13 Reasons Why on Netflix

[Lea101]

*After a teenage girl’s perplexing suicide, a classmate receives a series of tapes that unravel the mystery of her tragic choice.
*

This show is becoming increasingly popular with teenagers due to its message on bullying and kindness as well as Selena Gomez’s (some pop star/actress) involvement in it as an executive producer. And I know some schools in the US are talking about it as well (showing some clips, etc)

I watched it and I just thought I should maybe talk about certain areas of concern since it’s becoming really popular? In case you are wondering about it?

LGBT: There are gay characters (maybe five or six). Besides a scene of a closeted lesbian coming onto the female protagonist because they were drunk, I can’t remember any other scenes. There is two gay fathers that appear once in a while, a gay man with his boyfriend (hanging out) and a single gay boy.

Drinking/Partying/Drugs: Plenty of that. One student is an alcoholic and the other student sells drugs.

Sex: Two disturbing rape scenes that are filmed to deeply upset you. There are trigger warnings before the start of those episodes that had it. Quite graphic, there are close ups of the victim’s face, and the actions of the rape (pinning her down, thrusting, etc). Very, very disturbing. There are other sexual scenes (I can only remember one), no nudity I can remember, but it’s still explicit. There was also a scene where one character was seem masturbating at a picture circulating around of two students. You only see the top half of the body and the scene is quite fast, but it’s gross, imo.

Nudity: Naked butts of guys. Side nudity during locker room scenes/rape. No genitals, but you know, the bare sides of bodies that implies they are naked.

Language: plenty of swearing

Religion: no mention of religion besides a scene where one of the gay characters became angry at the male protagonist for agreeing to use tarot cards. He mentions that he is Catholic and he is against that.

Violence: Fight scenes between boys. The scene where the female protagonist commits suicide is very, very disturbing and gory. I don’t know how to feel about it because it feels really uncomfortable to watch, but at the same time, I appreciated how the series basically shows that suicide is not something someone “just do” but it is a really painful decision that should not be joked with. There is a trigger warning at the start of the episode as well.

That’s all.

I actually liked the show and its message. Kind of torn between recommending it or not, because of the above. Quite intense though. If you have depression or you are strictly against watching shows that have content like the above, skipping the show is a good idea. I personally liked it because they did not glamourise the sex, drugs, alcohol. It shows the teenage lifestyle as something broken and harmful, but it’s just my takeaway from the show.

Anyway, hope it helps at least one of you if you are wondering about the show.

 

[dshix]

Principle of the Integral Good: For a thing to be good, all of its parts must be good or morally neutral; if a single part is evil, the whole thing is evil.

We should keep in mind that it isn’t just about whether the content is an occasion of sin for us; we should also consider whether it is offensive to God.

If you knew of a recording of someone badmouthing your mother or father, would you not avoid it and chastise those who promoted it? So if a film directly offends God through blasphemy, sexual acts, or any other serious sins, could you even consider supporting the makers of that film by watching it?

 

[omgriley]

I’m in the middle of watching it with my wife, so thanks for the spoiler alerts.

I would pretty much agree with your assessment of the series so far. It certainly does not glorify drug use/teenage sex/violence/bullying. Rather I think it shows the ugliness of those activities and the darkness of suicide. This is evidenced by, among other things, the jocks in show (the villains) are the ones who predominantly promote heavy drug use/lies/sex and the hero (and female protagonist) of the show is, for the most part, an honest and kind person. The viewer is also lead to assume that they’re both virgins.

Definitely not something for children to watch. But then again, the topic of suicide in general is not suitable for children either.

On a side note, in one scene there is a grave marker for Hannah (the female protagonist) which shows she was born in the year 2000… that sort of blew me away because it seems like just yesterday!

 

[ltwin]

Principle of the Integral Good: For a thing to be good, all of its parts must be good or morally neutral; if a single part is evil, the whole thing is evil.

We should keep in mind that it isn’t just about whether the content is an occasion of sin for us; we should also consider whether it is offensive to God.

If you knew of a recording of someone badmouthing your mother or father, would you not avoid it and chastise those who promoted it? So if a film directly offends God through blasphemy, sexual acts, or any other serious sins, could you even consider supporting the makers of that film by watching it?

So, we can’t produce any art that attempts to show human life at its most broken (even as a warning or just to be realistic) because that would offend God?

 

[dshix]

So, we can’t produce any art that attempts to show human life at its most broken (even as a warning or just to be realistic) because that would offend God?

Art which is able to simulate evil without committing evil is licit.

For example, it’s very easy to simulate murder without committing murder: simply pretend to shoot/stab/kill the person, let fake blood flow, and the person is “dead”. But you didn’t offend God by actually killing someone.

But in regards to acts of a sexual nature, for example, it’s impossible to simulate them without committing a sin. You can’t pretend to rape someone, and show that in a graphic or semi-graphic way, without creating pornography.

There are dozens of films that have been created that were extremely poignant, touching the most “broken” aspects of human life (as you put it) without offending God on the screen. It’s been done in the past, proving it is possible.

 

[Lea101]

Art which is able to simulate evil without committing evil is licit.

For example, it’s very easy to simulate murder without committing murder: simply pretend to shoot/stab/kill the person, let fake blood flow, and the person is “dead”. But you didn’t offend God by actually killing someone.

But in regards to acts of a sexual nature, for example, it’s impossible to simulate them without committing a sin. You can’t pretend to rape someone, and show that in a graphic or semi-graphic way, without creating pornography.

There are dozens of films that have been created that were extremely poignant, touching the most “broken” aspects of human life (as you put it) without offending God on the screen. It’s been done in the past, proving it is possible.

Hmm, I can see where you are coming from. To film the rape scenes, they would have to be partially naked for example. Still, pornography is not the right word imo. I don’t know if watching it is wrong, though. I’ll ask someone about it.

General note: One thing interesting I found, was that in the script, apparently it was written that the camera stays on the victim’s face “longer than what is comfortable” or something like that. With the suicide scene too. The creators wanted to make it so uncomfortable for the viewer to watch, to force the viewers to understand that it is a horrifying act. I personally had to past forward the scene and I would recommend people to do it too.

And yes, they are both virgins. However, they are still flawed.

Idk…it seems like such a good show for parents to watch. It gives parents an insight to a teenager’s mind. Some things that doesn’t seem much to an adult can literally drive a child to kill herself. Even if it is soo obvious that the girl, Hannah, had so many people that cared for her. As someone who had battled suicidal thoughts and bullying, I honestly think this show portrays this without exaggerating it. And clearly, judging the reception from the teenagers watching it, they think so too.

To each his own, though. Would advise people to skip it if they dislike any adult content

 

[dshix]

Hmm, I can see where you are coming from. To film the rape scenes, they would have to be partially naked for example. Still, pornography is not the right word imo. I don’t know if watching it is wrong, though. I’ll ask someone about it.

Pornography as discussed in the Catechism:

2354 Pornography consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense.

Yes, simulation of a rape act is pornography.

 

[ConfusedLucy]

I don’t see how else you can portray something like rape to be honest.

 

[Robyn_p]

Pornography as discussed in the Catechism:

Yes, simulation of a rape act is pornography.

Actually the passage from the Catechism that you quoted makes clear that pornography is more than the mere simulation of a sex act. There’s two other points in its definition of pornography:

1. Porn “turns its participants into objects of base pleasure and illicit profit for others”
2. It “perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other.” A man and woman making love should be a private and sacred moment. That’s why it is sinful to watch.

The full definition of pornography then is the removal of real or simulated sexual acts from the intimate giving of the partners to a third party in order to arouse lust in the viewer. None of this happens in a rape scene. A rape is not an intimate moment between a man and woman that should remain private; it’s a violent offense. Likewise, nobody gets lustful thoughts or views the persons on screen as objects of pleasure. (unless the person watching it is already so perverted that they are turned on by that, and in that case the problem is not in the content but in the heart of the viewer.)

So I guess I have to disagree that a rape scene qualifies as pornography and is sinful to watch. I don’t see the Catechism - when you take its discussion of pornography as a whole - as backing that assertion.