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SAE Institute GlasgowHow Do the Film and Music Industries Address the Subject of Suicide?Student Full Name: Ellie Patricia MorrisonStudent Number: 95370Course Code: CMN4200Assessment Code: CMN4200.1Date of Submission: 14 December 2017 Word Count: 2,262 Declaration:I hereby declare that this is my own work, and does not use any materials other than the cited sources and tools. All explanations that I copied directly or in essence are marked as such. This work has not been previously submitted.14 December 2017, SAE Institute Glasgow, Ellie Patricia Morrison.Date, Place, SignatureContentsPage NumberIntroduction 3Definitions3How did Thirteen Reasons Why portray suicide?4Why did Thirteen Reasons Why do it that way?4The impact of Thirteen Reasons Why 5How did Logic’s song 1 800 273 8255 portray suicide?6Why did Logic do it that way?7The impact of Logic’s song 1 800 273 82558Conclusion 8References10Appendix13IntroductionThe representation of suicide is becoming more common in the media but it is still a taboo subject within the general public. A great number of individuals are unsure of how to deal with the matter therefore they often abstain from discussing it which can have a devastating effect. There needs to be a higher recognition of suicide so that people are not afraid to convey their emotions and ask for help if they feel that way. The film and music industries are becoming more powerful each day and if its influencers understood this it could be much more efficient in representing issues such as suicide. Different industry texts have already begun to make a stamp, such as The Netflix series Thirteen Reasons Why and Logic’s song 1 800 273 8255. They both address suicide in different ways and have intriguing reasons as to why they chose to do it that way. They have also had an extensive impact on their audience and brought suicide closer to being ubiquitous in the media. DefinitionsSuicide is the leading cause of death in the world (NHS, n.d.) There is not an exact reason as to why people feel destructive but experts have said that suicidal thoughts can be caused by many different affairs including: mental health, bullying and family history (ibid). Having these thoughts can make you feel helpless and alone - like you are a burden to other people in your life. Thirteen Reasons Why is a Netflix adaptation of a book, written by Jay Asher. It was released on the 31 of March in 2017. The show stars Katherine Langford as the character of Hannah Baker, who has taken her own life and Dylan Minnette as Clay Jenson, who received tapes explaining the thirteen reasons why she did it. It has gathered a mixture of praise and criticism from it’s audience as it features very graphic scenes including rape and suicide. Despite this, it has been revealed that they are making a second season.Logic is a rapper who was born in 1990 in Maryland in the United Stated. He is signed to Def Jam Records which is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. He had a troubled upbringing which has inspired many of his musical works. His song 1 800 273 8255 - featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid - was released on the 28th of April, 2017. The music video for the song shows the struggles of a young man unable to come to terms with his sexuality and when he starts to feel suicidal he phones a suicide hotline to get help.How did Thirteen Reasons Why portray suicide?Thirteen Reasons Why takes on the extreme outcome of bullying, abuse and feeling suicidal. The protagonist in the series takes her own life when the tormenting becomes insufferable. Critics suggest that the show demonstrated suicide as a “legitimate choice” (Hunt, 2017). Instead of fighting against the affliction or asking for help, Hannah stays silent and therefore makes the situation worse. In one of the final tapes she blames her Head Master for not helping her when she needed it most - but she also never asked him to (Behind the reasons, 2017). This makes her character easier to relate to as it shows she is human and makes mistakes. Relating to the character helps the audience feel sympathy for her as many people find it difficult to express how they feel and reach out to others. Each episode tackles very disturbing issues that many people face, especially in their teenage years (refer to appendix B for plot summary). Showing the various different reasons is very important as it teaches the audience that suicide is very rarely due to one singular event but rather copious amounts of them.In the book, Clay listens to the tapes and reveals the 13 reasons why in one night. However, in the Netflix Series, it is adapted to portray that every tape is another day and another episode. This allowed the show to look into each character in more depth but it also makes the storyline harder to believe. If someone received tapes form a dead girl explaining why she killed herself, you would assume they would listen to them in one night - not take their time with each one. An article in The New York Times (2017) describes the story as “extremely repetitive” and “very surreal”. It also reported that it is like a “public service announcement”. This presents the adaptation with many flaws and perhaps it has affected the rawness and truthfulness of the show. They also changed the way she kills herself. In the book she takes an overdose whereas in the series she cuts her wrists in a bath tub. This is one of the most painful scenes to watch and it has been suggested that it was altered to cause even more controversy around the show and gain more traffic (The AtZ Show, 2017).Why did Thirteen Reasons Why do it that way?It was intended to be uncomfortable and hard to watch the show as this is the reality of these situations. They done this by including shots of Hannah and Clay in the middle of the screen with lots of negative space to each side and above, creating an uneasy feeling (Tessa Maxwell, 2017). Brandon Flynn (2017) – who plays Justin Foley in the show – commented on the series saying; “There’s nothing about this story that is polite. You can really tell a story that is gonna start a conversation”. They wanted the series to be as true to the issue as possible in the hope that more people would start to discuss the topics they covered. They address issues such as cyber bullying, slut shaming and rape. Another cast member Justin Prentice (2017) – who plays Bryce Walker – also expressed; “As a society we tend to shy away from these hard topics and sometimes in cinema we do that too and I think this is great cause it says no, this is a problem and it needs to be addressed”. As hard as it is to watch the series, it all serves as an important message. The scene where Hannah is raped in a hot tub is almost unbearable to watch but the reason they show it so clearly was because they wanted to address it and to diminish that scene would not show the audience the truth (Behind The Reasons, 2017). The suicide scene is also very graphic however, Brian Yorkey – the producer of the show -(2017) revealed; “We did want it to be painful to watch because we wanted it to be very clear that there is nothing, in any way, worthwhile about suicide.” They wanted to make it gruesome and disturbing so that the audience would realise the harsh reality of it. Also, it is the mum that finds her daughter in the bath which shows the impact it can have on your family. The pain does not go away for the parents which they hoped would make the audience think of their loved ones and the impact it would have on them.In the present scenes in the class rooms, the lessons are now about suicide prevention. This indicated that people begin to reflect more after something bad has already happened. If only they done so before, maybe things could have been a lot different. This is a common mistake that happens in real life as schools and other communities can be afraid to talk about suicide which can often leading to horrible consequences.The impact of Thirteen Reasons WhyIn an episode of Teens React on YouTube, they show them the trailer for Season One of Thirteen Reasons Why. They discuss the episode in which Hannah kills herself, which gets mixes reactions from the “teens”. One of the guests named Eric Beckerman states; “Watching it I almost threw up, that didn’t romanticise it for me, that made it real. I was watching somebody die and it was horrifying.” However, Nora Jobassini (2017) had the opposite opinion; “That suicide scene should not have been in there. I don’t see how watching that could help anybody.” The scene in question is very vivid and does not glamorise at all. In fact, it is so vivid it could act as a trigger for people who are experiencing this. Nora also goes onto say; “The scenes definitely discuss a lot of important issues. The show however, executes it very poorly.” She agrees that the show was made for the right reasons; however, it has completed it wrong.The show received a 7.3 out of 10 on Rotten Tomatoes (2017) and an audience score of 4.1 out of 5. Metascore also rated it a 76 out of 100 and the users a 7.8 out of ten. These high ratings however are being drowned out by the intensity and consistency of the negative comments. One of the users. Beccal (2017) commented on Metascore; “I’ve watched this show in two days and I couldn’t feel myself more sad. The killing scene was totally unnecessary.” She goes on to say that the show portrays schools and professionals as weak which is not the case in real life. It is telling the audience there is no one who will understand or can help.In the three weeks after the show was release, internet searches about suicide rose rapidly as shown by a study by JAMA Internal Medicine (Murgia, 2017). “Our analyses suggest 13 Reasons Why, in its present form, has both increased suicidal awareness while unintentionally increasing suicidal ideation,” (ibid). There were 900,000 to 1.5 million more searches about suicide than usual (ibid).A “public caution” was put on the show by The National Association of School Psychologists. They commented; “We do not recommend that vulnerable youth, especially those who have any degree of suicidal ideation, watch this series…Research shows that exposure to another person’s suicide, or to graphic or sensationalized accounts of death, can be one of the many risk factors that youth struggling with mental health conditions cite as a reason they contemplate or attempt suicide” (National Association of School Psychologists, 2017). It seems that most people are criticising the show for not taking into account the possible trigger this could have for people feeling suicidal.How did Logic’s song 1 800 273 8255 portray suicide?Logic wrote the song 1-800-273-8255 from different people’s perspectives (Genius, 2017). The first verse and chorus is from the view point of a man who wants to die – we learn in the music video that this is because he is gay and growing tired of the discrimination. The lyrics in this section repeat the phrase; “I don’t wanna be alive”, which very obviously shows that he feels his life is not worth living. It is very straight to the point and honest as Logic did not want to hold back from telling the truth.When the protagonist is about to tip over the edge, he decides to phone the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline which transitions the second verse to the point of view of the telephone operator (Genuis, 2017). The person he is talking too on the phone tells him; “It's holding on, though the road's long and seeing light in the darkest things.” It can be very hard to over come these emotions but it does not mean it is impossible. This demonstrates that there are people who can help if you can find the courage to reach out. The final section of the song switches back to the point of view of the protagonist, but this time he has changed his mind and realised his life is worth living. He sings; “I don't wanna cry anymore, I wanna feel alive”. This song resonates with the listeners as people can relate to it. Everyone feels sad at some point in their life but it is crucial to realise when it has become too much and to find a way to help yourself. Logic’s lyrics showed his listeners that you can overcome it (refer to appendix A for lyrics).Why did Logic do it that way?At the MTV VMA’s (2017), Logic made a speech after he performed his song 1-800-273-8255. He announced; “I just wanna take a moment right now and thank you all so much for giving me a platform to talk about something that mainstream media doesn’t wanna talk about.” He understands the lack of representation in the media and wrote this song to start a conversation and tackle it. In an interview with Genius (2017) he tells a story of when he was doing a fan tour and his fans kept telling him that his music saved their lives. At this point this is not what he intended to do but it made him realise the potential influence he had.John Draper (2017), the director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, commented on suicide; “If you show people positively coping through suicidal moments, research has shown that, that can actually save lives and reduce the suicide rate.” Logic showed that you can come through it and be okay, it does not perpetually have to end badly.Before the song was released Logic wrote a series of tweets; “Over the years so many of you guys have told me that my music has helped you through so many tough times… Many of you have told me its even saved your life. I’m beyond humbled. But I felt I haven’t done enough… I made this song for all of you who are in a dark place and can’t seem to find the light.” He hoped that if people did relate to the song and they had no one to talk to they could phone the hotline. He named the song the number of the hotline so that his fans would remember it. The song also reached the charts, which put the number on television screens and radios.The impact of Logic’s song 1 800 273 8255In another episode of Adults React on YouTube, they show them the music video for Logic’s song 1 800 273 8255. Magaly Elenes (2017), one of the guests on the show, commented; “I relate so much to this song, I’ve had depression and I still have it. So every time I hear this song I want to cry, because it feels like it talks to me”. She really connected with the song and brought her emotions forward. All of the feedback on this song was extremely positive. Another guest, Sergio Furtado said; “What this song is doing, what the video is doing, it is reaching out to these people, reaching out to the people who feel they are alone.” The song is very truthful and his fans are relating to it. They are using the song as an outlet and a reason to speak out.Calls to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline went up by 33% after the release of the song (Rubin. 2017). The director, John Draper reported; “We had the second-highest call volume in the history of our service the day of the song’s release.” Logics theory seemed to work. His fans and listeners were remembering the number and using it when they needed to. John also commented on the song; "It's not just about the calls; it's about increasing awareness about suicide, and suicide prevention in particular.” The exposure of the number and the message it was putting across could potentially be a small factor in saving someone’s life. One of Logics fans, Faith Martinez declared; "I'd put my headphones in, and it would all subside, because I knew that there was someone out there that cared for their fans so much that if I took away my life the way I had thought about, he would be hurt, and somebody would care that I was gone” (Tinker,2017). They are extremely grateful that Logic recognised the issue and has done something to bring it forward.ConclusionThe reviews of Thirteen Reasons Why are a lot more critical than Logics song. Perhaps the visual element of Thirteen Reasons Why and how far they were willing to push it was too much for the audience. They did however show that there are many reasons people feel that way and by stopping these events you could prevent someone from feeling suicidal. On one hand it was doing it for the right reason but the switch of plot has made people question whether it was just for controversy. They took the route of actually showing a suicide were as Logics song showed someone surviving it. He showed the different perspectives on the matter and exploited the NSPL number so that people would remember it. Logics song is very emotional were as Thirteen Reasons Why is uncomfortable. People are fighting to raise awareness on the matter but at the same time they do not always want to see what actually happens. Suicide needs representation and will always be critiqued as it is a sensitive subject. Both texts have brought attention to the matter whether it is good or bad, at least people are beginning to talk.ReferencesFamous Birthdays, n.d. Logic. [online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017]. FBE, 2017. Adults React To Logic – 1-800-273-8255. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].FBE, 2017. Teens React to 13 Reasons Why. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Genuis, 2017. Logic “1-800-273-8255” Official Lyrics & Meaning | Verified. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Hale, M., 2017. Review: ’13 Reasons Why’ She Killed Herself, Drawn Out on Netflix. The New York Times, [online] 30 March. Available at: <; [Accessed 8 November 2017].Hunt, E., 2017. 13 Reasons Why ‘not helpful’, suicide prevention summit told. The Guardian, [online] 1 May. Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].IMDb, 2017. 13 Reasons Why. [online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].LogicVevo, 2017. Logic – 1-800-273-8255 ft. Alessia Cara, Khalid. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2016].LogicVEVO, 2017. Logic – 1-800-273-8255 (Live At The MTV VMAs / 2017) ft, Alessia Cara, Khalid. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 8 November 2017].Lyrics On Demand, 2017. Logic Lyrics. [online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Metacritic, 2017. 13 Reasons Why: Season 1. [online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Murgia, M., 2017. Internet searches on suicide went up after ’13 Reasons Why’ released by Netflix. The Washington Post, [online] 31 July. Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].National Association of School Phsychologists, 2017. “13 Reasons Why” Netflix Series: Considerations for Educators.[online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].NHS, n.d. Suicide. [online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Nicholson, R., 2017. 13 Reasons Why review – sex, drugs and mixtapes in Netflix’s high-school horror show. The Guardian, [online] 31 March. Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Rotten Tomatoes, 2017. 13 Reasons Why: Season 1. [online] Available at: <; [Accessed 8 November 2017].Rubin, R., 2017. Thanks to Logic’s Song the Phones at ‘1-800-273-8255’ Are Ringing Off the Hook. Variety, [online] 30 August. Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Schedeen, J., 2017. 13 Reasons Why: Season 1 Review. IGN, [online] 5 April. Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 2017. SCCAP Statement on 13 Reasons Why. [online] Available at: <; [Accessed 9 November 2017].Tarantino, B., 2017. I made this song for all of you who are in a dark place and can’t seem to find the light. [Twitter] 26 April. Available at: <; [Accessed 15 November 2017].Tarantino, B., 2017. Many of you have told me its even saved your life. I’m beyond humbled. But I felt I haven’t done enough. [Twitter] 26 April. Available at: < > [Accessed 15 November 2017]. Tarantino, B., 2017. Over the years so many of you guys have told me that my music has helped you through so many tough times. [Twitter] 26 April. Available at: <; [Accessed 15 November 2017].Tessa Maxwell, 2017. KPB109: 13 Reasons Why – cinematography and Editing. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 5 December 2017]. The AtZ Show, 2017. 13 Reasons Why It Sucks. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 30 November 2017].TheEllenShow, 2017. Logic and Alessia Explain the Importance of Their Powerful Hit Song. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 5 December 2017].Visionary Music Group, 2017. Logic CBS Evening News Special on the impact of 1-800-273-8255. [video online] Available at: <; [Accessed 10 November 2017]. 13 Reasons Why (2017) Season 1 [TV programme]. Netflix, 31 March. 13 Reasons Why (2017) 13 Reasons Why: Beyond the Reasons [TV programme]. Netflix, 31 March. AppendixAppendix ALyrics from 1 800 273 8255 by Logic. [Logic:]I've been on the lowI been taking my timeI feel like I'm out of my mindIt feel like my life ain't mineWho can relate?I've been on the lowI been taking my timeI feel like I'm out of my mindIt feel like my life ain't mineI don't wanna be aliveI don't wanna be aliveI just wanna die todayI just wanna dieI don't wanna be aliveI don't wanna be aliveI just wanna dieAnd let me tell you whyAll this other shit I'm talkin' 'bout they think they know itI've been praying for somebody to save me, no one's heroicAnd my life don't even matterI know it I know it I know I'm hurting deep down but can't show itI never had a place to call my ownI never had a homeAin't nobody callin' my phoneWhere you been? Where you at? What's on your mind?They say every life precious but nobody care about mineI've been on the lowI been taking my timeI feel like I'm out of my mindIt feel like my life ain't mineWho can relate?I've been on the lowI been taking my timeI feel like I'm out of my mindIt feel like my life ain't mineI want you to be aliveI want you to be aliveYou don't gotta die todayYou don't gotta dieI want you to be aliveI want you to be aliveYou don't gotta dieNow lemme tell you why[Alessia Cara:]It's the very first breathWhen your head's been drowning underwaterAnd it's the lightness in the airWhen you're thereChest to chest with a loverIt's holding on, though the road's longAnd seeing light in the darkest thingsAnd when you stare at your reflectionFinally knowing who it isI know that you'll thank God you did[Logic:]I know where you been, where you are, where you goin'I know you're the reason I believe in lifeWhat's the day without a little night?I'm just tryna shed a little lightIt can be hardIt can be so hardBut you gotta live right nowYou got everything to give right nowI've been on the lowI been taking my timeI feel like I'm out of my mindIt feel like my life ain't mineWho can relate?I've been on the lowI been taking my timeI feel like I'm out of my mindIt feel like my life ain't mineI finally wanna be aliveI finally wanna be aliveI don't wanna die todayI don't wanna dieI finally wanna be aliveI finally wanna be aliveI don't wanna dieI don't wanna die[Khalid:]Pain don't hurt the same, I knowThe lane I travel feels aloneBut I'm moving 'til my legs give outAnd I see my tears melt in the snowBut I don't wanna cryI don't wanna cry anymoreI wanna feel aliveI don't even wanna die anymoreOh I don't wannaI don't wannaI don't even wanna die anymore(Lyrics On Demand, 2017)Appendix BThe plot of Thirteen Reasons Why When Clay Jenson returns home from school he finds a box at his front door contain seven double sided tapes. On the tapes are voice recordings of Hannah Baker, explaining the Thirteen reasons why she killed herself. Clay must listen to the tapes and then pass it onto the next person otherwise someone will release them to the public and expose everyone on them. Each tape is referring to a different person and event, that happened to Hannah.Tape 1 – Justin Foley, for talking and sharing a rude picture of Hannah and then claiming they done sexual things in a park. Tape 2 – Jessica David, for blaming Hannah for the reason Alex broke up with her.Tape 3 – Alex Standall, for naming Hannah’s bottom as the best in the school to gain popularity and make Jessica jealous.Tape 4 – Tyler Down, for stalking Hannah and talking and sharing a picture of her and Courtney kissing.Tape 5 – Courtney Crimson, for spreading rumours about Hannah to hide her own sexuality. Tape 6 – Marcus Cole, for asking Hannah to be his Dollar Valentine date and then trying to sexually assault her. Tape 7 – Zach Dempsey, for taking Hannah’s positive notes she got in communication class. Tape 8 – Ryan Shaver, for publishing a poem she wrote about her struggles in the school newspaper. Tape 9 – Justin Foley, for letting his girlfriend Jessica be raped by Bryce.Tape 10 – Sheri Holland, for leaving Hannah after she crashed her car which led to another student’s death. Tape 11 – Clay Jenson, for leaving Hannah alone at a party when she needed him. Tape 12 – Bryce Walker, for raping Hannah. Tape 13 – Mr. Porter, for not helping Hannah when she was trying to tell him how she felt.(13 Reasons Why, 2017) ................
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