Since its release just over a month ago 13 Reasons Why has swiftly become one of the most talked about shows in Netflix’s history.
While the series gained a cult-like following within days, a lot of the discussion has surrounded its content, and whether such graphic scenes depicting rape and suicide should be aired on TV – especially when the audience watching it is so young.
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Headspace, Australia’s leading youth mental health organisation, released a statement about the growing number of calls they were getting complaining about the show’s content, saying, “There is a responsibility for broadcasters to know what they are showing and the impact that certain content can have on an audience – and on a young audience in particular.”
However, one person who has notably stayed silent – until now – is Selena Gomez, who was one of the show’s main producers and helped to skyrocket its success via her huge fanbase.
In an interview with the Associated Press over the weekend, the singer said the show sticks very closely to Jay Asher’s 2007 book of the same name, which is “a beautifully tragic, complicated yet suspenseful story and I think that’s what we wanted to do.”
She says she’s not surprised by the show’s backlash either. “We wanted to do it justice and, yeah, [the backlash is] gonna come no matter what.”
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“It’s not an easy subject to talk about, but I’m very fortunate with how it’s doing.”
Though Netflix are yet to announce a second season – most likely due to all of the controversy, apparently, it’s definitely on the way.
