Popular Culture Review 30.1 • Winter 2019
“ None of You Cared Enough ”: The Problematic Moralizing of 13 Reasons Why
by Graeme John Wilson
ABSTRACT
13 Reasons Why , a television series adapted from the 2007 novel Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher , quickly evolved into a cultural phenomenon following its premiere in 2017 . The plot of 13 Reasons Why concerns the aftermath and fallout of a high school girl ’ s suicide , and was intended by producers to deconstruct social stigmas attached to the act and examine motivations for suicide . While the series has initiated an ongoing dialogue about suicide , 13 Reasons Why has also generated significant controversy regarding its portrayal , and the ultimate influence of the series has been called into question by professional organizations , who argue that 13 Reasons Why could possibly inspire copycat suicides . Suicide prevention advocacy groups have similar concerns that at-risk youth who view the series may instead be motivated , instead of deterred , to commit suicide . By applying rhetorical criticism to select episodes of 13 Reasons Why and employing audience reception and social learning theory for its framework , this research essay utilizes 13 Reasons Why as a vessel to examine the greater influence of media texts on audiences and whether they can be held wholly accountable for provoking subsequent audience behaviors .
Keywords : 13 Reasons Why , suicide , audience reception theory , social learning theory , rhetorical criticism
189 doi : 10.18278 / pcr . 30.1.10