13 Reasons Why has been repeatedly slammed for its misogyny, graphic rape scenes and graphic suicide. It has also been criticised for its depiction of mental health. I'm going to jump on that bandwagon too, but hear me out.
The show has also been widely praised for fighting the stigma of suicide, rape and bullying on screen and for raising awareness. Whilst awareness is always good, it is the concept of the tapes, the way in which Hannah blames others and the reaction of her classmates to her death that make this representation of depression very wrong. Watching the series personally affected me and frustrated me, especially since I had gone through a bad period of depression and self-harm at secondary school. Don't take this the wrong way; I'm not saying that I am all knowing because of that. But, it certainly misrepresented my own experience of the mental illness.
One of the many reasons why this show makes me feel uncomfortable is the way that it allows people to romanticise it. The concept of the tapes brings about a dualistic interpretation of depression where the students that Hannah blames are the bad guys, whilst Hannah and Clay are the good guys. Clay Jenson egotistically believes that his love for Hannah could have prevented her suicide, as though a relationship could cure her. It's like thinking that someone with a broken foot will be cured if you tell them that it'll get better eventually. He also thoughtlessly went after those who 'let down Hannah' without considering their feelings and their stories as well as Hannah's. Clay became the bully by sending a naked photo of Tyler round the school. Yet, he is still celebrated by fans as the 'good guy'.
Whilst what led Hannah down a spiral of depression and suicidal thoughts began with shame and guilt, Clay relentlessly pushes shame and guilt onto those who 'let her down'. He seems to want to stop what happened to Hannah, happening to everyone else but he is unknowingly increasing the chances of those who were the subjects of the tapes, slipping into depression themselves.
"Did I Kill Hannah Baker?', asks Clay to Tony just before he listens to his tape. Reluctantly, Tony replies yes. In this case, not enough credit is given to Mr. Porter, who tries to reason with Clay that we are all imperfect people and perhaps, taking responsibility for Hannah's death isn't quite the right thing to do. Suicide is not anyone's fault, nor is depression. Clay preaches that we could all treat people better, which seems to be the message of the show. This is true, but again, it paints the picture that mental health can be solved by being nice to each other. The classmates that Hannah blamed were, of course, flawed. But, in some of the situations, what would you have done? Admittedly, a few individuals were a little more than flawed - Bryce for example. Other examples were things that happen everyday because of human nature.
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Each of the individuals who Hannah blamed also had their own difficulties, which are largely brushed over. And yet, our sympathies are almost entirely with Clay and Hannah. It seems as though, because they had their flaws, their troubles and feelings weren't as valid as Hannah's, especially according to Clay himself who the story is told through.
Again, when it comes to depicting depression itself, the series does not do anything to help any viewers who might be suffering themselves and might be seeking something to relate to. The show does not mention depression once and even seems to encourage the idea that suicide is the only option. Hannah certainly thinks so in the last episode, and throughout, characters such as Justin and Clay suggest that they think it might be too. For Alex, it was.
Hannah did 'give life one last try' in the final episode, and she went to a councillor, who, she says, helped her confirm that suicide was the only option. Surely its better to encourage the idea that councillors can actually offer quality support rather than showing Hannah dismissing Mr. Porter's hard efforts. It was disappointing to hear Hannah talk about how she wished that Mr. Porter had run after her once she'd left his office, and therefore putting him partially at blame for her suicide. Was Mr. Porter really in the wrong here, for not running after a girl whose plight he had very little knowledge of? There is only so much a teacher can do. For someone struggling with depression, it is perfectly legitimate for Hannah to have felt that way. However, the show left it with the viewers considering Mr. Porter to have been at fault, when the real 'baddie' here was depression itself. Again, as Clay said, everyone could have done better. But, it's always easier said than done.
Again, by showing the suicide itself, it romanticised and idealised it. Twitter fans of the show have condemned this criticism, failing to understand why seeing a girl slit her wrists could possibly be encouraging or romanticising. If I had seen that 7 years ago, I would have romanticised it all. When you're in that mindset, its hard not to. If anything, it shows people how they can do it.
Overall, the series places all the emphasis on individuals and nothing on the way that depression skews your sense of reality. It preaches that Hannah's feeling of emptiness was a direct consequence of what had happened to her, not that depression had anything to do with it. After watching the show, it is clear that this was meant for an audience with already very little awareness of what depression really is and it merely confirms what they think they already know.
