MIGRAIN key concept research
Media Representations
She is represented like this to show viewers that treating someone badly can affect the person's life and may lead them to thinking that they are inferior to others and unimportant. This representation is not necessarily fair and accurate as there have been some cases where a person, who has been having suicidal thoughts, has actually overcome them through a life-changing experience or therapy. It only follows the story of one person and essentially ''stereotypes'' victims of suicide/ depression. This links to Dyer's theory of how ''those with power stereotype the less powerful'', as the teen dramas always portray the youth as vulnerable people, who are incapable of dealing with their own problems.
This essentially could lead to ideas that suggest the show is glorifying suicide or even suggesting that a victim does not have any other options when faced with mistreatment. This could have possibly been done to fit the dominant ideology of these ''depressed/troubled'' teenagers and meet the social needs of society, by convincing them that something is being done to help young people who are having suicidal thoughts. Essentially, the show could be seen as a ''fake campaign'' against suicide (especially amongst young people) and is in fact informing audiences that suicides only occur due to the people in the victim's life.This misrepresentation of suicide in the show has already been linked with some cases in relation to the controversial series. According to ABC News ''two teenage girls from California'', Bella Herndon and Priscilla Chiu both committed suicide in April, after watching the show ''just days before taking their own life''. The article also mentions how the ''vulnerable youth'' should not watch the show as it ''romanticises the choices made by the characters''- this again reiterates my point of how the show ''glorifies suicide'' and makes the actions of the characters seem desirable.
Article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/22/netflix-drama-13-reasons-blamed-inspiring-teen-girls-attempted/ - Show blamed for ''romanticising'' the choices of the characters.
Media Languages and Forms
At the beginning of the scene we see Hannah looking into the bathroom mirror and then proceeding to pick up a blade, which she bought ''from her father's store''. The scene shows us how she is reflecting on her life at school and the abuse she has faced. In the suicide scene, we see Hannah sitting in a a bathtub filled with water, wearing old clothes- her grey top worn backwards and her face expressing no emotion. 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 connotations of this show how the discrimination shes faced has left her helpless and alone. We could also infer 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.
The significance of the connotations is that its a culmination of all the mistreatment she has received in her life- the element of loneliness and solitude ultimately shows us how she feels after being hurt by others. Her body language and facial expressions change throughout the scene and reflect her attitude towards her mistreatment. 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 ''bottling up'' her emotions.
She wears a grey top (but inside out). This lack of attention to her clothing suggests that she does not want to be associated with a typical ''high school girl'' anymore and also inevitably forget about all the ''mistakes'' in her life. The color grey also connotes lifelessness and depression. The scene uses high key lighting and allows the viewer to see the severity of her cuts, which makes the scene difficult to watch. Her pale skin and short hair make her appear quite lifeless and ''doll-like'' which could possibly foreshadow her death. The size of the blade compared to the overall severity and impact of the scene is quite effective and makes the viewer feel quite distressed and uncomfortable. The color of the bathroom (white) connotes emptiness and innocence, all of which contribute to the depressing scene and voiceover (by the character Clay Jensen). Also the contrast between the white bathroom and the red blood is quite significant. The bathtub could also represent a coffin, which foreshadows her death.
She wears a grey top (but inside out). This lack of attention to her clothing suggests that she does not want to be associated with a typical ''high school girl'' anymore and also inevitably forget about all the ''mistakes'' in her life. The color grey also connotes lifelessness and depression. The scene uses high key lighting and allows the viewer to see the severity of her cuts, which makes the scene difficult to watch. Her pale skin and short hair make her appear quite lifeless and ''doll-like'' which could possibly foreshadow her death. The size of the blade compared to the overall severity and impact of the scene is quite effective and makes the viewer feel quite distressed and uncomfortable. The color of the bathroom (white) connotes emptiness and innocence, all of which contribute to the depressing scene and voiceover (by the character Clay Jensen). Also the contrast between the white bathroom and the red blood is quite significant. The bathtub could also represent a coffin, which foreshadows her death.
The scene uses the dialogue from another scene where Clay Jensen is explaining Hannah's story to the school's guidance Councillor. The words ''she died alone'' and ''you could have helped'' are effectively paired up with the visuals in the suicide scene and make the audience feel as if they are part of the narrative. The iconography of the blade and blood is relevant to the major themes of the text, as it links to suicide and how a victim decides to take their own life. In this case, Hannah decides to ''die slowly'' by bleeding to death in a bathtub. The scars on Clay Jensen's face compared to Hannah's also links to how a suicide can deeply affect the people in their life. 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. The close up of Hannah's face creates a sense of identification and makes the audience feel guilty, as she looks directly into the camera.
The extract shows a non-linear narrative as the scene switches back and forth from the suicide scene to Clay Jensen's explanation to the guidance councillor. However in terms of the suicide scene it is structured chronologically to show the horrifying process. The audience are positioned as the witnesses of Hannah's suicide, and at certain points maybe even the villains. The close up of Hannah looking into the camera, along with the dialogue ''you could of done something'' (even though this comment is directed at the schools councillor) make the audience feel as if they contributed to the death of Hannah and could have essentially been one of the ''reasons why''.
The character of Clay Jensen is delineated as the hero in the narrative- throughout the series he tries to avenge Hannah's death by treating the people that ''hurt'' Hannah, the way they treated her. He also represents the audience as he tries to piece together and find out why Hannah killed herself. In the end, his monologue is essentially how the audience feel at this particular stage once all the stories have been revealed. The audience may feel quite alienated in the suicide scene as it involves the main character, Hannah in her room alone. It almost feels as if the audience are in the room with her , but cannot do anything to save her from killing herself. This use of identification in the scene makes it more gripping and intense, and essentially adds to the horror of the suicide.
The scene uses the dialogue from another scene where Clay Jensen is explaining Hannah's story to the school's guidance Councillor. The words ''she died alone'' and ''you could have helped'' are effectively paired up with the visuals in the suicide scene and make the audience feel as if they are part of the narrative. The scene does not include music or a soundtrack, which is usually a typical convention in teen dramas, as it is intended to make the audience feel uncomfortable by hearing the ''reality'' of the situation. The major themes of the narrative are suicide and the impact it has on the victims life- it affects the people they have known for example their family and friends. It also explores issues during her life and could possibly infer that they are most vulnerable when it comes to bullying.
Genre
The show is a hybrid between teen drama and mystery. It is based on the novel, of the same name, written by Jay Asher, which was published in 2007. The major generic conventions of the text are that it revolves around high school students and their struggle with ''typical teenage psychological issues.'' It also explores the contrast between ''life at home and at school'', which is often touched upon in various teen dramas such as ''Freaks and Geeks''(1999-2000) and ''My So-Called Life''(1994-95).
The text includes typical iconography such as the use of smartphones and messaging apps. This links to themes of cyber bullying and how rumours can affect the lives of teenagers in high school. This concept is explored in various episodes throughout the series. The major generic themes, again, explore the psychological issues that teenagers face, for example depression and peer pressure. There are also some scenes in the show which depict rape and other sexual acts, that are only appropriate for mature audiences (hence the show being rated 17+). This could also be seen as a typical theme in teen dramas as they usually explore sexual themes, to appeal to the target demographic.
Narrative
The extract shows a non-linear narrative as the scene switches back and forth from the suicide scene to Clay Jensen's explanation to the guidance councillor. However in terms of the suicide scene it is structured chronologically to show the horrifying process. The audience are positioned as the witnesses of Hannah's suicide, and at certain points maybe even the villains. The close up of Hannah looking into the camera, along with the dialogue ''you could of done something'' (even though this comment is directed at the schools councillor) make the audience feel as if they contributed to the death of Hannah and could have essentially been one of the ''reasons why''.
The character of Clay Jensen is delineated as the hero in the narrative- throughout the series he tries to avenge Hannah's death by treating the people that ''hurt'' Hannah, the way they treated her. He also represents the audience as he tries to piece together and find out why Hannah killed herself. In the end, his monologue is essentially how the audience feel at this particular stage once all the stories have been revealed. The audience may feel quite alienated in the suicide scene as it involves the main character, Hannah in her room alone. It almost feels as if the audience are in the room with her , but cannot do anything to save her from killing herself. This use of identification in the scene makes it more gripping and intense, and essentially adds to the horror of the suicide.
The scene uses the dialogue from another scene where Clay Jensen is explaining Hannah's story to the school's guidance Councillor. The words ''she died alone'' and ''you could have helped'' are effectively paired up with the visuals in the suicide scene and make the audience feel as if they are part of the narrative. The scene does not include music or a soundtrack, which is usually a typical convention in teen dramas, as it is intended to make the audience feel uncomfortable by hearing the ''reality'' of the situation. The major themes of the narrative are suicide and the impact it has on the victims life- it affects the people they have known for example their family and friends. It also explores issues during her life and could possibly infer that they are most vulnerable when it comes to bullying.
Genre
The show is a hybrid between teen drama and mystery. It is based on the novel, of the same name, written by Jay Asher, which was published in 2007. The major generic conventions of the text are that it revolves around high school students and their struggle with ''typical teenage psychological issues.'' It also explores the contrast between ''life at home and at school'', which is often touched upon in various teen dramas such as ''Freaks and Geeks''(1999-2000) and ''My So-Called Life''(1994-95).
The text includes typical iconography such as the use of smartphones and messaging apps. This links to themes of cyber bullying and how rumours can affect the lives of teenagers in high school. This concept is explored in various episodes throughout the series. The major generic themes, again, explore the psychological issues that teenagers face, for example depression and peer pressure. There are also some scenes in the show which depict rape and other sexual acts, that are only appropriate for mature audiences (hence the show being rated 17+). This could also be seen as a typical theme in teen dramas as they usually explore sexual themes, to appeal to the target demographic.
Media Institutions
It was produced by July Moon Productions, Kicked to the Curb Productions, Anonymous Content, and Paramount TV. Its distributed by Netflix. Anonymous Content is known for producing other popular TV shows of a similar genre e.g Mr Robot (2015) and True Detective (2014). You could argue that all shows revolve around similar themes and ideologies. Just like Hannah's character in 13 Reasons Why, the character of Elliot Alderson in Mr Robot also experiences psychological issues, however they are mostly influenced by his drug abuse. Furthermore in True Detective, the first season is seen to have revolved around themes of ''philosophical pessimism''- which explores the idea of various individuals constantly viewing the world in an ''anti-optimistic manner.''
Netflix has become increasingly popular in the last few years and has had a range of popular shows that have gained a lot of controversy e.g Narcos, The Get Down. Therefore the availability of the show on an increasingly popular platform, like Netflix makes it susceptible to controversy. Netflix is a commercial institution as it is only available to Netflix customers. Keeping in mind the issues with piracy and illegal online streaming services, those who are not entitled to a Netflix membership may find other ways of accessing the show as it is quite popular.
Netflix is an American entertainment company founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. There has been some debates over Netflix and how they still aired the series in the UK, even though it was restricted due to the explicit sexual/violent scenes, which could be seen as quite disturbing. However the show is said to have a ''warning'' displayed before their episodes (especially towards the last few episodes) to warn audiences of the explicit content/references to suicide.
Media Values and Ideology
The major values and ideologies underpinning the text are that most teenagers/young adults in school either experienced or have been involved in issues such as bullying and discrimination. It also highlights the idea of the ''marginalized youth''- the adults in the show don't pay attention to the lives and actions of the teenagers, until the main character kills herself.
It was produced by July Moon Productions, Kicked to the Curb Productions, Anonymous Content, and Paramount TV. Its distributed by Netflix. Anonymous Content is known for producing other popular TV shows of a similar genre e.g Mr Robot (2015) and True Detective (2014). You could argue that all shows revolve around similar themes and ideologies. Just like Hannah's character in 13 Reasons Why, the character of Elliot Alderson in Mr Robot also experiences psychological issues, however they are mostly influenced by his drug abuse. Furthermore in True Detective, the first season is seen to have revolved around themes of ''philosophical pessimism''- which explores the idea of various individuals constantly viewing the world in an ''anti-optimistic manner.''
Netflix has become increasingly popular in the last few years and has had a range of popular shows that have gained a lot of controversy e.g Narcos, The Get Down. Therefore the availability of the show on an increasingly popular platform, like Netflix makes it susceptible to controversy. Netflix is a commercial institution as it is only available to Netflix customers. Keeping in mind the issues with piracy and illegal online streaming services, those who are not entitled to a Netflix membership may find other ways of accessing the show as it is quite popular.Netflix is an American entertainment company founded by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph. There has been some debates over Netflix and how they still aired the series in the UK, even though it was restricted due to the explicit sexual/violent scenes, which could be seen as quite disturbing. However the show is said to have a ''warning'' displayed before their episodes (especially towards the last few episodes) to warn audiences of the explicit content/references to suicide.
Media Values and Ideology
The major values and ideologies underpinning the text are that most teenagers/young adults in school either experienced or have been involved in issues such as bullying and discrimination. It also highlights the idea of the ''marginalized youth''- the adults in the show don't pay attention to the lives and actions of the teenagers, until the main character kills herself.
The suicide scene purposely showed Hannah cutting herself, and crying out in pain to make the audience feel uncomfortable and shocked. By showing these explicit scenes, older audiences (or possibly even younger ones) could be shocked at how easy it is to harm yourself and how someone could choose to take their own life in this way.
The current issues that the show explores, that fit into the political landscape, would be the issue of drugs, and their availability and usage amongst a young demographic. The show includes characters that have drinking/ drug problems, which affect their behavior towards other characters in the show. Another issue could possibly be the type of education, teenagers receive at school - especially regarding subjects that teach students about social issues. Usually, schools offer lectures/assemblies on bullying and other issues concerning young people.
Media Audiences
The show is aimed at young adults (15-29), who are mostly female. Since the show is set in a high school/college, it would be aimed at people who are currently attending a school, as they show is intended to inform young adults about the issues with discrimination/ bullying. In terms of psychographics, the target audience would mostly consist of explorers as the are educated enough to comprehend the various issues and debates that the show is expressing, which is specifically aimed at a young group.
The show assumes, that the audience have an awareness of the certain issues that are mentioned e.g sexual harassment and bullying. They also expect that the audience are encouraged to act against any form of discrimination that may cause someone to take their life. Therefore by portraying the different ways in which someone can ''be pushed to the limit'', audiences become more aware of how they act towards other individuals, especially in a cruel way.
Since the show is aimed at young adults, the idea of broadcasting it in on an increasingly popular platform like Netflix, plays a major role in the amount of views/streams it gets. The audience is mostly likely to consume the text on devices such as their phone, PC or tablet, as well as on TV. This could possibly impact the formal characteristics of the text as the show may just be a form of entertainment for some viewers (Uses and Gratifications). Thsi could therefore divert the viewer away from its contextual meaning, and instead to its visual appeal. The show recieved around 3,585,110 tweets during its first week on Netflix, according to ''Seventeen Magazine'' and more than ''11 million tweets within a month of its release( Variety Magazine). This therefore shows us that the size of the audience was particularly large and that the shows consumers were most likely interested in the show due to its controversial message on teen suicides and bullying.
Articles:
- http://www.seventeen.com/celebrity/movies-tv/news/a46406/13-reasons-why-netflix-broke-record/
- http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/netflix-13-reasons-why-twitter-most-popular-show-2017-1202392460/
The preferred reading of the show would be that there are many ways in which your actions can affect others. It also reflects on the lives of different individuals- we see characters of different backgrounds, some being more privileged than others. It is essentially a campaign on tackling discrimination/bullying in schools. However the oppositional reading could be that young people are vulnerable, and are easily influenced by actions of others. Some audiences have even criticized the show for ''romanticizing'' suicide,as it could possibly show someone how and why they should take their own life, based on a limited number of reasons.
One of the audience pleasures could be that the show is quite dramatic and in turn it becomes a source of entertainment for some viewers. The narrative resolution is also another audience pleasure as, we find out in each episode why a certain individual has contributed to the death of the main character. IN terms of uses and gratifications(Blumler and Katz), the show fall into all categories as it is a source of entertainment and surveillance and allows the audience to identify with the characters and provoke interaction between with other member of the audience.I believe that the show is quite informative on the reasons why people may commit suicide, as some people may not be aware of how their actions impact others. However, it does seem quite exaggerated and unrealistic for me as it suggests that young people are incapable of dealing with certain social issues and in turn, encourages people who have experienced bullying to take their own life whether it has affected then in a small way or not. This, for me, reinforces the stereotype that young people are vulnerable and incapable of dealing with their own emotions let alone their issues within school. However being a female student from an Asian background, I believe that this does affect my evaluation of the show to a large extent as it is uncommon for someone in this particular demographic to have a realistic perspective on issues such as suicide.
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