The Netflix series titled 13 Reasons Why based on the novel of the same name by Jay Asher has been heavily scrutinized and praised for raising awareness of multiple issues that society is not necessarily comfortable addressing. Netflix has produced two series and a third series has just been announced in early June. I will be focusing mostly on the second season of this series. I feel that the first season tells more of the story and subtly raises awareness over certain issues, and the second season explicitly addresses the issues. Each episode tackles so many issues within society, but I will be focusing on one issue through each entry, so some episodes may overlap, but each entry will be focusing on a different aspect of the show.
1.
The first episode in discussion season one, episode eleven titled, “Tape 6, Side A.” The overall synopsis of the episode is Clay listening to his own tape and figuring out why he is a “reason why” for Hannah’s suicide. The episode revisits the night of Jessica’s party which was also the night that Bryce raped her. However, even though this episode focuses on Clay’s tape, Jessica’s story in this specific episode is important. The audience can see that Jessica is pulling away from Justin and heading toward a downward spiral.
This episode addresses the truth about Jessica’s rape. I think this episode subtly addresses the mental health of victims of sexual assault when they cannot come to terms with what has happened to them. Justin finally tells her Bryce raped her. Although, I feel like Jessica already sensed this. Like I said above, Jessica is starting to pull away from Justin in the previous episodes. Their relationship is obviously strained by the truth that Justin is withholding from Jessica.
Some people may think these rape scenes are unnecessary, but I think people forget that these things happen in real life and they need to be talked about. Jacobsen (2017) believes that “prolonged rape scenes are frankly unnecessarily detailed and potentially traumatizing for those with a history of sexual assault” (p. 8). While what Jacobsen says may be true, but these rape scenes show how heartbreaking it is. A filtered television screen is why talking about rape is so uncomfortable.
The truth of not knowing heavily affects Jessica throughout the episodes prior to episode eleven. Even in an earlier episode, Zach points out to Justin that “she looks bad” in episode too. Justin agrees with him stating that “she has for a while.” The boys then go on and note that Jessica has been acting crazy and drawing attention to them because of the tapes. Obviously what Jessica heard from Hannah on the tapes have affected her whether Justin told her the truth or not. The audience can see that she is struggling, and I feel like maybe she lashes out by hanging around Bryce in hopes of Justin coming clean with the real truth. The show is trying to suggest that it’s okay not to be okay after something traumatic. People are allowed to go through a rough patch after experiencing something like sexual assault or anything else in that regard—I feel like the show unintentionally suggests this. Although, through the boy’s conversation about Jessica, they do not understand this.
By watching this, I think this could help other people understand what traumatic events put people through after the fact and throughout the healing process. For example, if a family or friend is going through a “rough patch” the best thing to do is to be understanding and that all people process news or events differently. Most importantly everyone heals differently and takes not all at the same time. However, at this point in the series, I don’t think that the show does an effective job at delivering this message. I think it’s ineffective because issue that I am talking about in this episode is very subtle and hidden because this episode is mainly about Clay’s tape.
The episode in discussion is only in season one. The show only lightly taps into the after math of Jessica’s assault, but in season two it focuses and delves deeper into her thoughts and what she is going through. More open communication about the topic would enhance the overall effect of this issue which is what the show seems to do in season two.
Reference
Jacobson, S. L. (2017). Thirteen reasons to be concerned about 13 Reasons Why. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, 33(6), 8. doi:10.1002/cbl.30220
2.
In the final episode of season one of Thirteen Reasons Why, Hannah Baker is visiting her school counselor. Hannah attempts to talk to Mr. Porter about how she was sexually assaulted by another student at the school. By seeking Mr. Porter’s help, Hannah hopes that she will gain some sort of comfort that will give her the will to live (since she is seeking him as a last-ditch effort to live). The issue addressed in this episode was sexual assault, or rather the part when victims speak out or ask for help. Hannah somewhat describes her assault to Mr. Porter, assuming that he would put the pieces together and outright ask her if she was raped. However, the audience can see that both Hannah and Mr. Porter are uncomfortable. Hannah can barely even describe what has happened herself and Mr. Porter casually asks Hannah if she had an encounter at the party suggesting sexual relations, but then he suggests that perhaps she made a mistake and changed her mind which makes the situation even more uncomfortable.
I feel like this may communicate to audience members who are watching that they should “move on” after they have been sexually assaulted. What Hannah describes is a rape, but neither she or Mr. Porter say it, nor does he ask. He asks her to name the boy, however she does not, and then Mr. Porter tells her that the best thing she can do is move on. This is perhaps why many sexual assault victims never come forward or take such a long time to come forward. Society has made this unspoken rule of shame after something like a sexual assault happens which is why there is such a stigmatism with the conversation of sexual assault.
This can change the conversation for victims of sexual assault. For friends and family, interpersonal communication should be talked about openly, unlike the conversation that Hannah and Mr. Porter had. This should say to us, as the audience, that we should speak to victims of sexual assault with belief and understanding. If victims were understood and believed at all times, I don’t think the conversation would be uncomfortable anymore. This way, all victims of assault would not feel this shame that society has put on the subject. According to Bevens, Brown and Loughhnan (2018), “women are highly unlikely to report to the police; only about 2% of victims do so. Although women rarely report to the police, often out of fear of being blamed or not believed, survivors of sexual aggression are sharing with other people in their lives” (p. 1). Clearly, this is a reason why Hannah seemed so hesitant to come forward and why she was so frustrated with Mr. Porter.
I think what the show is trying to communicate is that it is okay to talk about things like sexual assault openly in conversation. However, the way that it is portrayed in the show is ineffective within the show since Hannah takes her life. I feel like the show only does an effective job of addressing this issue if someone is deeply analyzing the show. A viewer who is just watching purely for entertainment may not get that message when watching for that reason. In season two, the show effectively addresses this issue when Mr. Porter imagines how his conversation with Hannah is different and what he wishes he would have said which helps her.
Reference
Bevens, C. L., Brown, A. L., & Loughnan, S. (2018). The role of self-objectification and women’s blame, sympathy, and support for a rape victim. Plos ONE, 13(6), 1-15. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199808
3.
In my next entry, I will be discussing the last episode of season one again. However, I will be talking about the most anticipated moment of the season: Hannah’s suicide. In a graphic scene, Hannah is shown filling her bathtub full of water and then slitting her risks. She sits in the bath until the tubs floods over and she eventually dies. It is a tearful scene, and even more heart-wrenching when her mother finds her. However, this show is highly criticized for “glamourizing” the idea of suicide.
I feel like the show may communicate to some people that it is about a glamorization of suicide. Suicide is a stigmatized topic because of this, people are so afraid to talk about it openly in conversation that it has become a taboo topic. Jacobsen, (2017) a doctor, states that the show “is too dangerous a topic to use for entertainment, and yet, that is its primary purpose” (p. 8). The show may be for entertainment, but it is also here to bring awareness which is a fact that I think everyone forgets. I don’t think anyone sits at home and excitedly watched the show and feels happy. The show is unsettling, and it should leave the viewer asking questions about society. The subject of suicide is so stigmatized because so many people feel that it is dangerous which translates into “don’t talk about it.” This should affect interpersonal communication by making us talk about these dangerous topics so that they are no longer so stigmatized.
Personally, I think the show does a good job at addressing this issue, but it is maybe because I am looking at the show from an analytic point of view. Those who are just watching the show on a surface level do not understand the depth of this series. However, I would implore those who believe that this show is dangerous to watch this show and dig deeper into what they are saying and their actions. I do not know what more the show could do without being outright explicit in saying what the show’s purpose is. The show’s entire purpose to bring awareness to issues that no one wants to talk about which is why it is a good thing, because it starts a conversation.
Reference
Jacobson, S. L. (2017). Thirteen reasons to be concerned about 13 Reasons Why. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, 33(6), 8. doi:10.1002/cbl.30220
4.
Season two of Thirteen Reasons Why picks up a few months after the first season ends. The audience gets to see how the characters have changed. We get to look at Clay, who seems to be doing okay after he was brutally beaten by Bryce in the previous season. He seems to have moved on to a happier and better Clay with his new girlfriend, Skye. The issue being addressed in this episode has to deal with mental health in regard to grieving the loss of a loved one. Clay thinks he has gotten over the death or Hannah, or rather tried to forget about her. Willis (2002 says that “The fact that death is permanent is often not within their comprehension. Finality means that death is an irreversible, permanent condition,” (p. 221) which further troubles Clay as he is imagining her ghost, as if he is talking to Hannah. However, with the upcoming trial involving her, Clay seems to be haunted with the thought of Hannah. Grieving takes different amounts of time for everyone.
From my analysis, the show tries to communicate that someone cannot fully let go of someone without coming to terms with their death. For instance, with Hannah’s tapes and death comes so many questions and mysteries. With the start of seasons two, the audience gets to see the perspectives of the other people who are on the tapes, which lead to another whole truth about what Hannah says. In this episode, what Tyler says troubles Clay. Tyler claims he saw Hannah sending suggestive pictures on her phone, Clay is furious and then feels like he does not know her anymore. I feel like this leads Clay to become even more haunted by Hannah. When Clay and Skye are kissing, he starts to see Hannah, which throws him completely off and Skye can see that he is troubled because of the trial starting.
Through Skye, I feel like the show does an effective job handling this issue. Skye is constantly asking Clay if he is okay. She clearly saw in season one how much Hannah’s death affected clay, which is why she persistently asks him if he is okay, much to Clay’s annoyance. Skye notices how shook up Clay gets when the trial starts and tries to talk to Clay about the issue, but he shuts her down. This goes hand in hand with how we as the audience can communicate with family and friends. Not everyone wants to talk about their personal grief, but we can be there for that person regardless if they shut you down or not. A later episode in the series enhances the communication of this issue.
Reference
Willis, C. A. (2002). The Grieving Process in Children: Strategies for Understanding, Educating, and Reconciling Children's Perceptions of Death. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(4), 221.
5.
The next episode titled “Two Girls Kissing” is told in Courtney’s perspective. The episode reveals her truth of what happened the night of her and Hannah’s sleepover while the prosecutor brutally questions her. This episode addresses “coming out” of the closet and how hard it can be even in this day of age. The show communicates that it is definitely harder for Courtney to come out since her dads are also gay which causes a lot of speculation (according to Courtney in season one). The show suggests to the audience that it is hard for rumors to come out about them (females) because they get objectified, as Courtney did by Montgomery.
I feel like this can affect the communication of interpersonal relationships in a small way. I feel like times are changing so people are slowly becoming more accepting of people who are gay. However, like this age group, teenagers are so often prone to bullying those who are different. However, through Courtney’s dads, the audience can see how understanding they are. They treat Courtney no differently than before and they try to have a conversation with her about her sexuality. They even question why she did not come out sooner to them.
I think the second season does a better job at addressing Courtney’s sexuality. The first season focuses on how much she represses her sexuality and how she tries to hide it and even how she pours the blame on Hannah. This episode really shows the struggle that Courtney is facing in how she is basically forced to out herself on the stand. What I wish the show would have done is focus a little more on Courtney and how coming out really affects her, because she seems no different other than a little weight lifted off her shoulder from coming out and helping Hannah’s case. The show subtly suggests that she is being her true self since she goes to the dance (later in the series) with a girl. I think the show would have really hit the nail on this issue by focusing on what really happens after someone comes out of the closet and what goes through their head.
6.
This next episode features Marcus’s account on what really happened on his Valentine’s Day date with Hannah. In season one, Marcus is shown trying to grab Hannah, but the audience cannot really see what he is grabbing, but we know that he is grabbing her. However, when on the stand, Marcus lies to save his reputation per advice from his father. This episode addresses sexual assault or harassment depending on how the viewer may see it.
The show tries to communicate that sexual harassment or assault can happen to both men and women and the series shows this. This episode (2x4) shows that Marcus actually grabs Hannah’s private parts and not her hands like he said he had done. With this new insight, it lets the audience the reason why Hannah reacted the way she did back in season one. Later at school, Hannah approaches Marcus in the hallway and grabs him suggestively and asks him “Isn’t this what you wanted?” Hannah turns the table on Marcus and he looks horrified and disturbed perhaps because he did not expect this to ever happen to him. I feel like there is this myth that men never get sexually assaulted and that is why when they do, society finds it so horrifying. This is probably why Marcus thought it was okay when he touched Hannah, but when he received an unwanted touch from Hannah, he was shocked. Even after Hannah touches him, she says that she bets he won’t tell his friends about this encounter.
I think in this small aspect, this can tell us as the audience to speak to our friends and family and acknowledge that both men and women can be assaulted—it does not matter who you are. I think at this point in the series the show effectively addresses this issue. We can see the horror on Marcus’s face but there is no real conversation about his small assault/harassment on Hannah. The show would have better addressed this issue if they had a conversation about it, but this is more of an unspoken issue that I noticed.
7.
The episode titled “The Third Polaroid” focuses on Clay’s testimony. However, this episode also focuses on Alex Standall since it is his birthday. This season, we find out that Alex is alive after his suicide attempt. In this episode, he struggles to remember everything that has happened, because he lost all of his memories during the weeks the tapes were out. This episode focuses on mental health of Alex after the trauma of his attempted suicide. As important as life is, the series shows us that life does not go back to normal after something traumatic like what Alex did happens.
This communicates to the audience that coming back from something like this is hard on people physically and mentally. Alex struggles to walk, and he has sudden and frequent outbursts. He struggles especially since he is trying to gain his memories by triggering things like playing video games with guns. In the beginning of this episode he yells at Bryce calling him a rapist and he yells at Zach then kicks him out of his birthday party. The most climatic scene of this episode is his outburst at his birthday party where he goes to play a video game involving guns, and his parents try to stop him. Alex then goes on to say how hard his life has been and how he has lost everything. He says he should try to kill himself again, but then he is actually confronted for the first time about trying to take his life by Jessica. Jessica tells him that everyone here loves him and asks how he could do such a thing when people need him.
With what Jessica says, I feel like this can help communication between loved ones who are feeling suicidal. If anyone had known Alex was feeling suicidal, I am sure they would have told him that they needed him. However, this may not be a one hundred percent preventative measure, but it could help prevent someone from taking their life. Research by Dedić (2010) says that “Suicidal risk in patients after suicide attempt is of moderate degree… motives of a suicide attempt are related to the feeling of inability to bear unbearable situation, loss of self-control or need to be helped” (p. 157). The show communicates that we should let those who have tried to commit suicide know that we need them in our lives. I feel like the show does a good job at addressing this. The audience is shown everyone who is struggling with the loss of Hannah and how hard it was to think they were going to lose Alex.
Reference
Dedić, G., Djurdjević, S., & Golubović, B. (2010). Psychological assessment of persons following suicide attempt by self-poisoning. Vojnosanitetski Pregled: Military Medical & Pharmaceutical Journal Of Serbia, 67(2), 151-158.
8.
In a previous episode (2x5), Jessica attends group therapy where she meets Nina, a classmate who was also raped as well. However, the episode that I will be talking about today is titled “Bryce and Chloe” which is the eleventh episode where the Jessica confronts both Nina and Chloe about their polaroid photo. This episode addresses the mental health of a victim of sexual assault—or more of their awareness of how they will be perceived in the eyes of their peers.
In a previous episode, Nina states that her rape does not define who she is as she is helping Jessica (2x7). Nina appears to be strong to Jessica, but it is revealed when Jessica shows her the polaroid that Nina actually is not. Nina fears that she will forever be a victim and not a survivor. The show communicates that everyone is not who they appear to be. Nina seems to be a headstrong character for Jessica since they are both victims of assault, but Nina is still struggling. Nina blames her breakup with Garrett on the fact that he wants to talk all the time, but really, he was starting to ask her questions about her past. This could communicate to the audience that victims do not want to talk about their experiences and traumas with anyone other than those who share it. Nina says she does not want to talk about it with Garrett, but she talks about it with Jessica because she understands it.
I feel like this could help us with interpersonal communications by speaking to victims with the upmost understanding. Even if you personally did not share a similar experience, you can listen to someone who has survived sexual assault with empathy, so that they do not feel like or that they are limited to only talking those who have experienced sexual assault.
This far in the series, with Nina in mind, I do not think they have effectively addressed Nina’s issue. It is a little different maybe because we only see Jessica as her support system, whereas Jessica has the “tape gang” to talk to and who knows. Nina is clearly not over her issues since she is last seen burning all proof of the clubhouse polaroid’s. I think the show could better address this in season three by shedding some light on this new character.
9.
My next two entries are about the final episode of Thirteen Reasons Why, however they focus on two different issues. The episode titled “Bye” shows Tyler returning from some sort of reform school after his vandalism. Since the baseball season got cancelled and Montgomery was depending on the season for his hopeful future, he punishes Tyler. This episode addresses sexual assault on men. Tyler is bashed in the head and is brutally sodomized by a broken broom stick by Montgomery, so much so that there is visible blood on the end of the stick.
The show communicates that this is a horrifying situation that happens in real life. There are so many stories like this, but they are quickly forgotten about because male sexual assault is so stigmatized. I feel that this stigmatization of sexual assault among men is due to the fact that they feel so much shame for the unwanted sexual contact. Hammonds, Fewster and Ioannou's (2017) research says, "Male reporting of sex offences are likely to vary considerably from female reporting, although there has been little research into what these differences might be," (p. 134). There is a huge difference in the numbers of women and men who have dealt with assault, but perhaps a huge number of men have not come forward due to this shame? I feel that it is stigmatized because of the way that society views men in the way that society constructs gender. I think that people fear that with the discussion of a man's sexual assault, it could possibly emasculate them. If this conversation were to take place comfortably, it would change the course of conversation for what a man "should be."
Thirteen Reasons Why maybe included this scene or felt that it was necessary to spark a conversation and perhaps send a message that sexual assault, especially among men is nothing to be ashamed of. I think the show addressed the issue as accurately as they could. Later, when Tyler is seen in his bathroom on the toilet, when he finds blood (presumably from his anus), the audience can see how horrified he looks, maybe even horrified with shame. Obviously, this was the last episode of season two, so there was not much discussion in the show about the subject about how Tyler will heal, but even in the show the topic is still stigmatized. Hopefully, in season three we can see how Tyler deals with this and the discussion about it. I feel that some people who see this topic refuse to want to talk about it and others want to have a discussion about this. I think the best way we can approach a male victim of sexual assault is to maybe treat them as we would a female victim. The influence that this can give society is to treat all victims with the same belief and understanding.
Reference
Hammond, L., Ioannou, M., & Fewster, M. (2017). Perceptions of male rape and sexual assault in a male sample from the United Kingdom: Barriers to reporting and the impacts of victimization. Journal Of Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling, 14(2), 133-149. doi:10.1002/jip.1462
10.
This entry is based off entry number nine which addresses the aftermath of Tyler’s assault. Montgomery’s assault on Tyler pushes him over the edge which leads him to want to carry out his school shooting. The audience sees the same guns that Tyler had hidden in his trunk from season one. Tyler arms himself and heads over to the school gym where they are holding a dance for Liberty High. This episode addresses the mental state of health someone can be in after a traumatic experience, in this case Tyler’s mental health since he got to this point.
First, the show communicates a warning before the episode even starts because it could trigger someone in light of the recent situations when the show’s season two release came out. There were school shootings weeks before and right after season two released. Some viewers viewed this distasteful or insensitive. However, the show is only trying to shed light to the situation because it is such an uncomfortable subject to talk about. I feel like the show is trying to suggest helping rehabilitate or get help for those who have thoughts like Tyler’s. In the show, Tyler does get some sort of help in regard to his behavior, but Montgomery’s actions push him over the edge. The show also tries to communicate that a shooting at school could be stopped by showing kindness. For example, Clay tries to stop Tyler from going inside to carry out his plans, and he succeeds after telling Tyler that they were friends and cared about him.
I feel like the show is not trying to tell us to go to a gun man and use words to stop them, but it can help communication in interpersonal relationships. If we see someone struggling, we can be kind to one another and offer help and support. I do not think the show this far has done a good job addressing this issue. I think this mainly because the season ended right when Tyler left because he decided to go through with the shooting. The aftermath of having a gun pointed at Clay repeatedly leaves him unsettled, and it also left me unsettled when it ended. I think that the show can better address the issue in season three by having an open discussion of Tyler’s feelings and how his feelings led him to want to do the school shooting.
Thirteen Reasons Why can arguably be a good or bad show that touches on taboo subjects. Either good or bad, the show brings awareness to the discussed topics because it gets people to talk and have a conversation about it. Even though so many people are against it, I look forward to season three to see how they discuss these matters further.The Netflix series titled 13 Reasons Why based of the novel of the same name by Jay Asher has been heavily scrutinized and praised for raising awareness to multiple issues that society is not necessarily comfortable addressing. Netflix has produced two series and a third series has just been announced in early June. I will be focusing mostly on the second season of this series. I feel that the first season tells more of the story and subtly raises awareness over certain issues, and the second season explicitly addresses the issues. Each episode tackles so many issues within society, but I will be focusing on one issue through each entry, so some episodes may overlap, but each entry will be focusing on a different aspect of the show.
1.
The first episode in discussion season one, episode eleven titled, “Tape 6, Side A.” The overall synopsis of the episode is Clay listening to his own tape and figuring out why he is a “reason why” for Hannah’s suicide. The episode revisits the night of Jessica’s party which was also the night that Bryce raped her. However, even though this episode focuses on Clay’s tape, Jessica’s story in this specific episode is important. The audience can see that Jessica is pulling away from Justin and heading toward a downward spiral.
This episode addresses the truth about Jessica’s rape. I think this episode subtly addresses the mental health of victims of sexual assault when they cannot come to terms with what has happened to them. Justin finally tells her Bryce raped her. Although, I feel like Jessica already sensed this. Like I said above, Jessica is starting to pull away from Justin in the previous episodes. Their relationship is obviously strained by the truth that Justin is withholding from Jessica.
Some people may think these rape scenes are unnecessary, but I think people forget that these things happen in real life and they need to be talked about. Jacobsen (2017) believes that “prolonged rape scenes are frankly unnecessarily detailed and potentially traumatizing for those with a history of sexual assault” (p. 8). While what Jacobsen says may be true, but these rape scenes show how heartbreaking it is. A filtered television screen is why talking about rape is so uncomfortable.
The truth of not knowing heavily affects Jessica throughout the episodes prior to episode eleven. Even in an earlier episode, Zach points out to Justin that “she looks bad” in episode too. Justin agrees with him stating that “she has for a while.” The boys then go on and note that Jessica has been acting crazy and drawing attention to them because of the tapes. Obviously what Jessica heard from Hannah on the tapes have affected her whether Justin told her the truth or not. The audience can see that she is struggling, and I feel like maybe she lashes out by hanging around Bryce in hopes of Justin coming clean with the real truth. The show is trying to suggest that it’s okay not to be okay after something traumatic. People are allowed to go through a rough patch after experiencing something like sexual assault or anything else in that regard—I feel like the show unintentionally suggests this. Although, through the boy’s conversation about Jessica, they do not understand this.
By watching this, I think this could help other people understand what traumatic events put people through after the fact and throughout the healing process. For example, if a family or friend is going through a “rough patch” the best thing to do is to be understanding and that all people process news or events differently. Most importantly everyone heals differently and takes not all at the same time. However, at this point in the series, I don’t think that the show does an effective job at delivering this message. I think it’s ineffective because issue that I am talking about in this episode is very subtle and hidden because this episode is mainly about Clay’s tape.
The episode in discussion is only in season one. The show only lightly taps into the after math of Jessica’s assault, but in season two it focuses and delves deeper into her thoughts and what she is going through. More open communication about the topic would enhance the overall effect of this issue which is what the show seems to do in season two.
Reference
Jacobson, S. L. (2017). Thirteen reasons to be concerned about 13 Reasons Why. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, 33(6), 8. doi:10.1002/cbl.30220
2.
In the final episode of season one of Thirteen Reasons Why, Hannah Baker is visiting her school counselor. Hannah attempts to talk to Mr. Porter about how she was sexually assaulted by another student at the school. By seeking Mr. Porter’s help, Hannah hopes that she will gain some sort of comfort that will give her the will to live (since she is seeking him as a last-ditch effort to live). The issue addressed in this episode was sexual assault, or rather the part when victims speak out or ask for help. Hannah somewhat describes her assault to Mr. Porter, assuming that he would put the pieces together and outright ask her if she was raped. However, the audience can see that both Hannah and Mr. Porter are uncomfortable. Hannah can barely even describe what has happened herself and Mr. Porter casually asks Hannah if she had an encounter at the party suggesting sexual relations, but then he suggests that perhaps she made a mistake and changed her mind which makes the situation even more uncomfortable.
I feel like this may communicate to audience members who are watching that they should “move on” after they have been sexually assaulted. What Hannah describes is a rape, but neither she or Mr. Porter say it, nor does he ask. He asks her to name the boy, however she does not, and then Mr. Porter tells her that the best thing she can do is move on. This is perhaps why many sexual assault victims never come forward or take such a long time to come forward. Society has made this unspoken rule of shame after something like a sexual assault happens which is why there is such a stigmatism with the conversation of sexual assault.
This can change the conversation for victims of sexual assault. For friends and family, interpersonal communication should be talked about openly, unlike the conversation that Hannah and Mr. Porter had. This should say to us, as the audience, that we should speak to victims of sexual assault with belief and understanding. If victims were understood and believed at all times, I don’t think the conversation would be uncomfortable anymore. This way, all victims of assault would not feel this shame that society has put on the subject. According to Bevens, Brown and Loughhnan (2018), “women are highly unlikely to report to the police; only about 2% of victims do so. Although women rarely report to the police, often out of fear of being blamed or not believed, survivors of sexual aggression are sharing with other people in their lives” (p. 1). Clearly, this is a reason why Hannah seemed so hesitant to come forward and why she was so frustrated with Mr. Porter.
I think what the show is trying to communicate is that it is okay to talk about things like sexual assault openly in conversation. However, the way that it is portrayed in the show is ineffective within the show since Hannah takes her life. I feel like the show only does an effective job of addressing this issue if someone is deeply analyzing the show. A viewer who is just watching purely for entertainment may not get that message when watching for that reason. In season two, the show effectively addresses this issue when Mr. Porter imagines how his conversation with Hannah is different and what he wishes he would have said which helps her.
Reference
Bevens, C. L., Brown, A. L., & Loughnan, S. (2018). The role of self-objectification and women’s blame, sympathy, and support for a rape victim. Plos ONE, 13(6), 1-15. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0199808
3.
In my next entry, I will be discussing the last episode of season one again. However, I will be talking about the most anticipated moment of the season: Hannah’s suicide. In a graphic scene, Hannah is shown filling her bathtub full of water and then slitting her risks. She sits in the bath until the tubs floods over and she eventually dies. It is a tearful scene, and even more heart-wrenching when her mother finds her. However, this show is highly criticized for “glamourizing” the idea of suicide.
I feel like the show may communicate to some people that it is about a glamorization of suicide. Suicide is a stigmatized topic because of this, people are so afraid to talk about it openly in conversation that it has become a taboo topic. Jacobsen, (2017) a doctor, states that the show “is too dangerous a topic to use for entertainment, and yet, that is its primary purpose” (p. 8). The show may be for entertainment, but it is also here to bring awareness which is a fact that I think everyone forgets. I don’t think anyone sits at home and excitedly watched the show and feels happy. The show is unsettling, and it should leave the viewer asking questions about society. The subject of suicide is so stigmatized because so many people feel that it is dangerous which translates into “don’t talk about it.” This should affect interpersonal communication by making us talk about these dangerous topics so that they are no longer so stigmatized.
Personally, I think the show does a good job at addressing this issue, but it is maybe because I am looking at the show from an analytic point of view. Those who are just watching the show on a surface level do not understand the depth of this series. However, I would implore those who believe that this show is dangerous to watch this show and dig deeper into what they are saying and their actions. I do not know what more the show could do without being outright explicit in saying what the show’s purpose is. The show’s entire purpose to bring awareness to issues that no one wants to talk about which is why it is a good thing, because it starts a conversation.
Reference
Jacobson, S. L. (2017). Thirteen reasons to be concerned about 13 Reasons Why. Brown University Child & Adolescent Behavior Letter, 33(6), 8. doi:10.1002/cbl.30220
4.
Season two of Thirteen Reasons Why picks up a few months after the first season ends. The audience gets to see how the characters have changed. We get to look at Clay, who seems to be doing okay after he was brutally beaten by Bryce in the previous season. He seems to have moved on to a happier and better Clay with his new girlfriend, Skye. The issue being addressed in this episode has to deal with mental health in regard to grieving the loss of a loved one. Clay thinks he has gotten over the death or Hannah, or rather tried to forget about her. Willis (2002 says that “The fact that death is permanent is often not within their comprehension. Finality means that death is an irreversible, permanent condition,” (p. 221) which further troubles Clay as he is imagining her ghost, as if he is talking to Hannah. However, with the upcoming trial involving her, Clay seems to be haunted with the thought of Hannah. Grieving takes different amounts of time for everyone.
From my analysis, the show tries to communicate that someone cannot fully let go of someone without coming to terms with their death. For instance, with Hannah’s tapes and death comes so many questions and mysteries. With the start of seasons two, the audience gets to see the perspectives of the other people who are on the tapes, which lead to another whole truth about what Hannah says. In this episode, what Tyler says troubles Clay. Tyler claims he saw Hannah sending suggestive pictures on her phone, Clay is furious and then feels like he does not know her anymore. I feel like this leads Clay to become even more haunted by Hannah. When Clay and Skye are kissing, he starts to see Hannah, which throws him completely off and Skye can see that he is troubled because of the trial starting.
Through Skye, I feel like the show does an effective job handling this issue. Skye is constantly asking Clay if he is okay. She clearly saw in season one how much Hannah’s death affected clay, which is why she persistently asks him if he is okay, much to Clay’s annoyance. Skye notices how shook up Clay gets when the trial starts and tries to talk to Clay about the issue, but he shuts her down. This goes hand in hand with how we as the audience can communicate with family and friends. Not everyone wants to talk about their personal grief, but we can be there for that person regardless if they shut you down or not. A later episode in the series enhances the communication of this issue.
Reference
Willis, C. A. (2002). The Grieving Process in Children: Strategies for Understanding, Educating, and Reconciling Children's Perceptions of Death. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(4), 221.
5.
The next episode titled “Two Girls Kissing” is told in Courtney’s perspective. The episode reveals her truth of what happened the night of her and Hannah’s sleepover while the prosecutor brutally questions her. This episode addresses “coming out” of the closet and how hard it can be even in this day of age. The show communicates that it is definitely harder for Courtney to come out since her dads are also gay which causes a lot of speculation (according to Courtney in season one). The show suggests to the audience that it is hard for rumors to come out about them (females) because they get objectified, as Courtney did by Montgomery.
I feel like this can affect the communication of interpersonal relationships in a small way. I feel like times are changing so people are slowly becoming more accepting of people who are gay. However, like this age group, teenagers are so often prone to bullying those who are different. However, through Courtney’s dads, the audience can see how understanding they are. They treat Courtney no differently than before and they try to have a conversation with her about her sexuality. They even question why she did not come out sooner to them.
I think the second season does a better job at addressing Courtney’s sexuality. The first season focuses on how much she represses her sexuality and how she tries to hide it and even how she pours the blame on Hannah. This episode really shows the struggle that Courtney is facing in how she is basically forced to out herself on the stand. What I wish the show would have done is focus a little more on Courtney and how coming out really affects her, because she seems no different other than a little weight lifted off her shoulder from coming out and helping Hannah’s case. The show subtly suggests that she is being her true self since she goes to the dance (later in the series) with a girl. I think the show would have really hit the nail on this issue by focusing on what really happens after someone comes out of the closet and what goes through their head.
6.
This next episode features Marcus’s account on what really happened on his Valentine’s Day date with Hannah. In season one, Marcus is shown trying to grab Hannah, but the audience cannot really see what he is grabbing, but we know that he is grabbing her. However, when on the stand, Marcus lies to save his reputation per advice from his father. This episode addresses sexual assault or harassment depending on how the viewer may see it.
The show tries to communicate that sexual harassment or assault can happen to both men and women and the series shows this. This episode (2x4) shows that Marcus actually grabs Hannah’s private parts and not her hands like he said he had done. With this new insight, it lets the audience the reason why Hannah reacted the way she did back in season one. Later at school, Hannah approaches Marcus in the hallway and grabs him suggestively and asks him “Isn’t this what you wanted?” Hannah turns the table on Marcus and he looks horrified and disturbed perhaps because he did not expect this to ever happen to him. I feel like there is this myth that men never get sexually assaulted and that is why when they do, society finds it so horrifying. This is probably why Marcus thought it was okay when he touched Hannah, but when he received an unwanted touch from Hannah, he was shocked. Even after Hannah touches him, she says that she bets he won’t tell his friends about this encounter.
I think in this small aspect, this can tell us as the audience to speak to our friends and family and acknowledge that both men and women can be assaulted—it does not matter who you are. I think at this point in the series the show effectively addresses this issue. We can see the horror on Marcus’s face but there is no real conversation about his small assault/harassment on Hannah. The show would have better addressed this issue if they had a conversation about it, but this is more of an unspoken issue that I noticed.
7.
The episode titled “The Third Polaroid” focuses on Clay’s testimony. However, this episode also focuses on Alex Standall since it is his birthday. This season, we find out that Alex is alive after his suicide attempt. In this episode, he struggles to remember everything that has happened, because he lost all of his memories during the weeks the tapes were out. This episode focuses on mental health of Alex after the trauma of his attempted suicide. As important as life is, the series shows us that life does not go back to normal after something traumatic like what Alex did happens.
This communicates to the audience that coming back from something like this is hard on people physically and mentally. Alex struggles to walk, and he has sudden and frequent outbursts. He struggles especially since he is trying to gain his memories by triggering things like playing video games with guns. In the beginning of this episode he yells at Bryce calling him a rapist and he yells at Zach then kicks him out of his birthday party. The most climatic scene of this episode is his outburst at his birthday party where he goes to play a video game involving guns, and his parents try to stop him. Alex then goes on to say how hard his life has been and how he has lost everything. He says he should try to kill himself again, but then he is actually confronted for the first time about trying to take his life by Jessica. Jessica tells him that everyone here loves him and asks how he could do such a thing when people need him.
With what Jessica says, I feel like this can help communication between loved ones who are feeling suicidal. If anyone had known Alex was feeling suicidal, I am sure they would have told him that they needed him. However, this may not be a one hundred percent preventative measure, but it could help prevent someone from taking their life. Research by Dedić (2010) says that “Suicidal risk in patients after suicide attempt is of moderate degree… motives of a suicide attempt are related to the feeling of inability to bear unbearable situation, loss of self-control or need to be helped” (p. 157). The show communicates that we should let those who have tried to commit suicide know that we need them in our lives. I feel like the show does a good job at addressing this. The audience is shown everyone who is struggling with the loss of Hannah and how hard it was to think they were going to lose Alex.
Reference
Dedić, G., Djurdjević, S., & Golubović, B. (2010). Psychological assessment of persons following suicide attempt by self-poisoning. Vojnosanitetski Pregled: Military Medical & Pharmaceutical Journal Of Serbia, 67(2), 151-158.
8.
In a previous episode (2x5), Jessica attends group therapy where she meets Nina, a classmate who was also raped as well. However, the episode that I will be talking about today is titled “Bryce and Chloe” which is the eleventh episode where the Jessica confronts both Nina and Chloe about their polaroid photo. This episode addresses the mental health of a victim of sexual assault—or more of their awareness of how they will be perceived in the eyes of their peers.
In a previous episode, Nina states that her rape does not define who she is as she is helping Jessica (2x7). Nina appears to be strong to Jessica, but it is revealed when Jessica shows her the polaroid that Nina actually is not. Nina fears that she will forever be a victim and not a survivor. The show communicates that everyone is not who they appear to be. Nina seems to be a headstrong character for Jessica since they are both victims of assault, but Nina is still struggling. Nina blames her breakup with Garrett on the fact that he wants to talk all the time, but really, he was starting to ask her questions about her past. This could communicate to the audience that victims do not want to talk about their experiences and traumas with anyone other than those who share it. Nina says she does not want to talk about it with Garrett, but she talks about it with Jessica because she understands it.
I feel like this could help us with interpersonal communications by speaking to victims with the upmost understanding. Even if you personally did not share a similar experience, you can listen to someone who has survived sexual assault with empathy, so that they do not feel like or that they are limited to only talking those who have experienced sexual assault.
This far in the series, with Nina in mind, I do not think they have effectively addressed Nina’s issue. It is a little different maybe because we only see Jessica as her support system, whereas Jessica has the “tape gang” to talk to and who knows. Nina is clearly not over her issues since she is last seen burning all proof of the clubhouse polaroid’s. I think the show could better address this in season three by shedding some light on this new character.
9.
My next two entries are about the final episode of Thirteen Reasons Why, however they focus on two different issues. The episode titled “Bye” shows Tyler returning from some sort of reform school after his vandalism. Since the baseball season got cancelled and Montgomery was depending on the season for his hopeful future, he punishes Tyler. This episode addresses sexual assault on men. Tyler is bashed in the head and is brutally sodomized by a broken broom stick by Montgomery, so much so that there is visible blood on the end of the stick.
The show communicates that this is a horrifying situation that happens in real life. There are so many stories like this, but they are quickly forgotten about because male sexual assault is so stigmatized. I feel that this stigmatization of sexual assault among men is due to the fact that they feel so much shame for the unwanted sexual contact. Hammonds, Fewster and Ioannou's (2017) research says, "Male reporting of sex offences are likely to vary considerably from female reporting, although there has been little research into what these differences might be," (p. 134). There is a huge difference in the numbers of women and men who have dealt with assault, but perhaps a huge number of men have not come forward due to this shame? I feel that it is stigmatized because of the way that society views men in the way that society constructs gender. I think that people fear that with the discussion of a man's sexual assault, it could possibly emasculate them. If this conversation were to take place comfortably, it would change the course of conversation for what a man "should be."
Thirteen Reasons Why maybe included this scene or felt that it was necessary to spark a conversation and perhaps send a message that sexual assault, especially among men is nothing to be ashamed of. I think the show addressed the issue as accurately as they could. Later, when Tyler is seen in his bathroom on the toilet, when he finds blood (presumably from his anus), the audience can see how horrified he looks, maybe even horrified with shame. Obviously, this was the last episode of season two, so there was not much discussion in the show about the subject about how Tyler will heal, but even in the show the topic is still stigmatized. Hopefully, in season three we can see how Tyler deals with this and the discussion about it. I feel that some people who see this topic refuse to want to talk about it and others want to have a discussion about this. I think the best way we can approach a male victim of sexual assault is to maybe treat them as we would a female victim. The influence that this can give society is to treat all victims with the same belief and understanding.
Reference
Hammond, L., Ioannou, M., & Fewster, M. (2017). Perceptions of male rape and sexual assault in a male sample from the United Kingdom: Barriers to reporting and the impacts of victimization. Journal Of Investigative Psychology & Offender Profiling, 14(2), 133-149. doi:10.1002/jip.1462
10.
This entry is based off entry number nine which addresses the aftermath of Tyler’s assault. Montgomery’s assault on Tyler pushes him over the edge which leads him to want to carry out his school shooting. The audience sees the same guns that Tyler had hidden in his trunk from season one. Tyler arms himself and heads over to the school gym where they are holding a dance for Liberty High. This episode addresses the mental state of health someone can be in after a traumatic experience, in this case Tyler’s mental health since he got to this point.
First, the show communicates a warning before the episode even starts because it could trigger someone in light of the recent situations when the show’s season two release came out. There were school shootings weeks before and right after season two released. Some viewers viewed this distasteful or insensitive. However, the show is only trying to shed light to the situation because it is such an uncomfortable subject to talk about. I feel like the show is trying to suggest helping rehabilitate or get help for those who have thoughts like Tyler’s. In the show, Tyler does get some sort of help in regard to his behavior, but Montgomery’s actions push him over the edge. The show also tries to communicate that a shooting at school could be stopped by showing kindness. For example, Clay tries to stop Tyler from going inside to carry out his plans, and he succeeds after telling Tyler that they were friends and cared about him.
I feel like the show is not trying to tell us to go to a gun man and use words to stop them, but it can help communication in interpersonal relationships. If we see someone struggling, we can be kind to one another and offer help and support. I do not think the show this far has done a good job addressing this issue. I think this mainly because the season ended right when Tyler left because he decided to go through with the shooting. The aftermath of having a gun pointed at Clay repeatedly leaves him unsettled, and it also left me unsettled when it ended. I think that the show can better address the issue in season three by having an open discussion of Tyler’s feelings and how his feelings led him to want to do the school shooting.
Thirteen Reasons Why can arguably be a good or bad show that touches on taboo subjects. Either good or bad, the show brings awareness to the discussed topics because it gets people to talk and have a conversation about it. Even though so many people are against it, I look forward to season three to see how they discuss these matters further.The Netflix series titled 13 Reasons Why based of the novel of the same name by Jay Asher has been heavily scrutinized and praised for raising awareness to multiple issues that society is not necessarily comfortable addressing. Netflix has produced two series and a third series has just been announced in early June. I will be focusing mostly on the second season of this series. I feel that the first season tells more of the story and subtly raises awareness over certain issues, and the second season explicitly addresses the issues. Each episode tackles so many issues within society, but I will be focusing on one issue through each entry, so some episodes may overlap, but each entry will be focusing on a different aspect of the show.
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