The difficult thing about being in school and maintaining Yow Yow! at the same time is that you can’t fall behind in either. Technically, I can fall behind with Yow Yow! and I generally do, but that means I forget about stuff I want to talk about or too much time has passed that it becomes irrelevant to bring up again. Earlier this week, I was catching bits and pieces about a news story in which a new documentary called Bully was stamped by the MPAA with an R-rating. The Weinstein Company attempted to appeal this for a PG-13 rating, but was denied due to the language that the children used in the film.
This was a controversial decision that most people aren’t happy with. The kids that should be seeing this movie are the ones doing the bullying and most of them are under 17 and won’t be able to because of this rating. Over 165,000 people have signed the petition, but is it enough?
I just watched the trailer myself and though it was only 2:21 minutes long, it was still enough to wrap me in. I remember after hearing the news about this movie earlier on this week and walking across my campus and thinking to myself about how bullying in college doesn’t really happen. I don’t see anyone throwing people’s stuff on the ground or name calling. And that has a lot to do with the maturity levels of college students and the fact that I go to the school that I do, but then I remembered that our “bullying” happens online because let’s just be honest about this here – when you’re a kid, you don’t know better so you’re not scared to become confrontational, but behind a computer screen, you’re in new territory. You can be anonymous. You don’t have to answer to anyone. You also don’t have to face a person’s reaction. In some of the recent social media pages created by Seattle University students – ie) Twitter accounts, Seattle U Memes, Likealittle there is a tinge of “bullying” present. Maybe you wouldn’t categorize it like that right away or maybe you believe it leans towards being more humorous, but if you look closely it’s there and catty. People are calling people out both subtly and obviously and if you’re doing it just to get a laugh then you should find some other outlet other than public humiliating someone.
Middle school and high school aren’t easy. You’re trying to figure out who you are, what you want in life, and who you want to surround yourself with. It’s an awkward stage and you don’t need anyone else trying to make it any harder for you. I have never consistently been bullied in my life, but I know what it’s like to be judged, to be teased, and to be called names for no reason at all – simply because I had different interests. What I’ve come to realize is that there are some people that don’t like different in this world. They don’t like change and as a result they try to keep things the same. Well, get off your high horse please and let people be themselves. I almost was about to type that it wasn’t justified or fair the behavior that I had towards me and that “it is what it is.” But then I realized I have a problem with that. In this trailer, the faculty of schools are disregarding the bullying behavior because they argue that “kids will be kids.” Oh really? If kids come home feeling this way or harming themselves, are you still going to say “kids will be kids?” These things weren’t significant enough to make me feel angst towards my high school years, but regardless you never forget it. As kids being bullied or teased, you will never forget those remarks or those people.
I just don’t see any reason for it. I think I’ve said enough, but I’m going to leave you with some last words from Miss Connie Wang who once gave this piece of advice,
“People who go out of their way to be snotty to you are tiny little people with tiny little brains so forget them…and don’t be a snot yourself.
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