With “Thirteen Reasons Why” making its return with a second season, I thought it would be appropriate to explain how even though the show is well-acclaimed, it might not be for everyone.
When the show first appeared on Netflix, it blew up over social media, sparking worldwide conversation. On one hand, it is good that our sources of entertainment strive to approach serious topics such as suicide, but on the other hand, the series became such a household name that I felt like an outsider for not watching it.
I’m an original “Thirteen Reasons Why” fan.
I read the book years ago when Selena Gomez was only in talks to play Hannah Baker in a movie adaption. Of course, this has since evolved into the TV series. The point is that I’m well aware of the important plot points and the message the novel pushes.
But when it came to watching the show, I kept pushing it off. I’m someone who reads and watches entertainment as an escape for a spot of relief within my chaotic life. Knowing exactly what was going to happen just made me not want to watch it.
There are certain times while watching a film that I have to shut my eyes or walk out of the room.
Why?
Because I am triggered by certain things—more so than I was when I was younger. This is natural. Human beings respond to dark scenarios in a variety of ways: hysteria, panicking, vomiting, and it is often beyond our reach.
While some may interpret this as me being weak, it really isn’t. The way my mind works is out of my control, so it doesn’t make sense for me to force myself to be uncomfortable with a particular scene so I can jump on the bandwagon.
I’m not the only one. So many people online wished that they hadn’t latched onto the hype because the show forced them into a bad place that took them months to get out of.
The show is not meant to be joyful. It’s meant to be real, raw, and dark, but for some, it becomes too real.
The point is that as the series makes its return, it is important to hold back on judgment towards those who choose not to watch it. Not everyone is going to enjoy its content, and it is ridiculous to encourage someone to watch something that could hurt them on a mental scale.
While I’m talking about this topic surrounding “Thirteen Reasons Why”, this applies to many different films and shows.
Just a month ago, in my film class, someone told the professor that the amount of violence in the film we’d watched made them uncomfortable, and that is normal. People absorb different experiences in different ways, and no one has an identical reaction. We’re all human, and as such, we’re innately different creatures who don’t respond to the world in the same way.
However, my professor was mildly surprised. His intent wasn’t malicious, but he’d assumed that since modern films showcase violence in such a prominent manner, the class would all embrace it. This only proves how important it is to warn people of triggering themes that appear in the different mediums of art and educate yourself on how these images can impact your mental health. You often don’t realize the effect until it happens to you personally, and society needs to start emphasizing that the material we often absorb can have devastating effects on its audience.
I’m bracing myself for the amount of discussion that is going to appear all over social media when the second season is released, but I stand firm on my decision to not watch it.
I’m not going to make myself feel worse to understand the praise it receives, and so, this is a reminder to keep an open mind as to why people reject certain films and shows. There is often more behind the fact that isn’t so easily uncovered.