Calls for 13 Reasons Why to be canned

AFTER a controversial first season, a hit Netflix show has again angered critics for a shocking scene. WARNING: Spoilers and graphic language.

WARNING: Major spoilers for 13 Reasons Why season two ahead, and graphic language.

WELL, that didn’t take long.

Netflix’s divisive teen drama 13 Reasons Why has again come under fire, this time over a harrowing scene in its second season finale.

The conservative American Parents’ Television Council has renewed calls for the series to be cancelled after the second season debuted on the streaming service on Friday. The pro-censorship organisation urged Netflix to pull the entire series from its platform, labelling it a “ticking time bomb to teens and children”.

The scenes in question relate to 13 Reasons Why’s season two finale in which a character is shown to be first brutally assaulted in the school bathroom, and then sodomised with a broomstick by a pack of male students.

The episode culminates in the traumatised character bringing an assault rifle to school, intent on massacre, before another character talks him down.

A warning before the episode read: “The following episode contains graphic depictions of sexual assault and drug abuse, which some viewers may find disturbing. It is intended for mature audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.”

Netflix’s teen drama has again courted controversy.

While graphic depictions of sexual assault and rape are not unheard of in TV shows and movies, it is rare for them to be included in a series aimed at a younger audience.

Some viewers took to social media to condemn the bathroom scene. One person wrote on Twitter: “There was absolutely no need for that scene with Tyler in the last episode. Why did that need to be written in. 13 Reasons Why is problematic and that’s that.”

Another said: “After that brutal scene with the mop and Tyler, this show needs to be cancelled. Obviously the people behind this show only give a f**k about shock value and not about rape or suicide.”

The show’s executive producer Brian Yorkey issued a statement to Vulture in response. He said: “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.

“But the fact is that, as intense as that scene is, and as strong as ... reactions to it may be, it doesn’t even come close to the pain experienced by the people who actually go through these things. 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. We would rather it stay out of our consciousness. This is why these kinds of assaults are under-reported. This is why victims have a hard time seeking help. We believe that talking about it is so much better than silence.”

Yorkey also said that in the course of research for the show, the writing team found that male-on-male sexual violence was an all-too-common occurrence in high schools.

13 Reasons Why warns its viewers the show may not be suitable for everyone.

It is likely the potential school shooting scene was what led to Netflix cancelling the show’s premiere event last week in the wake of the school shooting in Texas in which 10 people were killed.

13 Reasons Why, produced by Selena Gomez, generated heated debate in its first season for its raw depiction of teen suicide, which prompted criticism from youth mental health organisations and schools over fears of contagion. The controversy led to the show becoming one of Netflix’s most talked about shows in 2017.

For the second series, the show worked closely with mental health groups to provide resources for viewers in need. The season was also preceded with a one-minute video from cast members warning about its content and each episode ends with a pointer to the show’s website, with links to where people can find help.

13 Reasons Why season two is streaming now on Netflix.

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If you or anyone you know needs help, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800, Headspace on 1800 650 890 or visit 13reasonswhy.info.