Podcast: Play in new window | Download (66.3MB)
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | RSS
trigger warnings for discussion of suicide
Professor Alessandra Seggi is here to talk about her book “Youth and Suicide in American Cinema: Context, Causes, and Consequences”, an academic treastise on suicide and entertainment.
The book explores depictions of suicide in American films from 1900 to 2019, studying it from a sociological perspective, investigating causes and consequences of suicide, and uncovers the socio-cultural context for the development of youth, film, and suicide.
While such cinematic portrayals seem to privilege external explanations of suicide versus internal or psychological ones, overall they are neither rich nor sensitive. Most are simplistic, limited or at the very least unbalanced. At times, they are flatly controversial. In light of this overall problematic depiction of suicide, this book offers a proactive approach to empower young audiences—a media literacy strategy to embrace while watching these films.
The book is a detailed analysis of suicide and the use of suicide in youth-oriented films with a sociological examination of the impact these films and the use of suicide in storytelling may have, and looks at ways for young audiences can watch movies with these topics with a better informed perspective.
While she covers far more than just genre films (from 1900-2019), for this discussion the science fiction films we talk about that contain suicides or the implication of suicides are:
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Aliens (1986)
Independence Day (1993)
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Soylent Green (1973)
We talk about the plot aspects of suicide as a sacrifice for a group or military operation to succeed, the connection to the heroic sefl-sacrifices by suicide in context with the story, the suicide as revenge situation, and more. Alessandra hopes to encourage more discussions about suicide, to encourage building a stronger and better environment such that suicide won’t be viewed as a better option, as well as ways to instill more resilience to face life’s challenges and hardships, and improve care from the group & the community.
If you or anyone you know is exhibiting suicidal thoughts or tendencies, please seek help, either by calling 988, or using any of these available resources:
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call. Text. Chat.
VA Mental Health: Prevent Veteran Suicide
Suicide Prevention: National Institute of Mental Health
Publisher website: Youth and Suicide in American Cinema
Website: alessandraseggi.com
Twitter/X: @AleSeggiPhD
YouTube: Scholarship@Villanova: “Youth and Suicide in American Cinema: All the Silence We Don’t Talk About.”
Do you think about any potential real-world influences from certain plot or story elements in movies? Let us know! Send Summer an email, or leave a message in the comments below!
Chat with Summer on Twitter/X (@sliceofscifi) or Bluesky (@sliceofscifi.com)
Subscribe & Review on Apple Podcasts!
Rate and Review on Podchaser!
Support our shows!
Learn how you can support Slice of SciFi, Writers, After Dark and The Babylon Podcast through Patreon and Paypal
Leave a Reply