After binge watching a show that is based on my favorite novel from 8th grade, I knew that I would develop opinions about it. I knew from the first time I read the book, that the story was important and I wished more people took the time to read. I wanted people to be inspired and realize that one book saved my life. I wanted people to experience the emotions I felt while reading a novel. When Netflix announced “13 Reasons Why” was being made into a Netflix Original Series, I was overjoyed. Finally. Finally, more people would be able to experience the emotions I did.
“13 Reasons Why” was written to bring many sensitive topics to the public in a way that would allow readers to experience bullying, suicide, and rape in a different light. Not once does “13 Reasons Why” glamorize Hannah’s decisions in committing suicide. Rape isn’t ever hidden from the audience. The topics that make many people uncomfortable are right there. Netflix didn’t sugar coat anything that the book described or depicted, and I can’t thank them enough for that.
Throughout the whole show, Clay is hearing Hannah talk about the reasons she committed suicide. As the story constantly goes back to when Hannah was alive, to the town living on without her, Clay starts to show in his emotions that he loved her. Clay realizes finally and fully, that he was in love with Hannah. After. After she has committed suicide. After she was crying for help and didn’t receive any. After.
After binge-watching the show, I was at a high school volleyball game for an organization I am a part of. Of course, every single high school girl sitting around me was talking about how wonderful “13 Reasons Why” was. I smiled knowing they were more informed on suicide prevention techniques and knew that bullying preventions stops with them. Then, one of them made a statement that broke my heart. “Maybe if I committed suicide boys would realize they were in love with me also.”
Something that many college students and adults watching the show may not realize, is that “13 Reasons Why” unintentionally seems glamorize the love story that Clay and Hannah had. I didn’t pick up on this at first, and I don’t think the producers wanted to convey what high schoolers may be seeing either. I know that while reading the book, I didn’t really make that connection either. But, younger viewers of this show may feel that people would love them more if they committed suicide.
This is crazy. Right? I agree, but it is super important that we view from a younger audience perspective. Clay starts to look back on how much he loved Hannah throughout the show, wishing he could have said something or helped more. We know Hannah loved him the whole time, but neither of them admitted it to each other. Clay may have never fully realized how much he cared for Hannah if she didn’t commit suicide if she didn’t leave tapes for him to listen too.
The show does a wonderful job at putting rape, bullying, and suicide at the forefront, allowing people to see that there is no way to depict these situations as glamorous. This isn’t a show that should be loved because it needs to be viewed as something that was created to inform people instead. This show is focused on preventing these things from happening to others and doesn’t desire romanticizing suicide in the process.
We don’t need another season. We want another season. We don’t need one when we know there is going to be a school shooting and that another student has shot themselves from the guilt of Hannah’s passing. Why do we need to watch this? We don’t need to watch Hannah and Clay secretly falling in love with each other anymore. We don’t need to glamorize the characters that led to a girl committing suicide.
Hannah Baker is dead. There isn’t anything glamorous about knowing she committed an act that led to others shooting themselves in the guilt of her passing, others wishing they could have helped her, and her parents that wanted to sue her school for not preventing the bullying. We have to stop glamorizing the love that Clay has for Hannah though. A boy or girl that you are interested in may notice you if you decide to end your life, but a romantic relationship isn’t ever worth losing your life. You have a future and the person you may love in high school may not be there later in life, no matter how much they promise to stay “forever.”
Nothing, absolutely nothing, is romantic about losing someone to suicide, or committing the act.
Please, if you are worried about yourself or a friend, do not be afraid to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
