【the eroticism of emasculation: confronting the baroque body of the castrato summary】

Perhaps the most widely agreed-upon assessment of 13 Reasons Why is that there's way too much Tony. That's not a dig at actor Christian Navarro,the eroticism of emasculation: confronting the baroque body of the castrato summary whose portrayal of the uncomfortably wise and ever-present character keeps him from being insufferable, but an online theory floating around this week accounts for all of that.

Tony is -- wait for it -- a ghost.

This theory is 100% not true, duh, and we'll prove it to you.

The nature of Tony as a spiritual entity is a bit unclear; some theories treat him like a real ghost, while the more appropriate assessment is that he's like a guardian angel looking out for...every single student at Liberty High. Tony is seen by every character in the show, including teachers and parents. If he's an apparition, he's a collective one, which also pushes the show from drama right into a sci-fi fantasy amalgam that should only be touched by Damon Lindelof.

So just why do some fans think he might be a ghost? Well...

Argument 1: Tony is literally everywhere.

More than once, Clay accuses Tony of following or stalking him while he listens to the tapes, which Tony insists isn't true. He provides exposition, explanations, context, and analysis for Clay and everyone else he talks to, helping them cope with their pain and confusion.

Rebuttal: Tony isn't the first omnipresent spirit guide in a teen story, and he won't be the last. It's not a hint about his ties to the spirit world -- it's just lazy writing.

Argument 2: Tony is very wise.

Tony's level of zen while he helps Clay through the tapes is admirable, enviable -- and suspicious. Is this really another 17-year-old dealing with the death of a classmate, or does he do this professionally as some kind of spirit liaison?

Rebuttal:Ah, there's that writing again. There are far better techniques to disseminating story themes than having a character narrate and outline them in red pen (in other parts, the show does opt for these subtler methods), and Tony didn't have to be the one to do it every time.

Argument 3: He doesn't have a clear social group.

Tony is a drifter, able to move between cliques but generally opting to fly solo.

Rebuttal: Not all high schools are as segmented as classic teen media would have us believe. Clay doesn't fit squarely into the jock or nerd box or any other specified category, which is why he and Tony connect (as humans).

Argument 4: Hannah leaves him the tapes.

Considering how little they interacted, why didHannah leave the tapes to Tony? Why not another random classmate, even more of a stranger? Why not Jessica or Alex? Tony represents something to Hannah, something no one else seems to see.

Rebuttal: Hannah wasn't close to Tony, but her tragic story shows she wasn't really close to anyone. She was extremely, profoundly alone, and she saw Tony as someone trustworthy. When he first receives the tapes, Tony starts listening and immediately calls the police and the Bakers' house, doing everything he can to prevent Hannah's death if it isn't too late. He experiences his own horribly unique trauma surrounding her passing; that experience and those feelings are valid and don't make him a supernatural being.

H/T: E! News

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