Politics Buzz The sad, troubling tale of when a teenage Mitt Romney attacked one of his classmates. The Washington Post found numerous eyewitnesses to verify this incident from 1965. Romney has since apologized.
Politics Buzz “I participated in a lot of hijinks and pranks during high school and some might have gone too far and for that, I apologize.”
Shift Buzz There are anti-bullying laws on the books in 48 states — but they don't apply to Indian reservations. One mom is struggling to change that.
Shift Buzz The MPAA gave the movie “Bully” an R rating, making it hard for kids to see it. Now everyone from AMC theaters to celebrities are turning out to protest.
And then tries to attack the skatepark designer when he defends the kids. Apparently the jerk has since apologized.
Movie Buzz …and then try to put the pieces back together again. The documentary, directed by the Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, follows the lives of five families affected by bullying and their determination to make a difference. It's set to release on March 30th, 2012. (via thebullyproject.com)
Music Buzz This is amazing. Colton James Boettcher wanted to make a different kind of “It Gets Better” video, so he teamed up with Madison, Wisconsin's LGBT community for this music video, set to Lady Gaga's “Hair.” Come for the sick choreography, stay for the inspiring message.
Unfortunately, some things will never change. Fortunately, in the future kids will be able to outrun bullies.
Celebrity Buzz Did you know that Bret Easton Ellis says stuff on Twitter? He does!
Culture Buzz Bullying has become a serious epidemic in schools around American, but it's hard to imagine that the bullying comes from a teacher. In this unfortunate case, however, Julio Artuz who attends Bankbridge Regional School in Gloucester County, New Jersey, was the victim of teacher-student harassment. The teacher, who remains anonymous, claims it's just his way of “motivating” his students. You can read the whole story at nbcphiladelphia.
Culture Buzz Michigan Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer responds to Republicans gutting an anti-bullying bill by inserting language that specifically allows bullying to occur based on religious or moral reasons. THANK GOD we have people like her. Unfortunately though, the bill passed.
In honor of National Bullying Prevention Month, the Fine Brothers have the kids watch and react to the Little Zangief bullying video.
Culture Buzz Very clever. What a great idea. (via tumblr.com)
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-bad-ideas-dealing-with-bull...
“Just ignore them” is more for the verbally abusive situations. Let's be honest, it's pretty hard to ignore a rage-fueled sociopath throwing elbows into your kidneys.
At a school dance following his wake, some classmates of Jamey Rodemeyer chanted “We’re glad he’s dead.” Jamey’s sister heard them. Horrible.
The subject of gay bullying has never been so catchy. Mista Majah P has a message, and everybody needs to listen up.
You’re doing it wrong. I don’t really think this girl knows what bullying actually is. (via)
TV Buzz It seems he was miffed about directors bullying prop guys or something. Read more at The Daily Mail.
This is pretty menacing. But probably appropriate payback for the number of cats who've used turtles as taxis.
http://www.ivillage.com/white-house-answers-your-question...
Don't ask questions in a hostile or belittling way. Defeats the purpose.
This is what it looks like when social awareness hashtags backfire. This is the top most retweeted tweet in the trend.
Culture Buzz In response to a recent rise in gay teen suicides, Dan Savage has started the It Gets Better project. Celebrities, politicians, Web stars, and others have joined the hundreds of individuals who have created their own testimonials for the project.
Culture Buzz A 12-year-old girl in Florida was beaten because she has a “boy name” and likes sports. Naturally, the fight began after a Christian Fellowship meeting.
Culture Buzz For anyone who's been bullied, belittled or beaten down, we want you to know: It Gets Better. This list of inspirational videos from celebs and civilians alike is still growing. Add your favorites or record your own and post them in the comments below.
http://mashable.com/2010/10/14/facebook-glaad/
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has joined forces with Facebook in an effort to reduce the amount of anti-gay bullying on the internet. Just think about what can be accomplished; social media has the power to also do good!
Culture Buzz This former bully joins the It Gets Better campaign with a thoughtful video directed at the bullies themselves. “I know high school can be great…and I know you can think you're on top of the world and everything is going your way, but just know that there are people out there who don't agree with the kind of bullsh*t you're throwing out there and the older you get…it gets worse.” [Note: Whether this is real or fake, I don't care. The message is what's important.]
1-866-4-U-Trevor. Start there. Start anywhere. But start by believing that life is worth living and you will find your way.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/opinion/23engel.html?pa...
Teaching children how to get along will require much more than legislation, but a deeper rethinking of what schools should do for their students.