stems from the graphic depictions of rape and subsequent suicide in the last two episodes. But my main reason for not wanting to watch stems from the way I feel the show glorifies and commodifies the suicide of Hannah Baker.
Suicide is a real permanent thing and while from what I have heard and read the show depicts that. It also shows potentially vulnerable people, especially teens, that going down this route is a way to get everyone in your life to have to listen to you. It also shows exactly how to do it.
From the very beginning the show depicts suicide seemingly very lightly. In a now (I believe removed) Netflix ad, there a number of small depictions of things central to the themes of the show. Tapes, stars and cameras are many of these items.
However one of these items is a razor blade. The way this ad down plays the severity of this act is baffling.
I believe it is more important to show accurate depictions of mental illness and people that over come them. While suicide does unfortunately does happen I believe showing it so vividly on TV is not the way to treat it.
For many people these mental illnesses are something that extremely and in cases it can shatter their lives. Seeing some do this unspeakable act can and has cause people to disassociate, ultimately making their illness worse.
Overall choosing to watch or not watch a show is a personal decision. I personally will not be watching this show.