While I am personally a fan of 13 Reasons Why and all it has to offer, I do see why many are not. With such a powerful and heavy plot line there is no doubt controversy will arise. However, while viewing the show I found so much more than the one message many people take out of it.
13 Reasons Why has so much raw, emotional, and heavy material to offer that we all need to hear. I have found that people are too quick to brush things off that do not favor their perspective on a given topic. Whether you think the message is terrible, or essential you might be missing some hidden meanings that you can learn from.
Whether you’re 12, 19, or 28, there is a message for you. Anyone, from any walk of life, can find peace and emotion within this powerful show. I quickly got involved and emotionally attached to the characters in different ways. The characters and situations they’re in are relatable to almost anyone, on any level. Whether you’re a victim of assault, bullying, or of a hard high school experience, there is something to be said for a show shining a light on these issues.
Maybe you think that it was “messed up” of Hannah to place the blame of her suicide so heavily on her peers, I don’t disagree. While watching the show this thought crossed my mind, but in my opinion this wasn’t the relevant point. The show showed the internal struggles each character faced when listening to their tape, which does point out the tapes are too much for teenagers to handle.
The message behind this to be aware of how you treat people and how you affect them. There are tons of conspiracy theories for this show regarding the tapes and characters, but if that is too much for you the message alone is not. Everyone, old or young, has treated people poorly whether we meant to or not. Everyone is unique in how they place their value into other people's opinions and judgments, but does it hurt to think a little more in depth about the repercussions we may have on someone?
Next, the power of help from others- or maybe the lack of it. The show depicts the failure to recognize the signs Hannah Baker displays and to help her. Some could argue she should have been more upfront or she was not obvious enough, but sometimes talking about our own demons is a battle in and of itself. It is not easy to voice our darkest problems, and the show helps shine a light on that. It also shows the lack of resources some schools have and often the lack of awareness of mental illnesses and battles. Could an increase of education, awareness, or knowledge help lighten the burden for a victim? These are the questions the show provokes us to think about, and that is a good thing.
Another thought- Relief for parents. Parents go through an immense amount of pain being the parent of a troubled or unhealthy kid. They need to be strong and hold the family together, but when does their break come? The Bakers devastated at the loss of their daughter, and have to fight the court and school, with no emotional support. Parents are often blamed for unruly children or when their child commits suicide. Parents are told they are the ones in the wrong when a tragedy or negative event occurs. Parents in these situations desperately need professional counseling services for parents of kids- whether they lost a kid or not.
There is a scene in the where random high schoolers snap a picture of them outside Hannah’s locker after she passed away while joking about hashtags. I thought this scene was a harsh reality. Sometimes we care when it’s too late or for the wrong reasons. Here we are taught how short life is, and how inconsiderate we may be. It is easy to be caught up in thinking about ourselves. Maybe we need to open our eyes to other people’s problems and pain and focus our energy on helping them, rather than trying to draw attention to ourselves. Too often people try to gain sympathy from tragic events that they are not involved in by claiming “they knew her”, this doesn’t help anyone.
Director Selena Gomez says her intention was to show how everyone has their own battles, and that everyone's problems matter. The show was created to spark conversations about the topics we are prone to sweeping under the rug. I disagree that the show sensationalizes serious topics like mental illness while some viewers have “made fun” of the tapes or situations, the show does not- it is trying to bring attention to these issues and how we can help those who suffer from them.
