I want to start this post off by saying if you've never been bullied, if you've never been depressed, if you've never had suicidal thoughts, if you've never watched 13 Reasons Why, and if you're a part of Generation X, you have absolutely no reason to say why we shouldn't let our kids watch this show. That will be explained a little bit later in this post.
If you've been on any social media in the past month, you will have noticed that 13 Reasons Why has taken over the world. I just finished it. It's intense. It's graphic. It's emotional. Most of all it gets you to think. A lot. As someone who has been depressed, still struggles with depression, and HAS HAD thoughts of suicide, I think everyone should watch this. And contrary to what some Gen Xers are saying, it needs to be required at school. Here is why.
You never truly know what someone with serious depression is going through.
Well, you don't, until you go through it yourself. Like Hannah Baker says in the show, "It feels like nothing." And that's the scary truth. Although you still won't be able to know what it feels like, going into Hannah's mind does an accurate description.
When you're depressed and considering ending your life, you think of everything bad that's ever happened to you. Despite what some blog posts that I've read, there are people and events that cause you to end your life. Yes, its your choice, but you wouldn't have to make that decision if people would try to help. And you don't let any good in. I think Hannah was very VERY smart in making the tapes. She's able to tell us why she decided like life was too much. No matter how much investigating the police or loved ones do, no one will know.
BUT WHY ARE PEOPLE SO PUT OFF BY THE TAPES?
I don't know. She's not at all seeking attention. She killed herself. She doesn't want attention. If you watched the show, you will notice that her parents mention that she never left a suicide note. She did, though. The tapes are her suicide note. And a way of telling everyone that caused her to end her life how she feels. And damn it, she's brave for doing it.
BUT THE SHOW IS UNCOMFORTABLE
Exactly. When Selena Gomez and the producers were coming up with the show, they wanted it to be uncomfortable. They wanted it to be scary. They wanted it to be graphic. And I applaud them for it. Gen X grew up in an age where everything was censored. I, as a Millennial (or Generation Y), have grown up in an age where censorship is becoming less and less common. It can be both a blessing and a curse. For this show, its a blessing. Like they said in the aftershow, they wanted the rape and suicide scenes to be uncomfortable. For the rape ones, they talked to rape survivors, who were grateful that someone was finally uncensoring what the horror of being raped is like. The more intense one is Hannah's in Episode 12, because when they focus on her face, as she's getting raped, you just see her basically already dead. It's disturbing. But maybe that will help bring light to this and help rape survivors be able to talk about it easier.
BUT THEY CHANGED THE WAS SHE KILLED HERSELF FROM THE BOOK TO THE SHOW!!!
I'm very glad they did. In the book, she kills herself with pills. In the show, she slits her arms and dies in a bathtub. Killing yourself is by no means an easy decision. If they stuck to pills and kept it less graphic, it wouldn't have done the decision justice. As you see in the suicide scene, she's second guessing it, but like I mentioned earlier, when you're depressed you don't think about the good, you think about the bad. Imagine being in so much pain that bleeding to death in a bathtub sounds better than life. Once again, if you haven't been depressed, you won't know.
A couple more things. This show gets you to think. A lot. But, in a good way.
For the people who are considering suicide, it gets them to say "Hey. Maybe someone out there does actually love me enough. Maybe someone cares." I think Hannah says one of the most haunting lines in entertainment ever but its also excellent. "Some of you cared. None of you cared enough. Neither did I. I'm sorry." Her school counselor didn't care enough to help her. He tried but he couldn't. He couldn't talk about rape. And because of that, Hannah walked out of his office and said that line. Then walked out of school and ended her life.
To the people who have friends that seem a little off, even if you haven't spoken in awhile, go grab a coffee. Make them tell you why they are acting differently. Trust me, having a friend call me when I was fed up with life is what saved my life. My former Youth Pastor called me and talked to me for the first time in about a 2 years at that point. That man had such an impact on my life, that I have felt the calling to be a Youth Pastor myself.
Finally. To the Gen Xers. I feel like you guys have absolutely no right to say a thing about this show UNLESS a relative has killed themselves. You didn't grow up with the internet. You don't know what its like to have someone who you don't know (or sometimes even do know) cyberbully you, with no consequences. Facebook and Twitter and Instagram all have teams that review every report that comes in. But those teams don't do anything. They don't care. It sucks, but they don't. So people will keep bullying you until you're done and end your life. Even if those teams won't do anything, your school should and the cops will. It's no laughing matter. Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death to teens these days. It's commonality has risen significantly in the last 30 years and its about damn time we talk about it. Talking about suicide and rape will help the cause to stop it rather than hurt it. But people love you. Ending your life is never worth it.
Until Next Time, Alex
No comments:
Post a Comment