Netflix Adds ‘Warning Card’ to ’13 Reasons Why’ After Criticism
Netflix has responded to criticism leveled at its teen series “13 Reasons Why” and its deception of suicide and rape. The streaming service announced Monday that it has upped its trigger warnings for the drama.
Based on Jay Asher’s best-selling novel of the same name, the show centers on Hannah Baker (newcomer Katherine Langford) and the 13 cassette tapes she leaves behind after taking her own life.
The drama has been praised for shedding a light on teen suicide and sexual assault, but some have argued the series glorifies death.
Also Read: How '13 Reasons Why' Star Katherine Langford Got Millions of Instagram Followers in Mere Days
In response to the backlash, Netflix issued a statement saying it will add an “additional viewer warning card before the first episode as a precaution.” Currently, there are warnings in place for the three episodes that feature rape scenes and Baker’s suicide.
The series is already rated TV-MA for mature audiences.
Below is Netflix’s statement, provided to BuzzFeed:
There has been a tremendous amount of discussion about our series “13 Reasons Why.” While many of our members find the show to be a valuable driver for starting important conversation with their families, we have also heard concern from those who feel the series should carry additional advisories. Currently the episodes that carry graphic content are identified as such and the series overall carries a TV-MA rating. Moving forward, we will add an additional viewer warning card before the first episode as an extra precaution for those about to start the series and have also strengthened the messaging and resource language in the existing cards for episodes that contain graphic subject matter, including the URL 13ReasonsWhy.info — a global resource center that provides information about professional organizations that support help around the serious matters addressed in the show.
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'13 Reasons Why': Will There Be a Second Season?
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