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Anyway, to celebrate my blog's 3rd birthday, I am gonna talk about something very controversial! Isn't that always the way? Like I said, I want to be a bit more opinionated and I want this blog to go about this new format (that I'm still figuring out). So today, we are gonna talk about 13 Reasons Why, one of the most popular Netflix shows of 2017. This show was released back in March, and--even though it is based on the novel that was written years ago--it has immediately gained popularity and eventually its own fanbase. Insane! It has also been recently announced that the show is renewed for a second season....while Sense8 is canceled. ANYWAY!
Yes, I have read the book and I have seen this popular Netflix series. I honestly can see why people love it...but at the same time, I can also see why people hate it. That's right, this show not only received great feedback, but it's gotten a couple of backlashes, as well. This has something to do with the story itself and the recurring themes that reflect some real-life issues that teenagers have to deal with everyday. And I am here to talk about that.
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Warning: This post deals with sensitive issues such as bullying, suicide, mental illness, depression, anxiety, sexual harassment, rape, violence of any form, and all the sh*tty things that exist in this world. I am bound to offend anyone who could possibly read this, and I sincerely apologize in advance for doing so. My intention is to not attack, but to simply express my thoughts with regards to this very show. If disagreements may come by, then I ask to first respect my opinion. You are free to comment below your other opinions, but please do so in an orderly and in the most sane manner as possible. We like to believe that we are mature, strong-minded, intellectually-inclined people when we are on the internet, so please exercise that belief when you type smash on the comment sections and not end up sounding like a horrendous troll that just got a bubu. Thank you.
Also please keep in mind that there will be spoilers.
Also please keep in mind that there will be spoilers.
The reason (hehe) why this show has mixed responses was because of the story and its theme. Basically it revolves around the suicide of a young girl named Hannah Baker. Nobody understood why she took her life, especially Clay Jensen--a guy who was in love with her. Then he receives a box of old cassette tapes that contain messages from Hannah herself. Each side of the tapes contain one story/reason as to why she decided to kill herself and each of the stories would point to one person. Clay being paranoid and confused as to why he is considered a reason for her suicide, gradually listens to each tapes and learns not only the suffering that Hannah had to go through, but also the dark secrets of his classmates in the process.
13 Reasons Why deals with many sensitive topics that could surround the negative development of any adolescent. Hannah Baker is a victim of rape and/or sexual abuse here, and this show does not shy away from showing off such graphic scenes. And because of being constantly sexually objectified and harshly judged by her peers, Hannah falls into the pits of depression and anxiety. This leads to her wanting to get back at the people who shunned and mistreated her, hence leaving around tapes that contain evidences to vandalism, stalking, sexual abuse, and other dark secrets. The other characters that were involved in the tapes, become frantic and afraid that these tapes could ruin their lives. When Clay was listening the tapes, it eventually loomed upon him that the other people mentioned in the tapes would want him to shut up and not report the things that Hannah said. This is where the series completely deviates from the book. In the book, everything is pretty much condensed. Clay's character listens to all of the tapes in one sitting, alone without the other people mentioned in the tapes pestering him. The end. The series has Clay listening to the tapes, while everyone anxiously anticipates for his next move. In other words, the Netflix series puts more focus on how much Hannah's suicide affected everyone else. This puts into question, whether or not 13 Reasons Why is a good example of representing suicide, depression, and everything else under the same umbrella. This is where the opinions divide and clash with one another, and also where the controversies began.
The ones who are with this show think that this series was able to show what needed to show. Yes, it is graphic but the truth is not always pretty. There are also accurate dialogues from Hannah Baker what it is like to be harassed. Her very character is said to be a realistic portrayal of what a teenager would be like, when one is exposed to such maltreatment in high school. It was able to highlight what a high school would normally do when a suicide would occur among the student population. The disagreeing party would say that this brings people who undergo actual depression, anxiety, and other mental disorder into a negative light. What Hannah Baker has done with the tapes was perceived as a revenge ploy, making it difficult for some to sympathize with her. This show also failed to confront other sides to mental healths, since the show focused on how much Hannah suffered and how she quickly dealt with this in a negative way. Her whole suicide is seen as dramatized because of the implied revenge theme surrounding the tapes and the characters involved, rather than being an actual reality. The series pretty much focused on the hardcore negative stuff and laying it out as it is, such as her suicide scene. Yes, the show was able to show a very elaborate suicide scene, where Hannah cuts both of her wrists with razors in her own bathroom. This brings the arguments up to the peak, where both parties question the need to show such a scene. To make things worse, the fanbase managed to create other memes surrounding the Netflix series and this also received backlash because making fun of it was going against the beliefs the show was standing for.
So is 13 Reasons Why a good show? Objectively speaking, yes it is. The acting is really great, the script is great, and it is overall very realistic. The only flaw I can pinpoint out of all this, is the very message it is trying to lay out for the viewers. I gotta say, it was able to confuse everybody. Was her suicide dramatized? Is Hannah Baker what you would call a realistic portrayal of a very depressed person? I will admit that it is a very good show, but I do have a problem with it. For one thing, if I were to actually review this show, giving this as a recommendation to someone would be very difficult. I can't think of anyone who would be able to watch this show without feeling very triggered. But I am surprised by the amount of minors who were able to watch this show. Kudos to you guys, for not letting your parents know.
Is there any other way to sugarcoat the reality of suicide for younger viewers to understand? Unfortunately, no. If there is a way to show and explain what is suicide is like to high school students, please let me know. But as far as I know, there really is no other way to explain suicide other than it being the act of taking his or her own life. Because that's how it really is. Is it necessary to show it in a TV series? There is no law saying that it is not allowed to do so, and I respect those who think it shouldn't be shown. But I admire the series for trying to show the magnitude of suicide. It is a horrible thing, that no one deserves to experience. Therefore I think that the show does not really glorify the idea of suicide. The scene showed what suicide was going to be like, and it is not pretty. Taking your own life will affect the people you know and care about. They will not only wonder why, but probably blame themselves as well. Suicide is not a great thing, guys. It's not the answer to all your problems and it is not a way to getting back at your enemies. I just want to clarify that. The best way to get back at your enemies is turning the other cheek and proving them wrong by becoming the awesome person you were meant to be. Just so were clear. Anyway, this suicide did seem a bit dramatic, I will admit. It caused many problems for many characters. But it just so happens that the person experiencing it was a young girl who was still beyond her years.
Hannah definitely represents what a teenager would be like, and I know because I was a junior in high school once. I have met a lot of young girls who were like Hannah and personally, not all of them had pleasant personalities. In the end, I still try to understand where they came from. People like Hannah maybe difficult to comprehend, but if there is one thing I learned from my adolescent years, being nice to someone makes a huge difference. Surely you are reading this right now and you know someone is deemed to be this dramatic person who demands attention or is surrounded by awful rumors. Try to disregard the rumors for once and try to give them a smile or greet them a hello. And make sure to do that with the right intentions. A lot of the ones lashing against Hannah were a bit too harsh, in my opinion. Hannah is just... a girl. She was lonely, betrayed, and above all, violated. She had her faults and she would sound petty at other times, but she was still human and she is not the enemy of this show. I believe that no teenager--or person, for that matter--is no different from her when it comes to making mistakes. This girl had no friends and it sucked. If someone ever bothered to be her friend, then maybe things would have ended differently. So yeah, don't be too harsh with Hannah guys. People like her exist in real life, and it is our job not to be dicks to not only them but to everyone else.
To be honest, I have very mixed feelings about this show. It is very realistic and it reminds me of high school in every way. Although it has its great aspect, it does come out as a revenge story, especially if they have every intention of making a second season. If this show had every intention of showing the reality of bullying and mental health, then I wish it was explored a bit more. My only gripe with this show is not with Hannah or the other dicks that were mean to her, but with Clay's character. Why be harsher to him than to Hannah? I'm afraid he's the one romanticizing the whole show itself, considering the fact that he was in love with Hannah. He blames himself for not confessing to Hannah about how he felt, and also feels responsible for Hannah's death. Now he feels like getting back at these teenagers who were at one point mean to her, because he feels that's what Hannah wants him to do. So if someone needs to point fingers at where the show went wrong, then we should all point at Clay. He's the one handling this whole situation the wrong way, and this is all because he was in love. Please be reminded that you can do the most idiotic things when you love someone. So kids, do not follow his example. Blaming yourself and doing the other reckless things he did will not bring the dead back to life. And you can never the love the dead back to life either, I am sorry Clay. That ain't gonna happen in your lifetime, bro. You're only fooling yourself if you live with that kind of mindset.
Is it a good show? I honestly do not know. I don't know what would be the best medium to show the effects of bullying, mental illness, or depression that can guarantee people to listen. All I know is, that we should learn how to be kind to one another. It makes a huge difference. Hannah is not the enemy of this story, and her suicide is glorified...unless they make season two. I also do not think this show needs to continue. It's going to make things worse, I just have a feeling. It's no longer going to be about how terrible suicide and bullying is, and it's all just going to be about how to get back at those mean teenagers in the story. The only character I agreed was Alex. He knew how to react to this situation. I feel you, Alex.
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And that is it for my comeback guys! Sorry if this seemed melodramatic, but I've been wanting to talk about this for a long time. I just wanted the hype to die down a bit, before I could blab on about it. I apologize for anyone who gets offended and if you have any misgivings about my post, I respect you and I hope you respect what I am trying to say as well. Like I said, let's be kind to one another. Thank you so much for reading and I will see you till the next post~
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