Topics

Filter Topics by Category

7

Why Gomez and Morticia Addams are Relationship Goals

Romeo and Juliet, the Joker and Harley Quinn, Lizzie and Mr. Darcy…there have been many couples throughout pop culture that audiences have loved to watch fall in love. While every relationship is different, I think that Gomez and Morticia epitomize what a healthy relationship is like. They don't try to change the other, and embrace their weirdness. They are deeply devoted to each other and their family. They're not only not ashamed of who they are and what they have, but they're proud of it.

  • Love this...so my question is, "Why don't we hear about Gomez and Morticia like we do Lizzie and Darcy or Romeo and Juliet?" Maybe we don't associate "weirdness" with relationship goals, which could signal a societal issue, I think. And this makes me think, "How weird is too weird?" when it comes to looking up to others' relationships as models or standards. Great topic. Lots of questions to consider. – kategasp 7 years ago
    1
  • Ooh, how fun and interesting! – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
    1
1

13 reasons why neither is correct

Releasing a series that covers a multitude of controversial themes, steered by one that is often disregarded due its explicit nature was bound to provoke skewed, conflicting responses as such. I can't help but muffle a chuckle as I reflect on the handful of reviews that brutally slam down the themes raised, deeming the content to be offensive to individuals facing psychological battles alone, no camera, supporting actors or stage makeup to falsify the cruel reality of their circumstances.

I imagine the majority of the demographic falling into this category would not vary significantly. I can't help but consider the likelihood that an intolerance towards portraying mental illness is intrinsically linked with the shared beliefs, attitudes and ideologies that were 'normal' of your era. This theory has been proven with time, as I've witnessed the relentless modifications and amendments to my fathers' psychological state. I've reached a point of maturity where I have come to terms that I can not help this anxious little man, as he is not willing to help himself. As malicious or spiteful as this may come across, once accepting this fate I decided to exploit this opportunity and probe at the possible causations. The blockage in his right cerebrum (that impedes his aptitude to absorb information that is current, and makes it painfully unbearable to listen to an option that differs to an insignificant degree) I find personally offensive. A sombre afternoon (I don't recall how these events unfolded), my father and I just happened to be sharing a couch. The silence was eventually broken by the theme song of 13 reasons why. The sense of gratification I received by predicting his exact response was sickening. I cannot stress enough that neither opinion is wrong neither inapplicable when tackling such a grey theme.

The circumstantial nature means that every individual's journey will differ from the next – it is impossible to hypothesise a collective response or be assured that your opinion is correct. Depending on the experience of mental illness, this series could offer comfort, relief, understanding, self-assurance, or perhaps, the complete opposite. In my opinion, it is imperative that we strive to break down the barriers that reinforce false misconceptions. I believe shining light on the prevalence of this issue on a public media platform will lead to increased discussion, in aim to remove the elephant in the room that has become mental illness.

  • This is such an interesting look at a topic that like you said is often disregarded because it can be so dark. First of all I want to say that the points you made about the show either being helpful or hurtful are great. For myself I have been that person who has considered suicide and honestly there were times that the show was both helpful or hurtful for me. It was helpful to see that the ways I dealt with my own reasoning's behind considering it were better than the alternative of what I could have caused (as seen by what Hannah caused) but at the same time it was hurtful because there were times where I felt like the show didn't accurately portray the thought processes of someone going through this decision process. However, at the end of the day the show will be and do different things for different people and it would be interesting to take a deeper look at both sides of the spectrum and see how it impacted those who have considered it to looking at how it impacted the families of those who have committed suicide. All in all though a great way to look at the topic! – ChaosMistress5817 7 years ago
    2
  • Amazing and very relevant topic. Also thank you for sharing your story with us. This topic is approvable, but I would like to see a little bit more context towards why this show, that was catered towards those suffering with mental illness and promoted accurate portrayal, has left such a horrible impression on viewers. Then this topic could definitely dive into the deeper and darker themes that you've outlined. – Pamela Maria 7 years ago
    2
  • I don’t think the show was all that harmful but it wasn’t all that good. The book was much better because it felt quick and overwhelming and you could feel how Hannah would be unable to cope. As someone who suffered from mental health issue the book made me feel like my thoughts where natural for the situation I was in and that they alone didn’t mean I was crazy. I think it should be noted that the television lost a lot of this in its translation. – Shannon Colee 7 years ago
    0
1

Kids and Youtube

It is interesting how nowadays technology has revolutionized the way children play. Children are engaging – more and more, day by day- in watching other children play on Youtube videos rather than playing with their own toys. Is it considerable that by doing this children become less social, do not excel well with hands-on learning, lack of imagination, develop motor skills slower than children who play with their own toys or play games non involving technology?

  • I think context is important - for example, people say the same thing about video games, but it was one of the only was I was social as a child. Looking at the reasons why a child might be spending a lot of time watching videos or how they interact with them would be important to note. – LoganG 7 years ago
    0
  • This is an interesting topic that ties in to larger conversations about the effect of an increase in voyeurism that has appeared through the proliferation of the internet and social media. On the surface, it doesn't seem too much different than a super keen football fan that never misses a game all season. However, this phenomenon seems particular to a younger demographic. I doubt there is much research that has examined this question, but perhaps there is some information on the psychological effects of compulsive reality TV or sports watching that could translate. On the surface, the answer to your question seems to intuitively be "yes" - but there may be other skills that they are developing through the act of watching and being involved in that community which may well be valued at some point in the future. Either way, a fascinating topic to explore that has links to all sorts of larger societal questions (so much so that it might almost need to be scoped down more!). – petethicke 7 years ago
    0
2

Shel Silverstein and Neil Gaiman: A comparison of the magic of childhood

Both authors explored the magic of children, the innocence of imagination and characters that rebel against conforming to 'adulthood.' in what ways are these authors alike, what sets them apart. There is an importance to how an adult, or at least the idea of how adults are and how they view the world, and then there's the children that make up these stories and poems that uncover the magic. What is this importance and how does it work to serve as an analysis of the outside world of the works, the reality in which we live in?

  • Love this so much! – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
    0
  • There's some promising potential here for Contrast as well as comparison. Each of Silverstein's poems explores a "childish" concept just long enough to make a joke or two. Gaiman goes deep, exploring the possibilities of his premise just as much as he would his adult writing. That's not meant as a statement about the quality of one or the other, although you could weigh the pros and cons of the novelist approach and the poet approach. – noahspud 7 years ago
    0
1

Appeal of the Superwholock fandom

Supernatural, Doctor Who, and Sherlock: Three very popular shows that have formed into one fandom because one is rarely watched without eventually being dragged into the other two universes. But what makes these three, very different shows, so appealing to viewers? Why this combination of Sci-Fi, Crime Drama, and Horror? The appeal could come from the witty dialogue, the action based plot lines, or maybe the great many ship-able characters that fans fall in love with.

  • I think it would be very curious to analyze why these three fandoms in particular merge into one -- since there are a TON of massive and very interactive fandoms out there. Also, I think something not worthy with Doctor Who is the fact that inbetween seasons they had active "web series" to help fill in the blanks of what was happening. This kind of world building helps to solidify the universe and gives fans much more material to play with. – Pamela Maria 7 years ago
    1
5

The artistic merit of a lack of sound in film

Recently we saw how the lack of sound impacts the cinematic landscape in John Krasinski's A Quiet Place, but, of course, it is not a new phenomenon. Another wonderful example of the absence of sound (or rather music) in a film would have to be Michael Haneke's 1994 film 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance. It would be interesting to see how this absence lends itself to the film's plot and whether it strengthens or hinders the work. The exploration of sound/music in film is still a relatively new study, and I have not seen much in the way of discussing its absence, so it would be really fascinating to track the progress of sound and how it impacts spectatorship depending on its presence or lack thereof.

  • Excellent topic! I noticed this in Signs as well. There was music, but it was only in certain points of the film. I remember feeling weird when I watched the movie the first time, but I couldn't pinpoint what it was. It was only when I watched it a second time that I realized how the lack of background music made the movie feel like real life, which was unsettling and made the movie more intense for me. – tclaytor 7 years ago
    2
  • A bit more mainstream, but two episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that engaged in this are an interesting study in the use of music and sound. The episode Hush, which won an Emmy, has no dialogue only music - the score (orchestral only) and the gestures of the characters tells the entire story for one episode. The other interesting use in a show that is heavy handed with its inclusion of both musical scores and popular songs, was in the episode The Body where she finds her mother dead. The episode includes only dialogue and diegetic sound, no soundtrack. – SaraiMW 6 years ago
    0
2

Empathizing With Serial Killer Protagonists - Barry

Barry is a "dramedy" television series following the life of Barry Block (his stage name), a man who is a former marine turned hit man that aspires to become an actor in Hollywood due to his hatred for having to murder people (who are often innocent). Barry feels the need to go to extreme measures in order to pursue his career in acting which results in the murder of several people whom he considers friends or colleagues. Is it appropriate to empathize with a character who performs such immoral actions?

  • For interesting topic. I also think that comparing Barry to someone like Dexter or other antagonistic protagonists would be a good idea. Are redeeming qualities and remorse for human nature strong enough for the audience to disregard serious moral questions such as murder? – Pamela Maria 7 years ago
    5
2

Movies that Shape our Childhood

I think it would be interesting to consider the movies of different decades and how they define the different generations. As a child of the 80s, I grew up watching Goonies, Space Camp, and Red Dawn which all impacted the way I viewed life. They presented a picture of adventure (with danger), enemies to fight, and things to hope for. What about the movies of the 90s or the early 2000's?

  • This would be a great tie-in to the history of cinema through the decades (a topic I very much enjoyed in my Film Analysis class back in college). It would also be interesting to discuss the ways those films from those decades emulate the culture at the time, as films tend to do. – Sara L. 7 years ago
    3
  • Sara--Film Analysis sounds like a fascinating class! I agree too that films emulate culture as well as create it. – tclaytor 7 years ago
    2
5

Monster Prom and Queer Horror

Monster Prom (2018) is the latest in a line of explicitly queer indie dating sims since the popularity of The Game Grumps' Dream Daddy (2017). It's tone is light, comedic, and playful, owing it's mash-up of horror and sitcom tropes to predecessors like The Addams Family (1964), The Munsters (1964), Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), a slew of campy monster beach party movies (e.g.: 1964's The Horror of Party Beach), and even the recent popularity of the Monster High (2010) toy line and webseries. Monster Prom owes a lot to the "all-ghoul school trope," but it is also unapologetically queer; the game's Kickstarter page includes a blurb on the subject: "Don't worry if you want to romance a certain love interest as a certain character! In Monster Prom characters don't like boys or girls… they like people." This is a kind counterpart to the long tradition of queer-coded monsters and villains in horror cinema, a topic extensively covered in Harry Benshoff in his book Monsters in The Closet: Homosexuality and The Horror Film (1997). Monstrous and villainous queer subtext can be observed famously in classic monster movies like Frankenstein (1931)– which prominently features two men privately collaborating to create new life (and was, directed by a gay man, James Whale)– Dracula's Daughter (1936)– which features a butch female vampire and her effeminate male manservant– and later films like Nightmare on Elm Street II: Freddy's Revenge (1985) and Reanimator (1985). The purpose of this article is to trace the trickle: how did our media shift from implicitly queer monsters as villains to explicitly queer monsters as love interests? Also consider the quasi-ironic queer nerd slogan: "The Babadook is a gay icon" and even the non-normative love story that takes place in The Shape of Water (2017).

  • TheCropsey, I am unfamiliar, but fascinated, with the idea of a queer subtext in the 1931 Frankenstein. Could you explain it in more detail? – Jos 7 years ago
    1
  • Another example: Monsterhearts, the tabletop rpg about the messy lives of teenage monsters. You can find examples on YouTube – noahspud 7 years ago
    0
6

Movie prequels - Does it matter that you know the ending?

Movie prequels have become increasingly more popular. Are they simply a cash-grab and do we need them? When you already know the outcome of a movie, do you even care? Do screenwriters have to work harder when writing a prequel in order to make the audience "forget" that the end is predetermined? Do we even need prequels? Is there a need to have an explanation for every tiny reference that was made in a previous movie? The Star Wars franchise is one of the biggest examples of this trend. Another franchise that comes to mind is Underworld. The third Underworld movie, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, was a prequel. Do prequels have to work harder to make us care? Or do we need them because we care too much about those characters?

  • I like this topic a lot! I've avoided watching prequel movies for this reason. I don't personally feel like they can offer a lot to the overall story if everything is well-established in the original movies. I suppose further character development can be achieved through prequels (i.e. how Darth Vader came to be, or Han Solo's backstory) but at the same time, a part of me doesn't necessarily care *how* Han Solo came to be the pilot of the Millennium Falcon, for example. I think prequels are sometimes a burden on the original stories, especially if they retcon or change traits or facts we know about characters. – Karen 7 years ago
    3
  • I think prequels do have to work harder to create interest. I do, however, think Rogue 1 was one of the best prequels I've ever seen and is one of my favorites in the Star Wars franchise, even though I knew how it would end. The movie actually helped me appreciate Star Wars and what went behind getting the plans to the Death Star. Perhaps compare this to one that didn't do so well? I'm not hearing great things about the Hans Solo movie though I haven't seen it yet. – tclaytor 7 years ago
    2
  • I'd just be wary when looking into Star Wars since yes, it is prequel-ception that helped boost the franchise into popularity, but Star Wars also have books, games, tv cartoon series, and comics that play into the overall canon of the universe. For instance, in the new Han Solo prequel, they actually based it on a Star Wars book and -- trying to not give away any spoilers -- they validated what happened in the Rebel animated series, therefore making it official canon. I think an interesting angle could also be the Marvel universe. Arguably, the hero 'trilogy' films are 'prequels' for the larger Avengers films as most Avenger characters don't appear until their solo-films have been released. – Pamela Maria 7 years ago
    0
  • I think prequels are fun, because it creates the potential for world building. I agree with tclaytor about Rogue One. Yes, we know how it ends, but we got to see what lead to it happening rather than just hearing about it in passing. Prequels explore lore not previously seen in the source material. Another good example is The Hobbit. It tells the story of how Bilbo Baggins got the One Ring, but it also works just as well as a stand-alone story. – RebaZatz 7 years ago
    0
1

Mental health of Latinamericans

How are the LATINAMERICANS portrayed in the films and TV shows on time? Only the MEXICANS are mainly considered in US films?. What about the image from other countries?

  • Good topic. Could you capitalise Latin Americans and Mexicans? Also, "portraited" may be "portrayed." – Munjeera 7 years ago
    0
  • Sorry, I believe there is a misunderstanding here. I meant just to capitalize the first letter. Hope this helps. – Munjeera 7 years ago
    0
  • I don't yet understand the importance of "mental health" to your topic. "Mental health" is given in your title but isn't discussed in the body of your topic. Your use of the keyword "stereotypes" makes me think you're talking about how popular representations of Latinamericans unfairly characterize them as somehow unstable or excessively violent or overly possessive. Am I close? You might add more detail in the body of your topic. Maybe list some specific questions that you think someone should answer in a fully developed essay. – JamesBKelley 7 years ago
    0
  • Mental health? On time? The image? – T. Palomino 2 years ago
    0
2

How far will mobile phone gaming go?

What are its limitations? What will its advancement mean for other gaming devices?

With Fortnite and Players Unknown Battlegrounds recently making their way to mobile devices how far can mobile gaming go? Will it be limited mainly by the lack of screen real-estate and controls or will technology find a way to create an experience on a mobile phone much like you get on a Nintendo Switch?

  • I think technically speaking, phones are capable of doing much more than most gaming apps have them do right now: Purely because people don't turn to their mobiles to be invested in a story, generally speaking, people only play mobile games in small increments so there simply isn't much demand for bigger and better games. – kaia 7 years ago
    0
7

Is being a youtuber a real job?

Video production is a true full-time activity. Personally, I find that work as a youtuber is important because youtubers allow people to see the world from another angle, to reflect on topics and question themselves. However, a youtuber doesn't always get a decent salary out of his or her freelance job. Does it mean they're not working? How is this job different from being a actor, a writer or a painter?

  • I wonder if anyone could get any YouTubers to interview for this? Either ones who have given up traditional work, or any YouTubers just starting out. You can look at how far some of the YouTubers are willing to go in order to make that salary. – CatEllen 7 years ago
    5
  • Great, interesting topic! There are a number of philosophical questions behind your topic: What is a "real job"? What is meaningful "work"? What roles do various factors -- you make reference to salary and to social value, for example -- play in determining whether or not we see something as a "real job"? etc. – JamesBKelley 7 years ago
    3
  • A relevant topic to explore! Plenty of YouTubers usually have to accumulate a certain number of subscribers before they actually start getting paid. So maybe you could look into that process and search up some famous YouTubers and check out any videos they have created describing how they became successful on YouTube? You could also start by comparing and contrasting the differences between being an actor, writer or a painter and how these jobs are similar or different from being a YouTuber? – chloet2 7 years ago
    4
  • Could explore the difference between what people might see as a job or as a paid hobby. What are the objective definitions of 'job' and 'hobby'? It is subjective? Maybe some youtubers see it as a career where others see it as a pastime. It is necessary for someone to be paid to be working? I don't think so, but you could discuss it. How does money-making relate to making something a job? What different kinds of youtubers are there? (Yoga instructors, makeup artists, etc) What is the distinction between being a youtuber and using youtube as a platform for your career? – Carinci95 7 years ago
    5
3

Has RuPaul's Drag Race Fucked Up Drag?

To quote drag queen, Jasmine Master's infamous, "I have something to say, RuPaul's Drag Race has fucked up drag,' meme, this thought-provoking opinion is something that I find myself returning to every time a new drag queen expresses the validation they feel from being chosen to be on the show. Furthermore, when this validation seems only rewarded when winning, it becomes a rather toxic outlook towards drag in drag race. While I don't look down upon queens who have this belief, I do believe to an extent that it is exhausting to watch a queen dilute their talent to only being validated through RuPaul's 'stamp of approval.' Drag is a form of self-expression and the idea that for some drag queens, their admission to drag race and running time on drag race is validation saddens me, because I think drag is such a beautiful art form and the variety of nuances that it's performed in is what makes it most interesting to me. I sometimes feel like RuPaul's Drag Race, as a competition, tends to affect that with its challenges that are fine tuned to specific areas. Sure some queens are more well-versed in different areas, and the show is meant to show case the variety of talents that walk through that work room, but I notice the pressures of a competition like drag race affecting queens nevertheless. I'd like to hear other's thought on this.

  • Very important topic, especially since drag also has a history of being a political art form. Whoever chooses this topic should also keep in mind how Willam said one of the only reasons why she came onto drag race was because she couldn't get work anymore for being a queen who wasn't a "Ru Girl". Another important point is that while the race initially had very loose boundaries, because of its mass popularity it has its own controlling hand. this current season in particular (season 10). Has expressed that fits were egged on by producers, Snatch game characters or outfit choices were discarded based on what producers felt would be popular, etc. – Pamela Maria Schmidt 7 years ago
    0
  • I think this could be useful to also compare earlier seasons to the more recent seasons - particularly the 'scandal' around the most recent All Stars season coming across as scripted and pre-arranged. – CatEllen 7 years ago
    0
  • My sense is that drag has never been free of competition. Drag shows that I attended pretty regularly some three decades ago in a local bar had clear competitive elements. There were open rivalries, audience favorites, structured competitions, etc. I think it's legitimate to be critical and ask hard questions of anything in mass media, definitely, but I doubt there ever was a more pure form of drag that was free of competition and validation. – JamesBKelley 7 years ago
    1
2

Does The Handmaid's Tale verge on torture porn

With the second season of The Handmaid's Tale expanding on where the book finished, the ante is continually upped in terms of violence and horror. To keep the tension building, the torture and suffering the women in The Handmaid's Tale keeps getting worse and worse. Is this feminist tv show crossing the line with how much suffering is shown?

  • Anyone taking on this topic needs to acknowledge that men also suffer, are tortured and exploited in The Handmaid's Tale: Commander Warren Putnam's hand is amputated as punishment for his lustful feelings and behaviour towards Janine, Nick is exploited as a sperm donor and forced into an arranged marriage. Also, I suggest that the topic be re-worded slightly: Rather than presume that the suffering is worsening solely for the purpose of building tension, why not ask 'what is the purpose of the escalation of horror and suffering? Is it inappropriate, and does it compare with torture porn?' Anyone responding to this topic as it is worded would have to be familiar with 'torture porn', which complicates matters for the potential writer. – Jos 7 years ago
    5
  • While it is definitely devastating to watch, I wouldn't necessarily label it as "torture porn", because that would imply that we derive pleasure from watching the characters suffer. We see plenty of horrible things in shows like Game of Thrones, and we keep watching not because of the events depicted, but because of how the characters respond. – RebaZatz 7 years ago
    1
3

Are Geeky Topics Becoming More Unifying or Divisive?

As a child and all the way up through high school, I found that geeky subjects were usually a great way to get one's self alienated from the group at large. As I get older, of course the internet has changed much of the way that people can socialize with each other, and so while there are now larger communities for geeky topics, I also find that some of these communities appear hostile to newcomers or even defaulting into the, 'You're only a true fan of X if…'

When I was younger, I thought geeky subjects were a great unifier, but today I'm not so sure. Do you think anything has changed in the past forty years, and if so, do you think geeky topics unify or divide people?

  • Today's "nerds" are not nearly as mistreated as depicted in movies like "Revenge of the Nerds", right?...wrong. "Geeky" topics to me just means niche interests, that is to a small group. As video games, comic books, and other pasttimes become more popular and mainstream, those who based their identities around such endeavors found themselves possibly less persecuted than they felt in previous decades. There are still plenty of other groups disenfranchised based on personal taste - Muslim Americans in intolerant regions, for instance. When writing this, bear in mind the psychology of prejudice, victimization (along with self-victimization and tribalism), as well as how certain interests fall in and out of popular culture. People try to define themselves in many ways, one of which is a feeling of belonging and shared suffering with others like them. Then it was nerds, now they're just not picked on in the same way for the same things, and need a new way to identify themselves. Hope this helps! – LoganG 7 years ago
    2
  • Geeky subjects are still potentially great unifiers, I think. I find it amazing how conversations with complete strangers can really kick into gear if we share some geeky interest that gets us started talking. – JamesBKelley 7 years ago
    0
  • Fun and relevant topic...and please don't get me going on the fandom wars... – Stephanie M. 7 years ago
    0
  • I've always thought that geeky topics are quite interesting and exciting. I agree on the fact that in the last decades the community got bigger. Since media has become so omnipresent in our lives nowadays, attitudes towards geeks has changed and it has become more positive. – MC07 7 years ago
    0
1

Runaways and altering the original

I'm not sure about others, but I was pleasantly surprised by the new TV series, based on the comic series, 'Runaways'. What I enjoyed was that the show made a strong nod to the comics, including a few throwaway lines and in-jokes, maintained aspects of the narrative that were iconic and important, but ultimately told a new story.

There has been much discussion on this site, and online in general, concerning the act of adapting from comics. I think 'Runaways' would be a good one to critic. Now although I enjoyed this immensely, there are also problematic issues in the alteration of the narrative, which deviates hugely from the original. In a similar way that 'Riverdale' reinvented itself for TV, 'Runaways' presents not quite a reinvention, but a reimagination.

Is this the way to compromise for comic adaptions?

    2

    The Fall and Rise of the 'Big 3' - Naruto, Bleach and One Piece

    Every anime fan has heard of, or even watched, 'Naruto', 'Bleach' and 'One Piece'. Till this day it remains in our hearts as the major mainstream animes of the 1990s – 2000s. With the end of Naruto and Bleach, and the continuation of One Piece, it makes us wonder what made these three animes so popular and why/if the series have 'fallen'.

    • While interesting, this is a topic that's already been done. Super Eyepatch Wolf for instance covers the struggles of both Bleach (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACq7tgjHdGA) and Naruto (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74REUpOg2B4). Many video essays on the appeal and popularity of One Piece have also been done. If someone were to pick this topic, I suggest approaching it from a broader angle... using the Big 3 as case studies for how certain animes become popular. Is it their appropriation of existing historical icons/myths/legends? Is it their ability to adapt the original manga (if any) in an accurate and/or respectful manner? The binary between anime and manga should probably be considered, too. – Starfire 7 years ago
      8
    • why the anime is interesting because the story can not be guessed and full of surprises – andikamulyana 7 years ago
      1
    3

    Depiction of Suicide Narratives in Media

    Shows like 13 Reasons Why and Girl, Interrupted romanticize mental illness and the experience of depressed individual. Gender often plays into these narratives, and the specific roles that are romanticized-the depressed, their hero/protector, and the idolization of their struggle.

    • I think this is really important to see. I would open this up to all mental illnesses. Specifically, I think To The Bone showed the struggles of eating disorders, how it effects you and your family and those around you without romanticizing it? It'd be fantastic to really look at what 13 Reasons Why did wrong and what other depictions do right. Does it just come down to what stories are told? Because the 13 Reasons Why story has A LOT of criticism in general. How it showed Hannah getting all that attention post-suicide, her blaming and guilting her peers when suicide is a choice, etc. etc. Just some thoughts. – M K Keane 7 years ago
      0
    2

    13 Reasons Why: Informative or Offensive?

    Since 13 Reasons Why Season 2 was released on Netflix a few days ago, there has been many conflicting opinions on the show. Some say it is informative and applaud it for raising awareness in ways no other show dares to do while many find the show extremely offensive, saying it glorifies and misrepresents mental illness as well as showing graphic scenes concerning matters such a suicide and rape that can be incredibly triggering for those suffering. What are your thoughts?

    • I've watched both seasons of this show and as a fan, I admire that it's tackling serious issues that teens struggle with in high school. I personally find that it raises awareness of those issues. It's one of those shows were some people will enjoy it, while others might hate it for exposing too much. – nomfyrocks 7 years ago
      3
    • I have to agree with nomfyrocks. I think a lot of people judge 13 Reasons Why too harshly, and are too critical of what it brings to the table. Yes, there are absolutely things which could have been done more sensitively, more politically correct, more appropriately. However, I think the people critiquing the show are not bothering to understand the entire purpose of a show like 13 Reasons Why in the first place. It is not a show everyone will be comfortable watching, but it is a show that brings awareness to a difficult topic and teachers viewers a wildly important lesson. Many of the people who originally watched and took issue with the show are individuals who have suffered from mental health or considered suicide, or at least individuals who already understood mental health and what it is like to be bullied to some extent. Meanwhile, many of the people who praise the show also suffer from mental health or have considered suicide. I think it really depends the lens you the view the show in, and how you interpret the meaning and purpose of it. In my opinion, the major purpose of the show is to teach people (who maybe do or do not understand/suffer from mental health) that their actions have consequences, and that all people will react and feel differently to the things they do. The major theme they are contending with here is that people kill people (or drive them to death) with cruelty and ignorance. The purpose of the show is not to teach individuals suffering with mental health or individuals being bullied how to cope or what to do. The purpose is to teach people to be more considerate and aware, and not to do things which will eventually make people feel they have no other choice but suicide. Obviously individuals who already understand mental health and what it is like to be bullied may have different responses, based on their individual perspectives and experiences. However, although the show can be interesting or beneficial to those people, it is not intended to those people. It is intended for the people who have or could become the reasons why someone else considered suicide, to make them accountable and aware of their actions. I think when faced with the prospect that your cruelty or ignorance could result in driving someone to suicide, majority of people will rethink the way they behave. The show might not be perfect, but I think some of the more difficult scenes to watch might actually drive this message home to people who are or could become one of the reasons why. – nicdanex 7 years ago
      0
    • I would like to start off by asking what does a glorified and misrepresentation of a mental illness look like? What does a accurate representation of a mental illness look like? I personally believe that season 2 of "13 Reasons Why" would have not had a better time to be released. The "glorified representation of mental illness" was shining light on issues that are present in someone's life. The great thing about art is, it brings awareness to a bigger picture, awareness that people don't seem to get when watching the news or reading a news paper. Art is the only way to get peoples attention, to show that we are more alike then we know, to show not to take life for granted even if you're dealing with similar circumstances as the characters. There was a reason why "13 Reasons Why" had its warnings before explicit scenes showed, to give audience the choice of following through with the program and shunning away from it. Everyone should have an option, because I understand why people may feel uncomfortable to watch it. But I don't find the season offensive because there is no right or wrong way a person with a mental illness behaves. Everyone has their own triggers and circumstances. – Arispeaks 7 years ago
      0