Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
13 Reasons Why, Netflix‘s original series that revolves around a high school student named Hannah who commits suicide after a series of traumatic events plague her, has become a hot topic of discussion in light of its serious subject matter. In the series, Hannah leaves each of the 13 individuals who seemingly contributed to her decision to take her own life a cassette tape, and these tapes are used to retell the events leading up to her death — and these scenes include graphic depictions of her sexual assault and eventual suicide.
The series, while initially praised for its handling of sensitive subject matter, has now come under scrutiny for its “graphic” and “dangerous” portrayal of suicide. Australian mental health organization Headspace issued warnings about the “risky suicide content” and reported an increase in calls and emails to the organization surrounding the series. Media guidelines surrounding suicide depiction in Australia and several other countries suggest that specific suicide methods should not be portrayed in detail, and 13 Reasons Why very gruesomely depicts the manner in which Hannah kills herself. While episodes are presented with a trigger warning, the organization feared that the series would still lead to a “distressing reaction” from viewers. Headspace, among other mental health organizations, were not the only ones to spark controversy around the show; Shannon Purser, one of Netflix’s own, took to her Twitter account to warn viewers about the series.
Purser, perhaps best known for her viral role as Barb on the streaming giant’s hit series Stranger Things, has been open about her own struggles with self harm in the past, and urged her followers to protect themselves. She also addressed the spread of the 13 Reasons Why meme, one that Netflix even took part in on Twitter recently.
While Netflix has discussed having consulted mental health professionals during production of the show, the backlash surrounding the problematic, potentially exploitative portrayals of many serious issues continues.
