Holy shit though

Both of them literally have nolife and for some reason think they are mentally superior than the other.

Both need help. And lots of help. I'm not even joking

why click the thread if you have no intention of participating?

the discussion won't seem so bad if more people are offering alternate opinions

The thing is that pretty much everyone is doing that (well, everyone except Clay and his mexican friends), and that is what I don't find believable. No white knights, no people trying to befriend a cute high school friend... I don't believe this.

On the topic of what this show is about, I think it's extremely arrogant to suggest the show's creators/staff are wrong and you're right. If they say the show is about suicide and its purpose is to make people realize that they shouldn't kill themselves, then that's that. Many of the actors also joined the project because they themselves had struggled with suicidal thoughts in the past, and wanted to reach out to the people who might also have them.

However, imo they failed in their purpose. Just look at how many people think it's about bullying, they obviously didn't deliver a clear enough message. I also think it's a failure because a person with suicidal thoughts is likely to be even more depressed after watching this if they aren't properly counseled about the meaning of the show (people with low self esteem will feel they have no chance at life if a cool/beautiful girl like Hannah failed at life; the show reinforces the idea that nobody understands or cares or can help you; the show closing shows that your family will eventually stay strong and together, and get over it; etc). There have already been reports of people adopting suicidal tendencies after watching the show (I linked articles about some pages back).

I think the show is more effective as a show directed to people that don't have suicidal thoughts, to get them to not be pieces of shit and hear people out... and help them identify signs of pyschological/emotional pain in others. However, this was not the shows purpose, so it's one of the negative aspects I listed when I finished the show months ago, and it made it lose points for me.

come now, i've contributed plenty in this thread.

But this current debate just appears to be Blah not understanding what bullying is. If he genuinely thinks this show is only about suicide prevention but can't see how the core theme of the show is that bullying (a blanket term) is directly linked to mental health issues (and or suicide)

His arguments aren't constructive, nor do they allow for any middle ground. Quoting a sentence from one of the show's producers and then saying "so there" adds nothing to any discussion nor does it prove anything.

The show is about suicide. So what? what does that mean?
The show is called "13 reasons why" for a reason. The show revolves around the reasons why. The suicide is the enigma.. nothing more, we watch for resolution. The heartbreaking suicide scene doesn't come until the end, and doesn't get much screen time.

my post was directed at chelsea11 not you

Please read this very carefully because i've explained this multiple times.

1. Suicide is merely the result. It's the act. The show is focusing on WHY the act occurred. Which revolves around bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, rape, lack of trust, out casting, failure....etc

2. You still don't understand that "cool" and "beautiful" people are just as capable of committing suicide than people who are "uncool" and "less attractive." I can't explain this anymore, you're just being ignorant. Just look at all the celebrities that commit suicide.....With the most recent of Chester.....It's has very LITTLE to do with your appearance. Suicide is much more to do with mental stability, and possible traumatic events occurring in your life that can drive you to be mentally unstable.

3. The show is showing what NOT to do. Don't use this behavior. Look at the guidance counselor scene. It's completely, COMPLETELY, obvious that scene was intended to NOT help Hannah, because the scene was completely realistic. It happens all too frequently where people put other things over someone's emotions, and the guidance counselor didn't wan't to jeopardize the school or anyone in it. Again, this is showing how NOT to react. Don't be the guidance counselor. Don't just say, "oh he'll be in college next year so you don't have to see him." (also note that Hannah didn't push hard enough during this scene, but she had already given up as she stated before)

4. these "reports" are nothing more than clickbait, and families looking to "blame" an easy target (the recent "viral" show) for the actions of their loved ones. There are NUMEROUS movies about suicide already. In reality, it's nearly already too late if someone decides to commit suicide after watching a show, they had already given up before that (i would imagine).

5. The shows focus IS directed towards us assholes......This is NOT a self-help show.....Again, this is to show behavior of what not to do, and the possible harm that an action can cause someone else to feel.

This post was edited by stupidkid282 on Jul 29 2017 07:30am

Agreed



Just because the show was great for a reason other than what it was intended doesn't make it any less great.

Over the years, I've started to get a sneaking suspicion that the original Star Wars trilogy was sort of "great by accident" and Lucas actually didn't know what he was doing (those movies weren't his vision). Also, this: http://mentalfloss.com/article/57861/11-successful-products-originally-invented-something-else



The show is great art. Art doesn't have to be one thing. If the creator thinks he set out to make a show that was primarily about suicide but ended up creating something more focused on your line I quoted at the top of his post, then that seems fine to me. Art is imperfect by nature.

This post was edited by Kayeto on Jul 29 2017 07:38am

I have given much more arguments than that. Only one person has actually tried to have a proper conversation with me about the issue.

You say bullying is a blanket teen that covers everything that happened to this girl. I refuse that conclusion because it muddies the actual message of the show and it is extremely insulting to basically everyone. Making bullying a blanket term for every bad thing is way more harmful than it is helpful.

Plus, as I have said multiple times in this thread, 13RW isn't "13 situations I was bullied". It is 13 REASONS, and most of those reasons had nothing to do with bullying, but instead had to do with Hannah's life apparently crumbling around her and no one offering help or recognizing she needed help. That is imo one of the most important aspects of the show, the fact that things other than bullying are also harmful to people, especially children.

Saying it is all about bullying and putting the show under the blanket term does the show a huge disservice.

This post was edited by Blah58 on Jul 29 2017 07:41am