The ’13 Reasons Why’ Netflix series received strong criticism from parents and schools since its launch. Critics of the show claim their ‘glamorization of suicide’ leads to more teen deaths.
They say the show openly disregards a staggering amount of the guidelines that The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention states for a safe portrayal of suicide. Some guidelines include not describing the suicide method, to avoid using graphic headlines or images, and repeated or extensive coverage that glamorizes death.
They also suggest avoiding including photos or videos of the location, the method of death, grieving family, friends, memorials or funerals. Avoiding the description of suicide notes or describing suicide as something inexplicable or “without warning” is another guideline.
The show is also responsible for reducing its suicide case to a singular cause -bullying – leaving the public with an overly simplistic and misleading understanding of suicide. ’13 Reasons Why’ also portrays all the adults, professionals, and even friends as unable to provide help.
The failure to follow all these guidelines increases the risk of copycat suicides. This, added to the relatively young target audience, is worrying. Albeit all of these facts, a second season was just recently announced.
After watching the popular show’s first season, John Herndon’s 15-year-old daughter Bella Herndon from Livermore, California, committed suicide. The show was a trigger for Bella, who had been struggling with depression.
“Remember that there are teens out there that are in a little darker place, and these could be your friends, your sisters,” Herndon explained. “Selena Gomez and Netflix need to understand that not everybody is going to understand this very well. Some people who are battling with depression, this could catch them at the wrong time, creating what is called the trigger event.”
The livid father is now trying to get the show canceled. Reaching out via mail and phone calls to Gomez, as well as Netflix, he’s constantly begged them both to put an end to the show and got absolutely no response.
In an exclusive interview with RadarOnline.com, Herndon called both Gomez and Netflix “hypocritical” for firing both Kevin Spacey and Danny Masterson after allegations of sexual harassment, but making no changes whatsoever to ’13 Reasons Why.’
“They made those decisions to make themselves look like a socially responsible company yet they are making a product about people who are hurt and how they can hurt themselves,” he said. If Herndon could, he would sue everyone involved in the show.
“Suing a billion-dollar company like Netflix is not within my means right now unless there are other like-minded individuals that want to engage collectively together to bring a suit against them,” Herndon claimed.
No matter how much time has gone, Herndon and his wife Donna, experience the daily sad effects of their daughter’s suicide. “Every day we’re assaulted by these feeling we get for Bella. I can’t control how sick it makes me feel,” he concluded.
This article was inspired by VIVALA // Selena Gomez may be sued by father of dead ’13 Reasons Why’ fan