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. – nomfyrocks6 years ago
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. – nicdanex6 years ago
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. – Arispeaks6 years ago
While Big Brother, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, or any Survival island anywhere, have human interactive elements of created drama, these shows can carry a feeling of detachment on the part of the audience: It might be possible to have some vicarious pleasure in watching these shows, but they can still be seen as shows where the viewers do not have the possibility of participation. The various reality shows on HGTV (Property Brothers, Fixer Upper, Good Bones, for example) or American Pickers (on the History Channel) create a feeling that the audience can be more closely involved. Imagine hitting the road and seeing a site that looks like an odd junkyard, knocking on the door, and asking to rummage through someone's property or warehouses? Imagine inviting The Property Brothers or Chip and Joanna Gaines to be involved in picking out a house to buy, having them knock down a wall, remodel a kitchen and turn the place into your dream home? These types of momentary thoughts can seem all too feasible. If you watch HGTV enough or American Pickers, it can be easy to imagine passing a place that looks interesting and wonder if it is possible to be like Mike and Frank. We all hope to buy a house that has potential and have Joanna do her magic and turn it into the white picket fence home of our dreams. Are all reality shows the same or do some create a greater sense of expectation than others? Do these shows have an impact on the real world of remodeling or buying junk (which might not be junk to everyone)?
Reality TV is biased towards consumption. While it is true that there are differences between what is being advertised on a game-show type program, in which there is obvious competition, and a home renovation show, there can be no doubt that a product or lifestyle is always being sold. – Aedon6 years ago
Although some programmes these days cleverly use a timeline in history to create a fictional story, which entices viewers to be curious about what the characters' lives would be like in the time period. However, happenings and events from the time period are often altered to suit the plot of the episodes instead of the actual. Is this beneficial to the audience? Or should we be given historical truths to aid us to expand our own knowledge of history? E.g. Reign
I think this is an extremely interesting topic. However I'd work on the title - I think something more engaging like "In the Making of History" or "Is History History?" Haha I don't know. These are just at the top of my head. You can always keep this title, it's totally up to you. Just a quick note for ya :) – Hals0076 years ago
This would be absolutely fun to write. All in all, it comes down to the relevance of history today in the cinematic sphere and also the purpose of entertainment. You'd have a lot to talk about the level of 'responsibility' the stakeholders (e.g. audience, film makers, government censorship) have in producing historical TV shows etc. – Sakki6 years ago
A fascinating topic! One thing you should consider is what a historical truth is - is it enough to stick to historical facts? Odd as it sounds, can you present history without making it seem archaic? Can you tell the underlying tone of a period simply by presenting it as is, or does its presentation have to be altered to our contemporary audience to understand it? After all, everything we see, we see through the lens of our time, and everything comes with assumptions we've collectively made about the past. Something big that historical fiction has to tackle is that second narrative - you either write based on your audience's historical assumptions, or you write to change them. Which is right? – gachelzbieta6 years ago
Over the past few years, some of my favourite TV shows (particularly animated ones and those with deep story) have come to an end – by complete choice. Especially animated ones like Regular Show, Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall, etc. I've been thinking about this for a while but especially as the approaching end of my absolute favourite animated series, Adventure Time, nears ever closer. Whilst this angers dedicated audiences, many others, just as loving of a show, are happy and in support of studios' choice. This topic has a lot to it and fascinates me. For example; Why do shows end by choice even though their rankings or following is not decreasing at all? How SHOULD a show end? How do producers bring justice to a show before it disappears from our screens? Most of all, I believe audiences who look deeper, like ourselves, as well as the regular every-day audience should understand the multitude of factors that bring a show to an end. There's a multitude of answers and questions regarding this broader topic and I would love to see people's opinions and comments on it!
I really like this question that you ask: Why do shows end by choice even though their rankings or following is not decreasing at all?
My sense is that if someone is set on telling a truly compelling story, that storyteller would want to be able to determine when and how the story ends, not leave the story's telling time up to something as arbitrary as whether or not the series will be continued or cancelled. – JamesBKelley6 years ago
Absolutely, I agree. I have such high respect for shows that end to complete the story etc rather than dragging it out for profit. Even though AT is my favourite show and I’ll be very sad to see it go, I’m glad they’re bringing it to an end due to story ☺️ I wish more audiences could understand these things – inkski6 years ago
I suggest you take a look at how Babylon 5 was planned out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylon_5#Writing (for many references).
J. Michael Straczynski had the whole story planned in advance, but always kept "failsafes" in place. And then there was the whole mess with it being renewed at the last minute for a fifth season.
Also, sometimes you can't plan for everything. I an actor wants to/has to leave, there is only so much you can do. Especially if it is the main character or one of the main characters. – tanaod6 years ago
Discuss and analyze how many tv series adapt a sense of nostalgia. Many hit tv shows present an underlying sense of nostalgia. For instance, Hulu's This is Us intertwines plot events that take place in not only the present but also the past. In Netflix's Stranger Things, the series takes place in the 1980s. Aside from these examples, there have also been many older shows that have gotten modern day spinoffs: Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World, Full House and Fuller House, and That's So Raven and Raven's House. How does nostalgia function in tv and what does it say about our society?
A fruitful avenue might be comparing our contemporary nostalgia for the 80's with the swell of nostalgia for the 50's in the late 70's and 80's (e.g., Grease, Back to the Future, Happy Days), maybe asking how and why three decades seem to be the magic number for these intense waves of nostalgia.
– Allie Dawson6 years ago
Nostalgia can be a way to understand change on a personal level. We all look back and the older you get the farther you look back. Looking back can include nostalgia as in not really seeing that past as it really was but in distorted ways. So being aware of nostalgia helps to provide a grounding that looking back and trying to draw some lessons or observations needs to be done with care because what we are basing our insight on may be a distorted image of the past. When people say "Kids today," or "In my day," then go off on a rant about what they don't like, they are often doing so based on a distorted or embellished image of the past. – Joseph Cernik6 years ago
I get that there's a secret ingredient in the Krabby Patties, but for some reason, this show has remained a consistent, entertaining favourite to a majority of adults who watched it even as children. It would be interesting to take a look at some of the long-standing, rustproof, and robust comedic techniques used in the show that make it appeal to people of all ages.
Maybe expound on this a little bit. What is it about those techniques that we love? Compare it to other cartoons of the day; did those other shows achieve the same effect? Also discuss how those tactics are being employed by cartoons and other shows today. – EmskitheNerd6 years ago
I remember watching Spongebob with my kids. We were all excited when his movie came out, naturally I had to take them. The series is silly but not in an annoying way. The cast of characters is more than just a select few. The storylines are amusing. At times there is wit. I think those things keep it going. – Joseph Cernik6 years ago
What would be interesting to analyze is how the growing trend of killing off major characters in TV seemingly out of nowhere in TV season finales makes a TV show "amazing" and "unexpected". What also might be intriguing is the buzz that comes about when a TV finale is about to air and, more specifically, the fans' speculation on "who's going to die" instead of "what's going to happen". Game of Thrones depicts this perfectly; the countless deaths of its beloved characters has made the show extremely popular, where the high death rate in its season finales brings in many viewers and, subsequently, many dazzling reviews.
(Spoiler alert for Riverdale, Avengers Infinity War, the Divergent series, and the 5th Wave series) While I'm not too familiar with GoT, Riverdale just recently left their viewers on a cliff with the possibility of Jughead being dead. And, of course, if you've seen A:IW, you know that half of the main characters are "dead" at the end of the movie. I've always been a person to respect this choice--like, a lot! In the concluding book to the Divergent trilogy, the main character dies, and the same happens in the last installment of the 5th Wave series. As long as the deaths are dealt with in a realistic way for those universes, I always thought it was great. This would be a really fun analysis to read. Like, why do I like it so much? I don't even really know. – mkkeane976 years ago
I think the expectation of who is going to die might and its popularity might leave any other events as less impactful as they become overshadowed by the deaths. Something to consider. – ZanderTJ6 years ago
This is a very interesting topic. I think with finales of any kind, we're primed to expect a culmination of a character's arc, one whose significance is ultimately encapsulated in how they die, why they die, etc. Death has a finality to it. I think, in expecting death, we become more inclined to appreciate whatever happens in the moments prior to it. Also, I think fan speculation on 'who's going to die' is a preemptive coping mechanism. Again, speculation might prompt extra awareness on how characters act in the finale, thus greater appreciation for their martyr's death, tragic death, etc. I'd argue that the 'who's going to die' and 'what's going to happen' are mutually linked—what really gets lost in the death-hype is how the finale's events will affect future seasons (if any). We'd become so focused on the 'dying' that the 'mourning' aspect of the story, the 'what'll happen after', doesn't immediately come to mind. Especially when there's a break between the finale and the next season. (I think The Walking Dead's S6 finale and S7EP1 is worth examining. Spoilers tho) – Starfire6 years ago
There have been a lot of changes to the adaption/re-make of the classic series Lost In Space. The women now hold the most power, including a female version of "Dr Smith" and it has also introduced multiculturalism into it's episodes, by re-creating the eldest daughter as a mixed race child, from a previous marriage. I would be very interested in reading an article based on the changes and how they represent the positive changes in societal and individual perception.
