h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,12589,1333141,00.html

So Tracey Emin's film is getting an 18 certificate. Apparently, one reason for this is that there is a lingering shot of a girl killing herself, and I quote:

"The BBFC said the explicit shot could demonstrate to teenagers a particularly dangerous technique of suicide."

Now, I'm not an expert on suicide, but it seems to me that the DANGEROUS techniques of suicide are, at the end of the day, the ones you're after. I mean, the SAFE techniques are the useless ones, right?



H.

Umm, err, well.

Maybe they meant to say 'a dangerously easy method of suicide to copy'. Or maybe Gaurdian journalists are illiterate. Personally, I favour the latter.

some ways of suicide are more dangerous than others(pills versus guns maybe), often with teenagers, suicide is a cry for help......... although if someone is serious they will succeed what ever way thay choose

No dear, no way of committing suicide can be more dangerous than another. The whole objective of suicide is ending up dead. You can't have a less dangerous way of committing suicide, in teh same way as one cannot be 'a bit dead'.

'in teh same way as one cannot be 'a bit dead'.'

Not true - I've tried having a conversation with you on a Monday morning

This post has been removed.

''in the same way as one cannot be 'a bit dead'.'

Not true - I've tried having a conversation with you on a Monday morning'

Hello, Mr. 'I take four weeks to answer a simple question'.

I would've thought that hosepipe/car method is 'riskier' as there's a risk of being found before the 'jobs done' and ending up in a persistent vegetative state (or whatever it's called).

I think that people wake up in operations and show no signs of being awake yet they still feel the pain of the op. Maybe pills may seem like 'drifting off' but is in fact painful?

I worked in an insurance company and confirm that people can be a 'bit dead' - particularly the part of the brain labelled 'personality'.

I can't help but feel that this is in fact one way to be sure that her film will be watched by the target audience. Purely going on my own experiences, but anything that was aimed at my age, when a teenager, that was supposed to warn/inform about issues and problems was almost guarunteed to be ignored or have the p taken out of it by us. The real issue of this, to my mind, would not be the shot of someone killing themselves, but rather how it was presented. If it was presented in a glib or sanitised way then it isn;t going to do much to dissuiade anyone. If, however, the suicide is portrayed ina realistic way then it could help inform and educate those it is aimed at.
I seem to recall when I was in about my 2nd or 3rd year the fire brigade coming round with footage of arson attacks and the charred remains of a human being inside the house. The shock value certainly had a more informing impact than 'dont play with fire' messages.
On the other hand, I really don;t see how the BBFC could have done any differently.

"I suppose a gun could be a more dangerous method of suicide... if as you're holding the gun to your head your hold your head against someone else's head. Then it would be dangerous FOR THEM."

Ah, the dangers of passive suicide...

B

officially murder if you remember the darwin awards.

"The BBFC said the explicit shot could demonstrate to teenagers a particularly dangerous technique of suicide."

They seem to have missed the important point that 18 and 19 year olds are also teenagers. So they are clearly talking cobblers before they've started.

Just what is this technique we're talking about anyway?

There are dangerous methods of suicide just like there are dangerous ways of doing most things.

Pilss present he danger of serious organ damage if you don get the right amount or are rescued. Similarly guns present their own dangers.

I think the idea of Emins film is to give people an insight into someones personal story of wanting to kil herself. It doesnt need to be educational or responsible, its art, just you can like it dislike, be moved or untoouched by it.

Im glad it has not been censored completely or partly and will still be available to those who want to see it.

Im slightly diheartend that it has got such a high classifacation. Phil Redmond said the only drug taking he would not show was glue sniffing as it was too easy for people to copy as an drug taking experiement/experience. Whatever this simple method of suicide is Id imagine no one who isnt already intent and will therefore find another method anyway, would copy the film as an experiment.

one love

<<"The BBFC said the explicit shot could demonstrate to teenagers a particularly dangerous technique of suicide.">> (Guardian)

<> (Hoo)

Well, yes. Obviously.

When I lived in Toronto my friend's father worked for the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) and it turns out that *every day* somebody throws themself in front of an oncoming subway train, though they never let this information get out.

This to me is a very dangerous form of suicide as most people survive, but perhaps without a limb or two or else being paralysed for life. I mean, if they were depressed *before* then how are they going to feel after this botched suicide attempt?

Of course the other thing to bear in mind is that many suicide attempts *are* calls for help, so in these cases it is good that they used 'safe' methods in an attempt to off themselves.

Anyhow, I disagree that this film should not be available to teenagers. But that is probably because I disagree with censorship in general.


az

There is a 'safe' way.

Commit suicide in a padded room.

Now that would be interesting.

Why is that people feel so able to pontificate on what it is that someone who has attempted suicide is trying to do? Why do people so able to accuse the suicidal of histrionics?

Stealth,

I don't think that anyone who has never considered suicide as an option can actually ever know or understand what it is that drives a person to this.

Saying that someone is crying out for help is not the same as saying they are exhibiting histrionic behaviour. I disagree with the word 'histrionic' as it makes the person's attempt to kill themself seem somewhat superficial. It is never this. That much I know.

Perhaps people are so afraid of this idea that they have to find 'safe places' for them to understand it - so maybe some find it easier to dismiss someone as being 'histrionic'. I don't know.

They say that the person who talks the most about committing suicide is the person least likely to ever actually follow through with it. But I always take anyone telling me this as being deadly serious. I try to help as much as I can.


az

I'll sometimes talk openly about my suicidal feelings, thoughts and plans or my need to use self-harming behaviours. I've had 3 suicide attempts this year. I know that each one of those attempts was a genuine move to end the despair, misery and pain.

In my opinion the person that talks most about committing suicide is just as likely to be the person most desperately looking for reason that can believe in to live.
Yes, I know that there are a *few* people that do thinks it's cool in someway to pretend to themselves, or others that they are going through what for example Kurt Cobaine did...

To me "cry for help" always sounds more like "cry wolf" or "just an attention seeker".
When one gets to the point of taking their life, they're doing it because they *'know'* absolutely there is no-one who can lift them up from the dark places. No-one can fix it them, fix it all and make the hurting stop. No-one but the pretty little pills, the friendly razor blade or that bullet in the gun.

<>

Not to me. To me it feels like a sincere cry for help.

Like your last posting.

Don't go, okay? Keep talking. Don't give up. At least, don't give up on the people who care about you. Hey, suddenly you have made me care about you very much, though I don't know you personally. This matters. You did this. You made the connection. And this matters.

This helps, but you also have to let people help. As much as they can.

Not sure what else I can say.


az