‘Baby Reindeer’ highlights sexual violence against men – but feels indifferent to viewer safety

This story contains spoilers about ‘Baby Reindeer,’ and mentions suicide in the show ‘13 Reasons Why’.

Your phone buzzes; it’s the group chat. “Watch Baby Reindeer! Stephen King said it was one of the best things he’s ever seen.” Surely that’s all you need to know.

Maybe not. The Netflix story, created by comedian Richard Gadd, is based on Gadd’s real-life experiences and delivers a narrative steeped in violence.

The Show’s Narrative

The show follows Donny — a fictionalized version of Gadd — as he contends with a stalker, as well as dealing with the sexual violence of a purported television writer and an attack on Donny’s romantic interest, Teri.

Netflix shares enough to pull you in with the show descriptor: “Struggling comedian and barman Donny meets a lonely woman claiming to be a lawyer. He offers her a cup of tea on the house, and she’s instantly obsessed.” Baby Reindeer is enthralling, captivating viewers with its intense and unsettling themes.

Emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Amid its acclaim, Baby Reindeer highlights critical issues including sexual violence against men, prompting some scholarly acknowledgement of the show.

Vague but tantalizing description

In Australia, the show is rated R18+, while Common Sense Media, an American non-profit organization that helps parents by reviewing shows’ suitability for youth or children, designated the show 16+.

For Canadian viewers, the show is rated for mature audiences (TV-MA) due to language, nudity, sex, sexual violence and substances. However, this designation hardly accounts for the potential effects of its content, which can be much more profound than the brief label suggests.

Graphic Scenes and Viewer Response

In Episode 3, we witness a transphobic attack on Donny’s partner Teri. Apart from the show rating, the viewer is provided no warning, and the episode does little to reconcile the emotional turmoil it evokes, leaving the audience to grapple with the violence.

While Donny physically intervenes and stops the attack, the scene ends with Donny staring at Teri sitting on the ground. The show’s depiction of Donny’s failure to support Teri is mirrored in a narrative that feels unbridled and indifferent to viewer safety.

In Episode 4, Donny is sexually assaulted and subsequently raped while unconscious. Before the episode, the viewer gets an advisory: “The following episode contains depictions of sexual violence that some viewers may find troubling.” However, the depiction is severe and callous. The episode, as well as the show’s finale, conclude with a link to a crisis resource.

Potential impacts on empathy

“Some viewers” warnings raise questions about our collective sensitivity to violence in media. I worry that desensitization to violent content may suggest a broader cultural shift in how we perceive media of this kind, potentially impacting our empathy and response to real-world violence.

As a survivor and violence-prevention educator, I was sympathetic to the character of Donny and to Gadd. However, I could not move past the largely unmediated way the viewer observes the character’s suffering. Seldom do we see stories that show men as survivors of sexual trauma on the screen, and seeing it portrayed this way left me unsettled.

This discomfort is rooted in the knowledge that sexual violence in entertainment media

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
   • Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.

2. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
   • Indicator 16.1.2: Conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and cause.

3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.
   • Indicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease.
   • Indicator 3.4.2: Suicide mortality rate.

Analysis:

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targets, and indicators. The specific findings are as follows:

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The issues highlighted in the article are connected to SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, and SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets that can be identified are:

• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
• Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.
• Target 3.4: By 2030, reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment and promote mental health and well-being.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, there are indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months.
• Indicator 16.1.2: Conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and cause.
• Indicator 3.4.1: Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory disease.
• Indicator 3.4.2: Suicide mortality rate.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Copyright: Dive into this article, curated with care by SDG Investors Inc. Our advanced AI technology searches through vast amounts of data to spotlight how we are all moving forward with the Sustainable Development Goals. While we own the rights to this content, we invite you to share it to help spread knowledge and spark action on the SDGs.

Fuente: theconversation.com

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