‘13 Reasons Why’ creator defends graphic teen drama
The creator of “13 Reasons Why” was forced to defend his polarizing teen drama once again after a scene depicting the brutal sexual assault of a teenage boy sparked backlash by some who deemed it “unnecessary,” “triggering” and “traumatizing.”
The Netflix series is no stranger to controversy, as season one ignited similar complaints after featuring graphic scenes of suicide and sexual assault.
Despite the outcry, season two, which premiered on the streaming service last week, has not shied away from similar scenes, namely one in which school photographer Tyler is slammed against bathroom tiles by three student athletes who then shove his head in a toilet and sodomize him with the end of a broken mop handle. The incident is a catalyst for Tyler’s thwarted attempt at a school shooting.
Show creator Brian Yorkey explained that while he knows scenes like that one are a tough watch, it’s important that they’re depicted in as real a way as possible.
“We’re committed on this show to telling truthful stories about things that young people go through in as unflinching a way as we can. We fully understand that that means some of the scenes in the show will be difficult to watch,” Yorkey told Vulture.
“I think Netflix has helped provide viewers with lots of resources for understanding that this may not be the show for everybody, and also resources for people who do watch it and are troubled and need help.”
Yorkey, 48, also explained that the intensity of the scenes pale in comparison to the struggles faced by people who deal with similar things in the real world — and that by showing them play out on screen, it’ll help topics like assault and rape become less taboo.
“When we talk about something being ‘disgusting’ or hard to watch, often that means we are attaching shame to the experience. We would rather not be confronted with it,” he said. “This is why these kinds of assaults are underreported. This is why victims have a hard time seeking help. We believe that talking about it is so much better than silence.”
He also told the outlet that his team researched maleon-male sexual violence and discovered an “epidemic,” which is why they chose to include the scene.
“We were all astounded to find how many times this happened, this disturbingly similar story of a male high school athlete violating a weaker boy with some sort of instrument like a mop handle or a pool cue,” he said.
Yorkey has a point, as similar incidents have made headlines in recent years, including a high-profile case in Sayreville, N.J., in 2014, in which older members of the school’s football team were accused of “hazing” younger members by digitally penetrating them.
Still, users on Twitter were taken aback by the graphic nature of the assault.
“The Tyler rape scene in the last episode of ‘13 Reasons Why’ has me actually feeling ill with an anxious feeling sitting in my chest,” one user wrote. “It needs to be (expletive) taken down.”
“It happens, but what they showed was TOO graphic and TOO much for a teenage drama,” another wrote.
Ahead of the new season, Netflix aired a PSA warning viewers the show would be tackling “tough, real-world issues” and that it might not be for everyone.