Netflix urged to cancel '13 Reasons Why' over graphic rape scene

Some have described the show as 'a ticking time bomb to teens and children'

Netflix recently released the second season of the controversial teen-drama 13 Reasons Why. The sequel  deals with the aftermath of Hannah Baker's suicide which, very much like in the first season, sparked concerns amongst viewers, particularly over the detailed picturisation.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

Now much has changed since then. The finale of season two featured a horrific rape scene which is creating quite a stir amongst people. In fact, parents from around the world are urging Netflix to pull the show back, reported The Independent.

The Parents Television Council (PTC) has described 13 Reasons Why as “a ticking time bomb to teens and children.”

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In a statement, PTC said, "We're issuing a warning about Netflix's 13 Reasons Why (Season 2) and urging the company to pull the series entirely because of the potentially harmful content."

In season finale, school photographer Tyler Down is brutally raped by three student-athletes who attack him in a bathroom, shove his head in a toilet and then rape him.

Tyler is left bruised and so badly traumatised that he later shows up at school with the intention of carrying out a mass shooting.

With the incident that took place at Santa Fe School in Texas recently, and the other 80 mass shootings in the US since January 2018, it might not be in the best interest of the audience to showcase such details on television.

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The PTC has also issued an “urgent warning” over the scene.

To those offended or triggered by it, show creator Brian Yorkey, defended the visual representation of the scene. “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," he told Vulture.

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"We fully understand that that means some of the scenes in the show will be difficult to watch. I think Netflix has helped provide viewers with lots of resources for understanding that this may not be a show for everybody, and also resources for people who do watch it and are troubled and need help," he added.

"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," Yorkey continued.

"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 further said.

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“When we dug into that research, I think 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.

Many viewers were left disturbed by the rape scene with many feeling it was “narratively exploitative” and needlessly violent. One viewer described it as “unacceptable” while another claimed to be “traumatised."

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