Critical Investigation Final

“She got into the tub, still with her clothes on, slit her wrists…and bled to death.” – 13 Reasons Why

How does "13 Reasons Why" represent mental health issues and can it be argued that it glorifies suicide?

There have been many debates over the representation of suicide in the media and its ambiguous meanings and messages that it presents to the audience. Inevitably there is always controversy over displaying explicit scenes in film and TV. The Netflix series "13 Reasons Why”(2017)  created by Brian Yorkey, is a teen drama about Hannah, a high school student who commits suicide after being mistreated by the people in her school. The show follows the stories of thirteen people who contributed to the death of Hannah, who she sends tapes to, which explain how they have had an impact on her. In the last episode, Hannah's suicide is explicitly shown to the audience to inform them about how suicide is a major issue in today's society. However, there have been many debates regarding the show's use of explicit scenes, as some have argued that the series in fact glorifies suicide and makes it seem desirable, especially to a younger audience. Furthermore, it “ignores the relationship between suicide and the mental illness that often accompanies it.”^[1] The suicide scene, which depicts Hannah cutting herself with a razor blade, was “gratuitous”[2] to some viewers who explained that it is one of the “harmful”[3] awareness campaigns.

This significant issue was explored in the 80’s cult classic "The Breakfast Club"(1985), where we could argue that the theme of suicide was not taken as seriously as more recent films and TV shows. This touches upon the idea that society has become more emotionally literate about sensitive issues such as suicide and mental health. Additionally, other films such as "Elephant" (2003) and "Bowling for Columbine" (2002), explore the relationship between mental health and high school shootings. This is also another important debate as it explores the issue of mental health amongst teenagers and how it can have an impact on their behaviour. The impact of new and digital media has also contributed to the effects that media has on various audiences. Technological convergence enables audiences to watch content on various devices such as a smartphone, tablet, and laptop. This therefore encourages them to easily access shows that are “intellectually stimulating”[4]. This essay will explore the representation of mental health and the glorification of suicide in “13 Reasons Why” and the media.

“13 Reasons Why” is based on the novel of the same name written by Jay Asher, and was distributed by “global entertainment superpower”[5] Netflix, which has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Netflix is “available in over 190 countries”^[6] and has revenue of “$8.83 billion”^[7] You could argue that the availability of the show on Netflix makes it susceptible to controversy, and therefore influences the impact it has on audiences. The depiction of suicide in the bathtub suicide scene is quite explicit and raises question about the glorification of such an issue in a show targeted mostly towards a particularly young demographic.  At the beginning of the scene we hear Clay's voice narrating the events that unfolded, the day Hannah decided to commit suicide - "...she went back home, put on some old clothes"^[8]. She turns the bathroom tap on and picks us a "box of razor blades that she got from her parent’s store"^[9].  A close up is used to show her expressionless face, which creates a sense of identification and makes the audience feel guilty, as she looks straight into the camera in a direct mode of address. Her pale skin and short hair makes her appear quite lifeless and doll-like, which foreshadows her death. We can also see that she is quite hesitant as she takes her time to come to grips with the situation - this is shown by the way she sits in the bathtub for a while before using the blade. She then proceeds to slit her wrists with the blade and cries out in pain. With her whole body quivering she lays in the bathtub until she bleeds to death. The simplistic action codes in the scene compared to the overall impact of the scene is quite effective and makes the viewer feel quite distressed and uncomfortable. This “sensationalised portrayal of a 17 year old’s suicide”^[10] therefore brought up the question of why they chose to depict the suicide in an explicit way and whether it was acceptable for young audiences. More specifically the issue of imitation was a serious concern amongst critics as the scene is almost instructional and suggests that the act of committing suicide is the “result of clear headed thinking” ^[11]

The scene is essentially a culmination of all the mistreatment she has received in her life. Her body language and facial expressions change throughout the scene and reflect her attitude towards her experiences. When she begins to cut herself she starts to groan/cry out in pain, and then slowly begins to breathe at a steady rate and lie down in the bathtub. This transition could possibly mimic the process in which she receives mistreatment - at first she is upset or affected badly by the situation, but ends up suppressing her emotions. Ultimately, her death is portrayed as “an act that will achieve something”^[12], hence proving that the glorification of such a horrifying scene can have a direct influence on a teenager that might watch the show. It also shows the audience a number of ways in which someone can be affected by bullying or harassment and how that can impact their mental health. The scene uses high key lighting and allows the viewer to see the severity of her cuts, which makes the scene difficult to watch. Medium long shots of the bathtub are used to show the setting clearly and allow the viewer to perceive the bathtub as her resting place/coffin. It only follows the story of one person and essentially “stereotypes”[13] victims of suicide/ depression. This links to Dyer’s theory of how “those with power stereotype the less powerful”[14], as teen dramas always portray the youth as vulnerable people, who are incapable of dealing with their own problems. This could have possibly been done to fit the dominant ideology of these ''troubled''[15]  teenagers and meet the social needs of the older generation, by convincing them that suicide is a significant issue in today’s society and that parents should be wary of the dangers that students face in school such as bullying. The media has created a “demonised”[16] faction that is constantly associated with crime and anti-social behaviour. A majority of British tabloids, such as “The Sun, The Mirror”[17], and “The Daily Mail”, provide a negative representation of young people with “three in four articles (71%)…having a negative tone”.  The media coverage of the 2011 UK Riots perfectly illustrate how “deviance amplification”[18] of anti-social activities leads to the lasting moral panics that are embedded within society.

There’s no doubt that the show received a lot of criticism due to the representation of suicide and mental health as it is a very sensitive subject and not always seen explicitly in teen dramas. However, themes such as bullying and depression have always been explored within the genre to portray some of the issues students face during high school, which could lead to mental health issues. The hallway scene in “13 Reasons Why” explores the issue of different social groups in high school and how some students are made to feel inferior.   The outfits of the new exchange students show the various personalities of each character in the school. This iconography is common in most teen dramas that are set in high school as the characters appearance determines what kind of person they are. For example, Courtney's character wears smart-casual attire; this is because she is a member of the "honour board"[19] and other academic clubs. Next, Clay goes on to introduce two of the main characters   of the show, Justin Foley and Zack Dempsey. Clay introduces them as the ones that "own the school"[20]- which hints at their significant role in Hannah's suicide. As the popular boys of the school, their superior status is challenged by Clay, an average student, who is portrayed as the protagonist in this scene. This fits in with the dominant ideology of teen dramas as the popular students are always seen as the stuck up and intimidating group, whereas in this clip, Clay stands up for what he believes in an makes an intense speech about the topic of suicide. The clip demonstrates how students in high school are made to think that they are insignificant and inferior, which could lead them to depression.

“The Breakfast Club” (1985), directed by John Hughes, is also a teen drama that explores the issue of mental health amongst teenagers and how it can influence their behaviour. The group therapy scene, demonstrates how these problems can cause teens to have suicidal thoughts. In the scene we see the characters sitting down on the floor, and talking to one another about how they ended up in detention. In the scene we see a medium close up of Brian laying down on the floor, crying, as he tells the rest of the group why he got into trouble. He explains that one of the teachers "found a gun"[21] in his locker and claims that "he tried...”[22] He goes on to explain that he tried to kill himself due to his bad grades and says that he "can't get an F..."[23] and that he knows his parents "can’t have it"[24]. The medium long shot of the whole group sitting on the floor shows the characters remaining listening to Brian and trying to help him with his problem, with one female character saying that "killing yourself is not an option"[25]. Brian immediately responds with a louder tine saying " Well, I didn't do it did I."[26] This shows that he is quite defensive and that he wants to change the topic of the conversation. He then smacks the chair beside him, a “proairetic code”[27], which shows his frustration. The film doesn’t explicitly mention suicide but instead explains one of the ways the person tried to kill themselves. It is said that “77%” of those who have attempted suicide, “reported getting their information on methods…from the movies.”[28] The fact that audiences can sympathise with the suicidal character is a concern as it might cause them to believe that taking their life is also an option. 

The scene touches upon the theme of parental pressure and what it can do to teenagers. This links to the theme of mental health amongst teens, as pressure from parents, and strict parenting can have a significant effect on a teen's behaviour. In “13 Reasons Why” the reasons for Hannah's death did not necessarily link to parental pressure, but instead peer pressure (from the people in her school). This is what drove her to her death as she could not handle the unfair treatment she got from her peers. In this scene, we see that Brian, although he did not actually kill himself, has been affected by his parent’s views towards his grades. Both texts have similar iconography   e.g a high school setting and "social groups". However the main difference would be that “13 Reasons Why” deals with issues amongst teens more explicitly and directly address the theme of suicide and mental health. This therefore shows us that there are fewer stigmas regarding suicide and audiences are more sympathetic towards those with mental health problems in today’s society. It can also be argued that mental health is more of a “social problem”[29] due to the pressure that the youth are put under.

After releasing all thirteen episodes of the series, the producers of “13 Reasons Why”, decided to also release a follow up documentary, entitle “Beyond the Reasons”(2017) in which they “discuss scenes dealing with difficult issues, including bullying, depression and sexual assault.” ^[30]. Since most of the criticism towards the show was aimed at the portrayal of Hannah’s character and her suicide, the documentary essentially focused on, what one user claimed, “the emotional state of the central character and what goes on in her mind”^[31]. However the documentary also received a lot of backlash as they did not understand why the character was uninterested in receiving help from others. One of the reviews state that it was "extremely shallow and nothing beyond the reasons…”^[32]  It can be argued that the documentary however was just reinforcing the views expressed in the show rather than reproducing it to reflect reality- this in turn gives them “a voice of their own”[33]. The show also seemed to provoke schools as some were forced to send out letters regarding the glorification of suicide in the show. One headteacher claimed that the show did not provide any solutions for Hannah’s problems and that there was a “lack of mental health resources that were available to her.” ^[34] More importantly the show portrayed the hegemonic view of mental health, especially amongst teenagers - it is seen as “teenage angst”[35] rather than a real problem. The show also brings about the issue of how audiences can be influenced by what they see on screen. By showing someone committing suicide, the “dominant meaning”[36] of the scene would be that suicide is a “viable”[37] solution to their mental health issues and depression. The vast amount of explicit scenes in the show (especially for a teen drama) is one of the reasons why the show raised “significant concerns about…emotional safety”[38]. The exposure to scenes such as rape, suicide, and violence, leads to audiences finding that sort of behaviour acceptable in the real world. With the rise in suicide rates over the years, the issue with helping those with poor mental health is an increasingly difficult issue as “moral panics” arise when “society has not been able to adapt to dramatic changes”^[39].

The representation of women in the media also links to mental health as the topic of body image and peer pressure have influenced the way in which young girls feel about their appearance, which is another cause of anxiety and depression amongst teens. In a recent NHS report, it is stated that “the number of times a girl aged 17 or under has been admitted to hospital in England because of self-harm has jumped from 10,500 to more than 17,500 a year over the past decade.” ^[40]In the second episode Hannah is “sexually objectified in a class poll”[41], where she is labelled with the “best ass”[42]. This harassment escalates and ends up with her being raped by her classmate in a later episode. Therefore the objectification of women, a key theme recurring throughout the series is not explored thoroughly enough to inform audiences of the effects it can have on a woman’s mental health.  Traditionally, women’s magazines emphasised the need for the “perfect body” which is “damaging to women's physical and psychological well being”^[43], however in today’s society it is said that “journalists are sensitive to the subject of mental health and pursue an "anti-stigma agenda"^[44]. This change in attitudes to mental health, especially in relation to the body image of a woman and teen behaviour, reflects the zeitgeist in society as movements such as Feminism are redefining women’s expectations. 

Furthermore, various audiences may interpret the key messages of the show in a different way. Older and mature audience members may use the show for “information”[45] whilst younger audiences may see the show as a form of “entertainment”[46] - which diverts them from the real meaning of suicide being an unacceptable choice for victims of mental health issues. The “rapid globalisation”[47] of Netflix is also an issue that links to the way in which audiences are influenced and affected by the myriad of content available. Technological convergence allows audiences to watch the show on several devices e.g their mobile phone, laptop or tablet. This enhances the show’s accessibility and encourages users to “binge watch”[48] the show. This is turn could influence the way in which they see suicide as they become “desensitised”[49] to the issue. However with this in mind, you could argue that portraying suicide in such an explicit manner was necessary for the show to explore mental health amongst teenagers as it would not have had a significant impact on the audience if she resolved her issues. The shock of witnessing the character’s death therefore explored the issue of mistreatment in itself and teaches audiences about the ways in which teenagers can be affected several issues at school. Interestingly enough, the effects of binge watching on the viewer’s mental health also correlates with the themes explored in the show. Research carried out by the University of Southern California   shows that “binge-watchers report higher levels of loneliness and depression” [50] although one benefit of binge-watching would be that it’s “helpful in social interactions”[51]. This therefore brings up the issue of whether or not watching shows like “13 Reasons Why” are in fact “informative”[52], and allow you to discuss important issues or whether it is worsening the mental health issue by exposing the youth to more media that influences their state of mind.

Recently, there have been many debates about mental health in the UK and the availability of mental health services especially due to the lack of funding for the NHS. In a report on mental health in the UK, it is estimated that “1 in 6 people in the past week experienced a common mental health problem".^[53] More specifically “in 2016 5,668 suicides were recorded in Great Britain. Of these, 75% were male and 25% were female". ^[54] Recently, the topic of male suicides and mental health has been a significant theme explored by various institutions. In March 2018, ITV showed its support for the issue by “promoting the Project 84 campaign launched by the charity CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably)”[55]. On top of the ITV buildings, 84 “harrowing”[56] statues appeared standing on the edge wearing masks to cover their face. They chose to present this to the public as “every single week in the UK, 84 men take their own lives.”  The fact that the charity chose to display the statues as if they were about to commit suicide, just goes to show that the extremities of mental health need to be uncovered for people to be aware and informed. Presenters of ITV’S “This Morning”, Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, claimed that the project stop people in their tracks, make them pay attention and get them talking.”[57] Similarly, in “13 Reasons Why”, the portrayal of Hannah’s suicide was necessary for audiences to understand how significant the issue is.

Another issue relating to the topic of mental health is high school shootings. The film “Elephant” (2003) directed by Gus Van Sant, was based on the 1999 Columbine school massacre and follows the events leading up to a school shooting. One of the quotes from the film highlight the issue of bullying and mental health as one of the characters says “Some heavy shit's going down!" and “the next kids that come up to you with their problems... that they're being picked on, you should listen to them...”^[58] . This reflects the attitude of Hannah’s character in “13 Reasons Why” as she often claims that no one cared about her until she committed suicide. This suggests that the act of talking about mental health issues is vital in high schools as it allows victims to find solutions to their problems, which could worsen with time. Similarly, a documentary entitled “Bowling for Columbine” (2002) also explores the relationship between mental health and school shootings with a quote from Michael Moore, the director that states that “Our children get turned into little monsters, but who's to blame?”^[59] This brings about the issue of the portrayal of violence and mental health in the media and how the youth are demonised. If we fail to acknowledge the fact that older members of society are responsible for helping the youth overcome these issues, then it only worsens the actions of “troubled”[60] teenagers make in the future.

In conclusion, the series “13 Reasons Why” represented mental health issues throughout the narrative through the actions of the protagonist, Hannah Baker, and chose to present a  “sensationalised”[61] suicide,  in order to inform audiences of the existing issues that affect teenagers in today’s society. The depictions of mental health (in “13 Reasons Why”) is devoid of "...any social responsibility to present more balanced or accurate representations of mental ill health..."[62] However, the impact of the show would have been minimal if her suicide was not portrayed explicitly, and she resolved her issues. Essentially, the shock of seeing her suicide as a result of certain circumstances audiences are encouraged to help those who could be affected by similar issues such as depression. Throughout the show, Hannah’s character makes various remarks that suggest that it was her duty to teach the people in her school, not to bully or push someone to commit suicide. She claims that “unlike old age and cancer, no one anticipates suicide”[63]. This therefore proves that Hannah herself voluntarily chose to be the victim of a tragedy, which would soon teach everyone about the effects of mental health on a young person. The fact that the act is not “anticipated” leads us all to reconsider our actions, after seeing the shocking effects it has on victims of bullying and discrimination. In today’s society, we have become more aware of the issue of mental health and are therefore why some films/shows decide to explore sensitive issues in their narratives.

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^[1] Roy, E. A. (2017)

[2] Herman, L. (2017)

[3] ibid

[4] Hensley, A. (2004)

[5] Hall, G. (2017)

^[6] Netflix, (2017)

^[7] Annual Report, (2017)

^[8] 13 Reasons Why (2017)

^[9] ibid

^[10] Campbell, D. (2017)

^[11] Roy, E. A. (2017)

^[12] Williams, Z. (2017)

[13] Dyer, R. (1979)

[14] ibid

[15] Campbell, D. (2017)

[16] Welch, M. et al (2002) pg 3-30

[17] Ipsos MORI (2004)

[18] Cohen, S. (1972)

[19] 13 Reasons Why (2017)

[20] ibid

[21] The Breakfast Club (1985)

[22] ibid

[23] ibid

[24] ibid

[25] ibid

[26] ibid

[27] Barthes, R. (1974) p. 8

[28] Niederkrotenthaler, T. et al (2017) 

[29] Layard, R. (2005)

^[30] Acevedo, Y. (2017)

^[31] IMDb, (2017)

^[32] ibid

[33] Hall, S. et al, (2013) pg. 100

^[34] Stolworthy, J. (2017)

[35] Khasho, R.

[36] Hall, S. (1973) pg. 9

[37] Dhingra, K. (2017)

[38] Stolworthy, J. (2017)

^[39] Waiton, S. (2006) pg. 19

^[40] Campbell, D. (2017)

[41] Dastagir, A. (2017)

[42] 13 Reasons Why (2017) ep 2

^[43] Harper, S. (2009)

^[44] ibid

[45] Shao, G. (2009). p. 7-25

[46] ibid

[47] Barrett, B. (2016)

[48] Page, D. (2017)

[49] Goldman, C. (2017)

[50] Clay, J. (2017)

[51] ibid

[52] Blumler, J. et al (1973)

^[53] Bebbington, P. et al. (2016)

^[54] Office for National Statistics (2016)

[55] Barr, S. (2018)

[56] ibid

[57] Barr, S. (2018)

^[58] Elephant (2003)

^[59] Bowling for Columbine (2002)

[60] Campbell, D. (2017)

[61] ibid

[62] Philo, G. (1996) p.18

[63] 13 Reasons Why (2017)