Logan Paul is a 22-year-old mega-vlogger and YouTuber. He’s racked up over 15 million subscribers with daily vlogs and music videos. On December 31, Paul uploaded a vlog of himself in a cartoonish hat and sweatshirt, and his friends at Aokigahara, a “haunted” forest in Japan. It’s colloquially called the “suicide forest.”
The thumbnail features a blurred-out corpse. The tone is inappropriately silly and light-hearted; they enter the forest joking about Gucci jackets, apples, and Americans. Upon discovering the body, the group expresses shock, but they don’t turn off the camera and leave. They move closer.
When one group member expresses that he “doesn’t feel good,” Logan responds with, “What, what? You never stood next to a dead guy?” then dissolves into giggles. His friends also joke about the situation. Eventually, they leave and alert authorities. Other YouTubers and viewers quickly responded to the video, reflecting on their own and family members’ struggles with mental health, expressing disgust at the exploitation of a suicide victim, and worrying about how this would affect Paul’s younger fan base.
Many disputed Paul’s claim that he intended to raise awareness about mental health issues and support suicide prevention. Fellow YouTuber Casey Neistat called the vlogger’s bluff, saying that he should donate to suicide prevention organizations and give airtime on his channel to suicide prevention PSAs if he actually wants to make meaningful contributions.
Logan Paul used a suicide victim’s corpse as a prop to get more views. He disrespected not only a specific suicide victim, but all suicide victims, people who struggle with suicidal thoughts, the location he was in, and Japan in general.
It’s not OK to laugh, joke, and swear in a video like this. Don’t joke about your Gucci jacket and Fiji water as you enter a place where people go to kill themselves. When viewers struggling with suicidal thoughts see a famous YouTuber joking about suicide, they may see their own battles reduced to a joke, dissuading them from seeking help.
Moreover, it is inappropriate to visit a sensitive location in a foreign country and act the way Paul did. He seems not to realize what a huge and delicate issue suicide is in Japan, and is probably uneducated on the cultural factors and stigmatization that play into the issue.
Suicide rates in Japan are shockingly high — the sixth highest in the world. 19.5 people per 100,000 Japanese citizens kill themselves (compared to 11.3 Canadian citizens) and suicide is the leading cause of death among people in the 15–39 age group.
There are a few Japanese-specific cultural factors that may be influencing the suicide rates. There are historical precedents, such as the traditional honourable suicide used by samurais, that demonstrate how a less critical view of suicide may have evolved over time, given its past symbolism as a way to die with dignity. Other factors include the economic downturn that has left many Japanese citizens unemployed and a general permissive attitude towards killing oneself.
Japanese culture does not consider suicide immoral or sinful the way many countries dominated by Christianity and similar religions do. Suicide is sometimes seen as a “rational” choice when faced with incredible difficulties. It’s also a taboo topic, and many Japanese citizens suffer in silence until it’s too late.
Near the end of the video, an official informs Paul that the area he was in is restricted and he wasn’t supposed to be there. Paul’s response leads me to think that he doesn’t care, and possibly already knew that, and chose to disrespect those rules. It’s just another sign of his blatant, continuous disrespect.
It’s not impossible for YouTubers to discuss suicide respectfully. Alasdair McLeod published a video in 2014 showing some clips from his trip to Aokigahara. The video is sombre and thoughtful. In the description, the YouTuber writes a narrative of his experience. No jokes are made. A woman is shown, but she is alive, possibly grieving or thinking. Her presence is acknowledged but not dwelled upon.
VICE’s video on the Suicide Forest in Japan, published May 2012, includes a trigger warning, a local expert, and an overall reverent, informative, and hopeful tone. Indecisive victims, as well as relevant parts of Japanese culture, are mentioned. Dead bodies are shown, but not exploitatively or disrespectfully, and only briefly.
TFIL published an hour-long video exploring the forest. While doing so, they encounter a dead body, but they chose not to show it on camera. The group seems well-informed of the culture and customs, and though they banter and swear, they avoid directly disrespecting suicide victims.
(Are you taking notes, Logan Paul?)
To be clear, trigger warnings, a respectful tone, and being knowledgeable of local culture and customs are all good. Exploiting suicide victims, furthering a horrible reputation for American tourists in foreign places and generally acting like a dumbass is bad.
