This past week, we viewed the controversial film, Thirteen as part of our curriculum in media studies. The film portray's a young teenage girl who is struggling with issues of identity, peer pressure, and family conflict. She also explores strategies for dealing with the pain and dysfunction of her everyday life through drug experimentation, cutting herself, changes in her physical self through piercings etc.The film is loosely based on the life of co-writer Nicki Reed.
Also, the musical anthem of the movie is a song by Katy Rose called, Lemon. Check out the lyrics!
You might be interested to know that
They've clipped my wings again
Tore them apart and then
Left me
No use to fly away to
My yesterday
Of freedom
My eyes died back that day
Seeing the hurt I may have done
Beat my instead of them
Pain is my only zen
Of fun
I'll go where secrets are sold
Where roses unfold
I'll sleep as time goes by
So hurting here is where I belong singing a song
Blood on my hands to stay strong
The flowers in the graveyard are all gone
I don't belong
There is no right to heal the wrong
Soup's on hot feelin' like a do or die
I can't throw up don't think I even want to try
You still can't make me cry
You've pinned this butterfly
Down
My fire's burning out
Kill my flame without
A frown
And starving hurts the soul
When you're hungry for
Some love
So if I close my eyes
I can really fly
Above
I'll go where secrets are sold
Where roses unfold
I'll sleep as time goes by
So hurting here is where I belong dreaming a song
Blood on my hands to stay strong
The flowers in the graveyard are all gone
I don't belong
There is no right to heal the wrong
Soup's on hot feelin' like a do or die
I can't throw up don't think I even want to
Tryyy- tryyyy- tryyyyyy
In the comments section, I invite you to offer your 'take' on this film. What is it really all about? Is this a realistic reflection of the struggle of teen girls? How would you respond if these teens were part of your youth group or after-school program?
Also, check out Walt Mueller's review from the Center for Parent and Youth Understanding.
19 comments:
my take on this film?.........
although graphic, offensive, and usually TMI i feel that this is an important film for youthworkers to view. i do believe that teens go through much of the same things that tracy did. but the extent to which they battle is a little different in each case. i don't think that all teens are out experimenting with drugs and sex, but there are the ones that do. the film really helps to show multiple views of the situation. it doesn't seem to focus primarily in one direction, even though it is about tracy's shift into "womanhood," it still shows the feelings of others around her. this film really gets to the nitty gritty of the situation. honestly i do believe that tracy's feelings were validated. she was going through major transitions in her life, of course she was going to have to adjust. she didn't know how, so she went along with how evie was doing things. all around us there are teens with walls up. some of them seem shy or backward and to the other extreme there are even the social butterflies, but a lot of them have something in common with tracy. they are battling with depression. they feel alone, lost and like no one understands. this is not just the blues or sadness. it's not just a sudden burst of anxiety or frustration or anger, it's depression. and it doesn't just go away, sometimes it lessons but can come back all the more stronger. i believe that when working with our youth, we should keep this in mind. there are more young adults dealing with depression than ever. and most of them are unwilling to admit it or just don't even realize it. this is where we come in as the youth worker. we are to come alongside and let them know they are not alone, but not just in word but also in deed.
(i'm rambling a bit)
as a yw, i'm not sure how i respond to a teen struggling with the same issues as tracy. i would like to believe that i would be supportive of them. that i would encourage them to continue coming to youth nites. and that i would gain their trust. although i think it would be hard to recognize a situation in a kid's life that is similar to tracy's. you can't just classify as a kid as struggling because they have piercings or by the clothes they wear. that's kind of prejudicial.
anyways, those are my insights....
jenn
I am a teen and I have also seen this movie.. I though it was really graphic. I think that she just wanted to fit in and be considered "cool." She tried to do everything she could just to be friends with Evie. I would agree with Jen that the extent to which they battle is a little different in each case. Although every teen may not have ALL the problems Tracy did we can relate to what she is going through at one point or another. Stuff like shoplifting, drugs, alcohol, cheating, lying and pear pressure is all around us (teenagers) today. It's almost considered common in my school. I would say more than half of my 10th grade class have or do drugs and drink every weekend and if you don't well your not "cool." All I can say is thank the Lord for the Salvation Army because without it, I could have ended up like Tracy.
The relationship between the parent and the child is also a very important point in the movie.
Obviously I'm not a youth worker but the thing that I love about my corps is that it's in a perfect place. It is located in a town called Hempstead (Major Ashcraft was the officer their for a while) which is like the ghetto. The children are exposed to pretty much everything that was in the movie and probably more. But the fact that we have the chance to help change their lives is amazing. Because they are attending the corps at such a young age we can teach them about God and teach them right from wrong so when they get to there teenage years they will make better decisions. I am continually blessed with the changes I have seen in these children.
Just some thoughts,
Allison
I thought that the film 'Thirteen' was really sort of out there. It really took everything the extreme. If this is supposed to be someone's reality then I really pity that person.
I think the movie frustrated me more than anything else though. It was just really sad how blind everyone was. And when people realized what was happening, no one even had the slightest idea where to start or what to do to make anything better.
For me that was the issue that was the loudest. Especially as christan leaders it can be so hard for us to help those with the most needs. We can see and pick apart everything that is wrong in a person's life but when it comes to helping that person get through the rubbish they're in then we get stuck and clueless.
To generalize the happenings in this movie as ideal struggles of a teenage girl would be crazy. I really don't think that the average American chick goes down this graphic and drug filled path. It could easily be a reality for some though, not the majority I don't think.
I guess you'd have to just thank God first of all that you were able to discern that situation. Then I think you tell these kids about Jesus as much as possible. Gain some sort of trust and get the family involved. Family issues definately fueled the fire in Tracy. Prayer would also be a biggie here as well.
Well about the movie thirteen, my first thought was that it was very graphic and offensive in different ways,i agree with Jenn on this point. The reality is that whether we like it or not it's something in which teens may be going through. I mean i'm not saying that all of them are experimenting but the reality is that they are being exposed to drugs,sex, etc. It's something that the church needs to be aware of in order to educate our teens on.
One of the things that captured my attention was the fact that Tracy's mom wasn't aware of it, i think she just didn't want to know the truth so she ignored her daughter's reallity. I mean it's obvious that she wasn't going straight forward saying what was going on but her actions were speaking. I just pray that God gives us descernment on these issues. I pray that we as the body of Christ learn to read between the lines.
Lourdes Murillo
I think this film is an insight, not into one particular girl's life, but rather into the lives of all teens. We mainly followed Tracy, but through following her, we had snapshots of her brother, her friend Evie, and all of Tracy's classmates. A lot of the problems addressed in the film are not usually all placed in the same story. I remember an episode of 7th Heaven focussing on the use of inhalants (spray paint, etc.) to get a high. Cutting was the subject of a Lifetime Movie Network film. Sexual promiscuity has been the subject of many films (yes, a lot of which can be seen on Lifetime). The world is aware of these problems, so why aren't teens getting the help they need?
When we watched Merchants of Cool, it mentioned a thing called Guilt Money. This is money that parents use to pretend that they are not leaving their children to fend for themselves as both parents leave for work. (Please don't get me wrong here, my parents both work, and I was raised, from 5th grade on, as a Latch-key kid) Since the parents are leaving, however, this leaves more and more time in which the teens and tweens are by themselves, and bored. How many times did my sisters and I lay around the house watching TV? How many times did we complain about being bored? I lost count back in 6th grade! With this boredom, however, comes a need to find something to do. So, teens/tweens leave the house and try to find something better. This usually lands them in trouble, but not always. More often than not, the parents are unaware of any problems, or they have an inkling something is wrong, but they have no idea where to begin.
This happens in Thirteen. While the mother works at home, she allows her daughter a lot of freedom, and roaming room. This eventually leads to Tracy going out to Melrose to meet up with a couple of the cool girls, and she begins her downward spiral with the stealing of a frantic woman's wallet, complete with a couple hundred dollars in cash!
As a youthworker, I am not sure, yet, how I would specifically handle the situation. Some topics need to be addressed in a large group situation (as it most likely applies to everyone), and others need to be one on one, or in small groups. For boredom, I would probably try to organize some kind of program after-school each day, to keep the teens/tweens busy. Studies have proven (I'll have to look up the actual stats) that programs like an after-school program have a positive role in keeping teens/tweens out of trouble. If it weren't true, would the Boys and Girls Club still be around? Also, within that program, I would include bible lessons on certain subjects.
Just the other day, in a class here at P117, we (my classmates and I) were taught about a Life Skills Education Program called Bridging the Gap, in which most of the problem areas of teens/tweens are discussed. It provides ways to broach the subject, and ways to counteract the problems. I would most likely use this sort of program with my teens/tweens.
I'm out of rambling ideas. More two cents on the way someday!
Jenn,
Thanks for your posting.
I agree that not all teens experiment in the way portrayed in 'Thirteen,' but this represents a generalized trend in some adolescent girls' lives.
Depression - as you point out - is most certainly a serious issue in the lives of teens today. Take a look at this article which helps provide additional material: http://www.webmd.com/content/article/81/96998.htm (you might have to copy and paste as this is the comments section). I think that we need to be SERIOUSLY thinking about how to pick up on these signals in our after-school programs/youth groups/centers; and have an action plan in place to respond to it...
I think I'm going to create a separate posting on solutions for youthworkers as this is a vital skill. I've also asked one of my colleagues, Major Janet Ashcraft - who is a trained counselor - to post recommendations and explore this further. She is far more qualified than me on this topic.
Let's keep up this discussion.
Steve
Allison,
Welcome to my blog - and THANK YOU for your posting. I'm really glad that were willing to comment - your opinion is highly valued!
I agree that the pressure to conform to the socially constructed ideal of 'cool' is tremendous pressure for any teenager. I think the movie (agreed that it's pretty shocking!) can help raise this issue to consciousness for teens, and hopefully display the futility of some of these dead-end strategies for coping with the struggles of adolescent everyday life.
I was particularly impressed with your comment that although every teen might not have all of the problems manifested in the film, they can relate to at least some. One of the reasons why films do this is to expand the themes covered in the film to as broad and audience as possible. They want people to say, "yeah, that's my life" or "I know someone who's going through that."
The parent/child relationship is a critical theme in the film. I hope that parents who read this blog will understand the importance of being involved in your teen's life. Listening, taking interest in their world etc... Making the decision to do such things is critical to helping your teen navigate through the labyrinth of adolescence.
Allison, with these great comments, maybe you should consider becoming a youthworker in the next few years?
Steve
I have seriously considered becoming a youth pastor, and even going into P117 but others seem to think that I should go to college first..I don't know yet though..I have a couple years still....But then again, its not up to me..it's up to God...thanks for your thoughts..
I think this film is a bit much. And this is coming from me because i have seen it and know it is happen but is it that much. Do i think that it is that easy for people to get addict yes. but are they at the age of 13 get GHB and Acid and X no. Are they smoking and drinking and having sex yes. it is known, the flim is out there because of how the one girl is seen as a queen and the best person in the school. and typical the girl that is the one everyone is getting with is not the one that has the respect from the girls and most diffently not the guys.
and the mom in this movie is not even have there. and she knows that here son is doing drugs, that is messed up that she would let that happen. she is a addict her slef there is no way she would ever let something like that happen under her roof. it is a film that brings back alot of bad bad memories for me and it is all to real. and it is what is happening in Wholesome American Watseland that we live in.
How do we stop it. We become knowledge in it, we become the cool people the people these kids are looking up to and trying to be like. And then they will have a good role model. you can not let the youth waste away their life because their thought it is cool. if they want to be different and themselves then to it in a different way. and that is not being liket he " on " cool kids the ones that are doing the harm.
The film Thirteen i believe does an amazing job at lifting the surface of the hidden world, on teen depresion and strugly. This film scarerly resounded with my experience of youth and youth minisry, causing me to be able to name people and situatiosn that i know and pray for who are going through this at the moment. As Youth Pastors (yes thats you 1:17) and people who are concerned with the world around us, we need to be takeing activie steps to creat safe enviroments for our youth to explore the transitions that they are going through. Im sure one could see this film and come out with a list of reasons why Tracy decided to get involved in the lifestyle that she did. But for every girl who comes from a broken disfunctional home im sure thier are 5 more who are comftable out in the Suburbs. So the questions becomes i feel, not what can we do to stop this cycle of destructive behavour (becouse i beleive we will never be able to do, just look at the bible and human history for this) but what can we do allow this desire to explore, to creat, to make a name for oneself that allows the person to grow rather then to get caught up in the bondages of the world.
As i have read through the comments, i think it is intresting this tension that several have expressed about it being offense or visually displaying to much yet it is an important film for us to see. I was in Hollywood video store the other day looking at a video to rent to relax, my desire for flesh eating zombies lead to "Land Of The Dead" a classic zombie film if i have ever seen one. Here im sure thier will be many images of people being ripped apart, decapatations, profanity, breif nudity or sexulaity, bad attitudes and a whole other wealth of Hollywood's favioute vices for us to watch a film (check out http://www.screenit.com/movies/2005/land_of_the_dead.html for detail about all the stuff this film contains) Yet without any thinking i happerly picked up this film. Equaly as graphic and horific as Thirteen, yet one we describe as shooking, offensive and inapropiate and the other as a good evening. I wonder why this is, i wonder if as youth pastos, we need to break out from what we are comfatbale in, and stop being afraid of what is on our doorstep. I'm not saying that we can watch or see anything and not be shocked, but i think part of our fear and disgust (at time) of film like Thirteen, Cake, Requim for A Dream and many others, is that when we view these films, that demand not only just an emotional responce, but physical responce as well. We need to be getting rightously angry with the content of these films, and this needs to move us into action, otherwise we trivalise the matter, and thierfore our not fit to minister to you. I realzise these may sound like harsh words and as i point the finguar i reminded of the cliche that 3 are pointed back at me. This is a challenge for all who are seriouse about loving and ministrying to a broken world and youth who our desperate to be loved, and who are lost in a sea of identity and will do ANYTHING to find thier way out.
Blessings & Happy Movie Veiwing
Matty
Hi Gavin/aka 'Keepin it real' -
Dude - Where's the empathy-factor??? What's with the statement, "If this is supposed to be someone's reality, then I really pity them?" While some might perceive the film as far-fetched and over-sensationalized, I would argue (as I have in previous postings) that this is a caricature of some very authentic struggles that many teen girls go through.
As youthworkers, our response cannot just be "I feel sorry for you..." There needs to be a little more substance and thought behind our responses. If this was Jesus response to the woman at the well in John 4, then an entire town would have missed out on hearing the gospel.
I would encourage you to open up a little more to people who are different from you. Those of us who are more 'thinking' oriented need to understand 'feelers' - and vice versa. That's the joy of diversity!
Thanks for the posting.
Steve
Lourdes,
Great observation about the disconnect between parents and youth.
There's so much need for understanding between these two (sometimes very foreign) groups.
Because identity formation and independence are critical to the adolescent years, the relationship between parent and child can be strained - It doesn't necessarily HAVE to be, but it often is. This is because of the vast changes which are taking place on physical, emotional, intellectual and social levels in the teen's life.
During this time, the parent can feel completely marginalized from the teen's life... Which means that there is a disconnect in the parents' understanding of critical issues that teens are going through.
I would encourage you to look at Walt Mueller's work at the Center for Parent and Youth Understanding. (http://www.cpyu.org) They really specialize in this relationship and offer imaginative strategies for bridging this gap.
Steve
Melissa,
Great observations - and you raise another very challenging ethics debate: Should a youthworker perceive themselves as a surrogate parent? Is this healthy? Does this resolve or fan the problem? Should we be more concerned about reconciling the relationship of the child to youth who are at-risk?
I guess there's more questions than answers emerging... which is really a good thing!
Regarding 'Bridging the Gap' - What a great program! Many thanks to Majors Ron and Doreen Foreman for this presentation.
Steve
Hi Margaret,
Please don't stop! This is a medium which allows you to 'spill your guts' without fear of going on too long. I'm fine with that if it helps you to work out all that's going on in your head!
What really stood out to me in your posting was that it was "Tracy who pulled herself out..."
Last year, we had Matt's Mom (Jo Moran-Ellis - who is a member of this blog group - but also a senion lecturer at the University of Surrey in the UK) come and speak to us about childhood sociology. She did a particularly fascinating lecture on children in abusive settings. Often we perceive these kids as victims. She had an interesting take on this as she talked about the 'agency' of at-risk youth. How, in the midst of abuse, that youth do not passively accept what goes on, but use whatever resources are available to minimize and/or stop the abuse.
I think this is true of Tracy in 'Thirteen' (as you pointed out). It is a part of our uniqueness as humans which blows my mind!
However, what I wonder is how we could help/aid kids and teens in their agency?
Great work, Magrizzle. Keep it up!
Steve
Allison,
If you feel called to become a youthworker, there are many paths to realizing this. Getting a good educational background is GREAT training! Keep on seeking the Lord and listening to what He wants you to do.
Best,
Steve
Hi Kyle,
I love the "American Wasteland" reference. Is this a punk term, or a reference to the Tony Hawk game???
I think it's startling how many kids are experiencing this - and not just in 'the hood!' Many suburban kids are going through similar experiences with drugs et al. It's actually pretty scary how many kids go through at least some of these experiences.
Why don't you look at the additional posting on how youthworkers should respond to these challenges. We need to begin to think of imaginative strategies to deal with this.
Keep up the great work.
Steve
Thanks for your posting Matt,
"Safe-spaces" - this is a VITAL term to learn in youthwork, because that is what our community centers need to become.
I will always remember talking to a kid who is part of one of our after-school programs in New Jersey. He said that he chose to come to the Army because there he felt SAFE.
If I was to see this kid out on the street, I would just see the tough exterior 'presentation of self' that he puts on to survive the mean streets of Jersey City. However, when he came into our program, he could be a thirteen year old kid. All the tough exterior was shed because he knew he was in a place where he DIDN'T NEED TO WORRY.
Our mandate is clear. The responsibility is great. Therefore, I implore all you youthworkers, - DO YOUR BEST TO CREATE PLACES OF REFUGE!
Steve
Thanks again Matt for the second posting.
First of all, we could debate about what the benefit would be of watching 'Land of the Dead'... but with that being said, your point is noted.
I think that the reason why such films are considered 'disturbing' is because it's closer to reality.
In Media Studies, there is a continuum between more abstract, fantasy-based depictions of violence; and portrayals which are considered more 'authentic' or realistic. "Thirteen" is a movie which is closer to being authentic, while still retaining something of the shock-and-awe that makes going to the movies entertaining and/or thought-provoking. It's not a documentary, but resonates with some very real (and often, what we consider very private) issues.
As I mentioned in class, when a film is viewed, we interpret it through particular lenses. The official term is that we have a 'situated reading of the text.' This means that how we 'read' a film as a child, or a teenager will be different to how we read it as an adult, or in a particular role, such as a youthworker. This is an important distinction as our reactions and perceptions will differ depending on what 'hat' we are wearing when viewing it.
Film is a powerful medium to convey profound ideas of culture. I'd encourage you all to develop your critical viewing skills.
Best regards,
Steve
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