When "13 Reasons Why" first became aired on Netflix, I was intrigued and perplexed about the subject of this show. All of social media was advertising the most significant scenes and spoilers that happened during the show, so it felt as if I didn’t need to watch it because everything was already there on Twitter and Facebook. I had heard a lot of exciting scuttlebutt and conflicting discrepancies from friends, peers, and different viewers on social media, and decided not to watch it.
The themes of the production contain a sensitive subject to myself as well as thousands of other individuals, as seen from the reactions to the show and from previous history of the matter itself. This is the second reason I chose to postpone my engagement with the show.
While on summer vacation from school, however, I caught myself remembering this once prominent show and became curious. I wondered not what happened, because the ending and important character roles were already revealed, but how the events in between those moments were filmed and portrayed. I was drawn to get to know these famous characters and to see how the story unfolded. I was interested because the reviews were enthusiastic and happy that this brought so much awareness. On the other hand, some felt it crossed a line by performing the scenes of suicide, rape, and bullying.
As you may or may not know, "13 Reasons Why" is about a girl named Hannah Baker who killed herself and left thirteen recorded tapes behind for certain students to find and pass on that described the reasons why she did it. The show goes back and forth between the experience of a student named Clay Jensen venturing and listening to the tapes and Hannah's true experience.
After watching the show, I watched a short clip called "13 Reasons Why: Behind the Reasons". This showed me the reasons why the producers and actors made the film and performed certain scenes and events the way they did. I felt this gave a good perspective for viewers especially after watching the show. I believe it is the perfect short clip to watch after viewing the show to gain more perspective from the actors and producers.
I felt the production was very real and very honest. I agree that some scenes were uncomfortable and indeed hard to watch. Even the producers and actors talked about how many scenes in the show were difficult to film. But that is the point. Suicide, sexual assault and bullying is not an easy topic to discuss, let alone see--even if it is just on a TV screen. They talked about how they didn’t look away from the sexual assaults in the show because to do so is to minimize what the characters go through and what many teenage girls unfortunately go through every day in reality. A lot of the actors talked to counselors to advise them how to understand what people go through whilst an assault is happening in order to represent everything authentically and truthfully as possible. They wanted to make it real to pay tribute to those who had gone through this. They wanted to show that it isn’t pretty or easy.
While watching the show, I began to think more about my actions. I realized that the little things may not matter to me, but could matter to someone else. For example, holding the door, asking how someone is, checking in on a loved one or even giving someone a smile. Going through my life and personal experiences, I've always thought about these important interactions that could make a difference. I always encounter daily reminders to value kindness and respect, and this show was another important reminder.
From watching this show and watching the short clip after, I realized there is a lot to learn about several important topics that many people should know about. After all the reviews I took into account and viewing it myself, I believe the most important aspect to take away from this show is awareness. Awareness to suicide, bullying, cyberbullying, rape, consent, words, feelings, and personal affairs is very important when interacting with each other. Not many people realize before they speak or act that someone could be privately experiencing something; thus, communication and discernment is meaningful to have.
Similar to awareness, a connection and understanding was brought to my attention after this show as well. Struggling to relate with others, establishing a relationships with parents and friends, and attention to experiences and expression is something I connected with while watching the show.
High school is a time where students are experiencing a lot of changes of identity, growth, and are trying to find themselves. Learning about sexuality and relationships can be a rough hurdle to navigate through, especially while juggling school, social media, and personal situations. A lot of times, it is hard for adults and parents to understand what a teenager is going through. They often forget that trauma and pain to a teenager feels like it will last forever, even though an adult knows it won’t. This aspect of the show I thought was essential for both parents and teenagers to pay attention to. Understanding, honesty, and the importance of communication can go a long way.
Symptoms and signs of any of these serious topics should be taken seriously. There is help and it is okay to ask for it. It is okay to not be okay. It’s okay to not be perfect. You can get past this and it will get better. The sooner you start talking about it, the more you feel better and the more awareness you will bring to these topics. The smallest actions can have the biggest effect--both positive and negative.
You never truly know what is going on in someone’s life. I learned a lot from this show and the after show. If you have the courage to watch it and face reality like I did, I do not believe you will regret it. Help those trying to speak up and help spread awareness.
