Selena Gomez’s response to the 13 Reasons Why backlash is a non-answer and not helpful

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Selena Gomez’s response to the 13 Reasons Why backlash is a non-answer and not helpful

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OK, blah blah blah I'll spare you the intro on 13 Reasons Why — you've seen it, I've seen it, Jeff deserved better, etc.

I will catch you up on the controversy surrounding the popular show, though: Suicide prevention and mental health experts don't like it because it might inadvertently encourage copycats.

In the show, Hannah has the opportunity to explain every problem in her life to the person who caused it, make people feel regret and sympathy for her and their action, and exact revenge on those who have wronged her — basically everything a suicidal person hopes will happen when they die. Hannah is immortalized, the hero of the show. That's dangerous.

So you see how that could be a real problem for struggling teens. The National Association of School Psychiatrists explicitly said it romanticizes the choices of the characters.

Selena Gomez, former child wizard and executive producer of the show, (read: not a mental health professional) had the opportunity the clear up the show's stance and defend its well-intentioned but tone-deaf message. But instead, she took a "I'm sorry you feel that way" route.

She had this to say in Vanity Fair:

“Facing these issues head-on—talking about them, being open about them—will always be our best defense against losing another life. I’m proud to be a part of a television series that is forcing us to have these conversations, because silence really does equal death.”

So she addressed the controversy by…not addressing it? Selena had the opportunity to defend her creative decisions and acknowledge areas that could improve (especially amidst swirling season two rumors). Instead, she just said what she's said before.

It's disappointing, but not entirely unexpected. Wanting to talk about a stigmatized issue is always a good idea in theory, but maybe before going forward with a story depicting such graphic situations, consultations with experts would be wise.