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Tag: bully

  • Selena Gomez Blasts Instagram Bully

    Selena Gomez Blasts Instagram Bully

    Selena Gomez doesn’t get controversial on social media. It’s not in her nature and she knows that what she says always has the potential for being taken out of context–and that could mean the beginning of a tabloid scandal. This time the former Wizards of Waverly Place star and supposed girlfriend of Justin Bieber couldn’t sit by and let a bully get the best of her, so she blasted the Instagram user with a comment of her own.

    The account has now been taken down, but the user told Selena Gomez she should ‘burn in hell with cancer.’

    Selena then replied on another of the user’s photos–took a screen shot of her comment–and shared it with her followers via Instagram.

    The Come & Get It singer preceded her photographed comment with a caption, too.

    “Honestly, I don’t speak up much because it’s simply *always* taken out of context. But I don’t take bullying well. I have seen too much to not say anything.”

    So how do you suppose people reacted to the fact that Selena Gomez spoke out and blasted this girl via social media? Lots of folks applauded her efforts to blast bullying. However some felt she crossed a line and publicly embarrassed this girl unnecessarily. As of Monday, Selena’s Instagram post had more than 34,000 comments.

    This isn’t the first time Selena Gomez has spoken out about bullying. In March she spoke at the We Day California youth conference, telling those assembled there to “have each other’s backs.”

    She even publicly recalled being bullied when first starting out in the entertainment industry.

    “It does more than knock the wind out of you. It crushes you when people try to tell you you’re not good enough,” she said.

    “Please just be kind to each other and love and inspire people…Let’s change the game. The most important thing is that we learn and we continue to learn from each other,” she added.

    Do you think Selena Gomez was too harsh when blasting this Instagram bully? Might she have served a better purpose by quietly contacting the girl in private and sharing her personal concerns? Or do you think all bullying should be called out as a means of trying to stop all such actions?

    Martin Luther King, Jr. often said in his speeches that “violence begets violence.” Is this a case of bullying begets bullying?

    Selena Gomez has a kind heart and no doubt meant to do the right thing by leaving this comment. Did she succeed or should she have done things differently?

    Image via Instagram

  • Delia Garcia-Bratcher: Did Mom Attack Wrong Kid?

    When it comes to childhood bullying, many parents wish to protect their kids from the monsters on the playground.

    When California mother Delia Garcia-Bratcher heard that her young daughter was being targeted by a boy at school, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

    It’s reported that the 30-year-old mother went into the Olivet Elementary School on Friday at about noon. The woman is then alleged to have grabbed a 12-year-old boy around the neck and verbally threatened him over bullying her daughter.

    Garcia-Bratcher was arrested and is currently out on a $30,000 bail.

    Today police revealed that the angry mom may have went off on the wrong child.

    “So far we found no [link] between the kids,” Lt. Steve Brown told ABC News.

    The officer revealed that an investigation showed that the two youngsters had virtually nothing in common. They didn’t ride the same bus, have the same classes, or eat lunch near each other.

    “We don’t know if it was the right student or if bullying was even occurring,” said Brown. “There is no connection so far.”

    So a mom barged into a school full of children and violently accosts a child over a series of incidents that might not even have occurred?

    Whoops.

    Even if Garcia-Bratcher had absolute proof that the boy in question was bullying her child, it wouldn’t make her actions any less illegal or problematic. The victim would still be an 12-year-old boy and she would still be a 30-year-old mother.

    When you are the adult in a situation involving children, you must act accordingly. Garcia-Bratcher should have contacted school officials, launched a complaint, or taken her daughter out of the school in question. Assaulting a child is rarely the answer and will often result in a great deal of legal troubles, as Garcia-Bratcher is now learning.

    Now not only is this mom left in a situation where she could be wrong in every single way, she has landed in seriously hot water following a failure to set a good example for her daughter.

    Image via YouTube

  • Porsha Williams Says Kenya Moore Bullied Her For Two Years

    Porsha Williams, one of the women in the reality series Real Housewives of Atlanta, opened up about her recent fight with one of her co-stars, Kenya Moore.

    The on-screen catfight happened during the show’s reunion special that was aired a few weeks ago. The two women attacked each other verbally on the show and Moore brought a scepter and a megaphone with her to use as props, but Williams saw them as “weapons.” Williams then fought back by grabbing Moore by the hair and dragging her on the floor.

    Williams said that the brawl had been a long time coming. Last season, Williams was going through a divorce with her then husband Kordell Stewart and Moore was quick to say that Williams was cheating on him. She also called Kordell Stewart a homosexual, which only further infuriated Williams.

    Williams says her other co-stars knew about Moore’s bullying. “They knew the bullying she had put me through for two years straight.” Because of that, the other women of RHOA were not entirely surprised by the brawl.

    Williams was arrested a few days after the catfight, as Moore pressed charges against her. In a statement, Moore said that violence is “never an option” and that’s why she called the cops on Williams.

    The Atlanta police conducted an investigation on the incident which included a review of unedited footage from the reunion show. As a result, Williams was charged with battery, but was later released on a $2,000 bail. Williams was cooperative throughout the investigation in the hopes of clearing her name. When asked by The View about her charges, she only answered, “Just like everybody else who gets charged with something like that, I have to go to court.”

    Williams is now deliberating whether to press charges against Moore for bringing a scepter to the reunion and using it as a “weapon.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Donovan McNabb Reacts To Bully Accusations

    During a recent interview, Donovan McNabb opened up with his thoughts on the recent bullying accusations that have been thrown at him. His former teammate from 2004-2010, Shawn Andrews, claims that McNabb made his career on the team “a living hell” by spreading vicious rumors about him.

    “He was the type of person that had everything in the world he could want, but that still wasn’t enough,” said Andrews. “He wanted the attention on him. There was a whole lot of that behavior. He wasn’t just that way with me. I’m thinking, ‘Every day I strap on my shoulder pads and helmet, I’m here to protect you … He was a big part of it — he was a big part of my issues there. Bully is a strong word, but he was degrading to me and spread rumors. It’s bothered me that I haven’t really spoken about it.”

    McNabb says the accusations are “ridiculous”, and that he is not now, or has ever been, a bully.

    “That is ridiculous. I don’t know what comments you expect to get from me, but that is news to me and completely false. For me to bully anybody, that sounds unbelievable. . . .I don’t really understand why this would come about, one, and two, how this would even be an accusation. If there’s anything I can say, I was more than open to Shawn. I always tried to be open to all the guys. I’d invite them over to my house. I’d have holiday dinners or team functions, especially for the offense, every year. I’d buy all the guys gifts, if I made the Pro Bowl or not, for an appreciation. Shawn was one of the most talented offensive linemen we had. I was always happy to have him.

    Although McNabb has consistently denied the accusations, Andrews is standing firm in saying that McNabb did bully him. “I just did it for my conscience, man,” Andrews said. “I did it for my freaking conscience, man. The normal thing to do is deny it, especially if I was in that position. So many people are coming at me, defending him because of his superstar status, but they didn’t work with him. Shawn Andrews worked with him and for him. I laid it on the line for him.”

    Andrew’s accusation comes not long after Miami Dolphin’s offensive lineman, Richie Incognito, was accused of harassing one of his fellow teammates. McNabb thinks it is odd that these accusations would suddenly pop up. “Does this seem kind of odd that all of a sudden my name would pop up in a situation like this?” McNabb said. “I haven’t played with Shawn in years. I haven’t said anything bad. It’s odd to me because again, my name is a lightning rod anytime it’s mentioned. If there were issues that were going on, wouldn’t that have come out? I don’t believe bullying answers anything. I’m really taken aback by this whole accusation.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Sibling Bullying Could Affect Mental Health, Shows Study

    A new study published this week in the journal Pediatrics shows that the aggression so commonly seen among siblings can negatively impact the mental health of children and adolescents.

    Researchers from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) looked at sibling aggression data from the UNH Crimes Against Children Research Center’s National Survey of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV), which samples 3,599 children with ages ranging from one month old to 17 years old. They found that 32% of children surveyed report at least one type of sibling bullying over the past year, which includes physical violence, psychological abuse, or property aggression (breaking or stealing things). Upon further analysis, the mental health of those children was found not to differ from children suffering from bullying by peers.

    “Even kids who reported just one instance had more mental health distress,” said Corinna Jenkins Tucker, lead author of the study and an associate professor of family studies at UNH. “Our study shows that sibling aggression is not benign for children and adolescents, regardless of how severe or frequent.”

    Though bullying by peers was previously assumed to affect children more seriously, Tucker and her colleagues concluded that sibling bullying can affect children just as much as peer aggression. The same mental health effects caused by peer bullying were found to result from sibling bullying. The study’s authors have suggested that pediatricians take sibling bullying more seriously, confronting parents with this information and providing them with approaches to mediate sibling conflicts.

  • Bullied Boy Dies After Schoolyard Beating

    Bullied Boy Dies After Schoolyard Beating

    Baily O’Neill, a 12-year-old boy who was bullied and beaten at his Pennsylvania school, has died. He was taken off of life support on Sunday, March 3 – just days after his twelfth birthday.

    According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, O’Neill was a sixth grader at Darby Township School in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. He was allegedly bullied by classmates, one of whom punched O’Neill in the face, breaking his nose and causing a serious concussion. Soon after, O’Neill began having seizures and was put into a medically induced coma.

    Stephen Butz, superintendent for the Southeast Delco School district, has released a statement expressing condolences and assuring the public that the school district is working with authorities to investigate the death.

    The statement, in full:

    Dear Southeast Delco School Community,

    Late yesterday, we were informed about the death of Bailey O’Neill. Bailey was a sixth grade student at Darby Township School. Our school community is deeply saddened by this loss. Our condolences are with Bailey’s family and friends during this very difficult time.

    Additional counselors have been made available to assist our students and staff with the emotions around the death of Bailey.

    The school district continues to work with local authorities in their investigation into the cause of Bailey’s death.

    During this time, our thoughts and prayers are with Bailey’s family and friends.

    Stephen D. Butz, Ed.D.
    Superintendent

    The Inquirer report states that there is video of the bullying incident in which O’Neill was punched. The Delaware County District Attorney’s office is investigating the incident, and an autopsy will reveal more about the cause of O’Neill’s death.

    (Image courtesy the Prayers for Bailey O’Neill Facebook page)

  • Hit That Bully In The Mouth: 7 Instances Of People Taking Their Momma’s Advice

    There are some that would never condone fighting – under any circumstances. And for the most part, I’d say that the “turn the other cheek” philosophy is the best course of action in most situations.

    But I’m sure that some of your mothers (or fathers) told you once that the only way to deal with a bully is to stand up to them.

    And if YouTube has given us anything better than cat videos, it has to be the “bully gets what they deserve” video. They’re everywhere, and here are seven of the best.

    [NSFW, for violence and language]

    Just a few days old, this one may turn out to be one of the more controversial bully videos on the web. That’s because the bully happens to be a girl:

    This old guy obviously has enough of this young bugger:

    We’ve got to take the uploader’s word on this one, as the video starts after the alleged bullying. But according to him, the little guy took crap for about 30 minutes before deciding it was enough:

    Those two punks probably shouldn’t have messed with this guy, who clearly has some experience in the ring:

    This one is more sad than anything. It appears that the younger guy just won’t leave the Vietnam vet alone, and he pays for it in blood:

    Although this bully didn’t choose it, someone his own size decided to mess with him:

    Finally, the king of all bullying videos on the internet. Casey decides he’s not going to take it anymore:

  • Bullied Bus Monitor Receives Over $200K In Donations

    Bullied Bus Monitor Receives Over $200K In Donations

    This is quite an amazing story. Yesterday a video went viral of Karen Klein, 68 of Greece New York, getting bullied while on the job as a bus monitor for a bunch of middle schoolers. Here is the video and I must warn you, It is very graphic and it will break your heart when you see how brutal and malicious these kids are:

    So there you go, someone saw this video on Facebook and downloaded it to Youtube so the world could see how these terrible kids were treating this wonderful lady. One person who saw this video is Reddit user Max Sidorov of Toronto, Canada. The Ukrainian immigrant decided that he wanted to try to give Karen the vacation of a lifetime, so he put a project up on Indiegogo. The project had a goal of sending Karen on the vacation of a lifetime but only if they were able to hit the $5,000 goal that was set.

    Well the project and the video and everything about it went viral. Now the project has 30 days left to get the necessary funding of $5,000 and it sits currently at a whopping $200,000!!!! In the hour that I spent researching and writing this article, the total rose from $180,000 and I fully expect it to skyrocket over the $250,000 mark.

    There was a little bit of a controversy as some people were wondering how Karen was going to get the funds since the account was made by Max and they were worried that he was going to take the money and run. “People are still accusing me of taking the money to run with,” Sidorov told Mashable. “So until I get Karen’s PayPal, its just indiegogo’s payment system for now.”IndieGoGo has now come forward to say that they will make sure that all of the money goes towards Karens fund.

  • South Park Has A Suggestion For The Bully Movie

    The hubbub surrounding the movie Bully and the ratings war the Weinstein Company has been championing was absolutely skewered by Matt Parker and Trey Stone in their latest South Park episode, Butterballs. A quick glance at the background of the movie shows a fight between the Weinsteins and the MPAA over the movie’s rating.

    Josh covered it thoroughly here, but as a recap, the movie was originally rated R due to, among other things, course language. However, because the story was “so important,” the director, Lee Hirsch, and the Weinstein Company balked, wanted the rating changed because, according to their press release:

    Hirsch made the documentary with the intent to give an uncensored, real-life portrayal of what 13 million children suffer through every year.

    And so, after removing the three uses of the word “fuck,” the movie was given its PG-13 rating, apparently making it more accessible to parental units who don’t know how to discuss the use of such language with their children, and so, they’d rather shield them from it. While such capitulation is fine and good, the guys over at South Park Studios asked an important question about the movie, as well as all the grandstanding involved with it.

    If the story is such an important one to tell, why not release it on the Internet. For free. And they have a point. The scene in question comes up when Kyle and Stan decide to confront one another in the school bathroom (around the 1:20 mark):


    In case you didn’t catch that: “If it needs to be seen by everybody, why don’t you put it out on the Internet for free?”

    And that, folks, is a very good question. In fact, if the Weinsteins actually went that route–incredibly doubtful–they could logically get sponsors to help offset the costs of such a bandwidth grab. Unfortunately, it’s highly likely that Kyle’s suggestion fell completely on deaf ears.

  • Justin Bieber Sings Diane Warren Song For Bully

    Bully is receiving a lot of attention from the media, mainly for its strong message for the “white elephant in the room” topic, its ratings, along with its interaction with Twitter and various Hollywood celebrities. This documentary (directed by Lee Hirsch) is a film that covers and elaborates on the issue of bullying in the American school system from the viewpoint of five teens who are constantly bullied on a daily basis.

    To help this documentary outreach to the generation its focusing on (teens), a new trailer for Bully has emerged, featuring young teen music star Justin Bieber singing Diane Warren’s “Born To Be Somebody.” The trailer shows various clips and teasers from the documentary with Bieber’s song performed behind it. To view this trailer, please click on the video provided below.

    The PG-13 version of Bully releases tomorrow. This comes after much criticism after language concerns have arisen from the film’s original release on March 30th.

  • New York Yankees Make Video To Support Bully Film

    As a Red Sox fan, it can be hard to find things to like about the New York Yankees. They are, after all, baseball’s Evil Empire, the devil in pinstripes, the perennial rival and sometime dasher-of-hopes to my beloved team. Occasionally, though, they come along and do something that earns the respect of even the most die-hard of Boston fans.

    Yesterday, New York’s YES network released a video promoting the new anti-bullying documentary, Bully. In the video, some of the Yankees’ biggest names – Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Curtis Granderson, and Alex Rodriguez – talk about the serious problems bullying is creating in schools. They encouraging students to step in (safely) when they see classmates being bullied, and to always tell an adult. They also direct viewers to the Bully Project’s website. Check out the video below:

    The documentary film Bully has received a lot of attention in recent weeks. When The Weinstein Company, the production company behind the film, submitted it to the MPAA, the agency slapped it with an R-rating. TWC appealed the decision, arguing that the rating would keep many of the very kids at whom the film was aimed from seeing it. The MPAA denied the appeal, insisting that the R-rating wasn’t as big a problem as TWC argued.

    A massive petition, support from celebrities, and even a letter from Congress fell on deaf ears. After an initial unrated release at the end of March, the MPAA finally agreed to give the film an R rating if director Lee Hirsch agreed to remove three f-words.

    Here’s the official trailer for the film:

  • “Bully” Cuts Some F-Bombs, Lands PG-13 Rating

    When the much-anticipated and controversial documentary Bully expands to 55 new markets on April 13th, it will do so as a PG-13 rated film.

    The MPAA decided to lower the film’s rating not after hundreds of thousands signed online petition letters, or because high-profile Hollywood celebrities came out in support of it, but because director Lee Hirsch cut three f-words.

    Apparently, the three f-words that got the boot were not part of one of the film’s most crucial scenes. The main scene that the MPAA has had such a problem with has actually been left alone. The scene involves on teen being bullied on the bus and contains quite a few upper-level profanities – enough to make the MPAA think it warranted an “R” rating.

    Director Lee Hirsch had this to say on the decision:

    I feel completely vindicated with this resolution. While I retain my belief that PG-13 has always been the appropriate rating for this film, as reinforced by Canada’s rating of a PG, we have today scored a victory from the MPAA. The support and guidance we have received throughout this process has been incredible, from the more than half a million people who signed Katy Butler’s petition, to members of Congress, Governor Mike Huckabee and the many celebrities and others who raised their voices to express deeply felt support for a film that can inspire millions. The scene that mattered remains untouched and intact, which is a true sign that we have won this battle. With an array of great partners, a fabulous educator’s guide and extensive online tools, we can now bring this film unhindered, to youth and adults across our country.

    That scene was not on the table, according to Hirsch. His refusal to edit the schoolbus scene in any way eventually led to the workaround involving the removal of other f-word instances.

    For Bully, it’s been a bumpy road to get to PG-13. After the film was initially slapped with an R rating, The Weinstein Company implored the MPAA to change their minds. Then, a high schooler began an online petition to lower the rating on change.org and it blew up, garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures. The MPAA was even approached by a U.S. Representative and various Hollywood celebs.

    The MPAA reiterated their initial decision, and shorty after that The Weinstein Company decided to buck the MPAA and release the film unrated. It hit select cities with a “pause 13” rating from another movie ratings board and AMC theaters distributed permission slips that parents could sign allowing their child to see the film.

    Bully has been marketed as a must see for kids and adults – to alert everyone to the growing problem of systematic abuse within our nation’s schools. The PG-13 rating definitely means that the film will be seen by a lot more kids.

    Was this the right move from both sides? What do you think about the MPAA, especially the way they played the whole Bully thing? Let us know in the comments.

  • ‘Bully’ to be Released Using an Alternative Ratings System

    Entertainment Weekly is reporting the The Weinstein Company will be using an alternative ratings system in the ads for its new documentary, ‘Bully‘. The movie will be displayed as having a ‘pause 13’ rating that the movie received from Common Sense Media.

    That rating, according to the Common Sense Media website, means the film is appropriate for 13-year-olds, though some content may not be right for kids. A parent must know their own child in regards to whether the movie would be inappropriate, and to that end the controversial content of the movie is combed over in detail in the Common Sense Media review.

    Despite intense pressure the Motion Picture Association of America would not budge on its stance that the move should be rated ‘R’ for strong language. The movie highlights the plight of many children across the country who are bullied at school and online. According to the Common Sense Media Review, the harsh language in the movie is used by children to bully other children:

    “The most brutal language appears in a threatening scene on a school bus, in which an older student tells a younger one that he’ll ‘f—ing end you and shove a broomstick up your a– … I’ll cut your face off and s–t.’ Also several other uses of ‘f–k’ (and its derivatives), especially in the early part of the movie, as well as ‘s–t,’ ‘ass,’ ‘p—y,’ ‘bitch,’ and many derogatory terms for homosexuals (‘f-g,’ etc.).”

    It was reported earlier this week that the movie would be released without an MPAA rating, a move that would normally result in a movie not being screened at major theaters. The grassroots support for ‘Bully’ may change this, though, as the movie will be screened in major theatres. AMC Theatres has put a link to a permission slip on its website, stating:

    AMC Theatres believes people of all ages can benefit from the message of this film. That’s why we are allowing all guests to experience the version of this film that is not rated.

    Has the MPAA finally doomed itself by remaining inflexible? Let me know in the comments section below.

    (via ew.com)

  • “Bully” Asks Twitter Users To Tweet To Stop Bullying

    Yesterday, we received some big news from The Weinstein Company regarding the upcoming documentary Bully. Today, TWC has declared today “Twitter Tuesday” for the film, and they want everyone to show support by making it a trend.

    On Monday, TWC announced that they would be releasing the documentary as unrated on March 30th. This came after a long struggle with the MPAA over an “R” rating that they gave the film.

    Bully was given the rating by the MPAA, narrowly missing the preferred PG-13 rating by just one vote. The Weinstein Company objected, as did hundreds of thousands of people who signed an online petition started by a high school student on change.org. The main qualm that people had with the R rating (for language) was that it would prevent kids from seeing the film, which of course is largely educational.

    The MPAA said that “the R rating is not a judgment on the value of any movie” and that “the rating simply conveys to parents that a film has elements strong enough to require careful consideration before allowing their children to view it,” but TWC decided to buck that rating and go unrated.

    Now, TWC and the filmmakers want Twitter users to “dedicate their tweets” by retweeting this:

    @bullymovie
    Bully Movie     Please RT! “13 million kids get bullied every year. Today take a stand with me and @BullyMovie at http://t.co/I4UXfCwE #BullyMovie“ 1 hour ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    The link takes you to a site where you can sign up to be part of “The Bully Project.” Cynically, this Twitter initiative is good free advertising for the film which opens up soon. On the other hand, it’s a great way to spread awareness of a serious issue and get people to do their own research on the epidemic of bullying in today’s schools.

    As of the writing of this article, Bully has not yet become a national trend. But people are tweeting the message as well as their commentary on the film (which premiered last night in LA).

    @go_nino
    Allie Gonino    Holy cow, #BullyMovie was SO good! Not a dry eye in the place. Can’t believe humans are so horrible to each other. Let’s end this! #love 8 hours ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @anderson
    Anderson    Today is Twitter Tuesday! Make it Trend: Tweet #BullyMovie. Devote Your Tweets to Stop #Bullying (#Tuesday on #Anderson) 2 hours ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    @aaronlinzy
    Aaron Lindsey    When I was a kid a bully only impacted you outside of your home. Today with social networks & cell phones it’s non-stop. #bullymovie 22 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    If you haven’t seen the heartbreaking trailer yet, check it out below:

  • “Bully” Documentary Releasing Unrated on March 30th

    Just a couple of weeks after the MPAA reiterated their decision to keep the upcoming documentary Bully rated R, The Weinstein Company has decided to release the film as unrated by the MPAA on March 30th.

    The film, which chronicles an epidemic of school bullying, was given an “R” rating for language (and missed the PG-13 rating by just one vote). Naturally, this angered those that felt that an R rating would hamper the film’s visibility, as many schools couldn’t show it in their classrooms. Of course, this kind of defeats the purpose of a film like this, which is meant, in part, to be educational.

    Not only did TWC ask the MPAA to reconsider their decision, a grassroots effort to change the rating began online. Through social media and a huge online petition begun at change.org, hundreds of thousands of people expressed their disapproval of the rating. While such public outpouring definitely hit on the MPAA’s radar, they maintained that “the R rating is not a judgment on the value of any movie” and that “the rating simply conveys to parents that a film has elements strong enough to require careful consideration before allowing their children to view it.”

    But it was clear that an R rating would scare off some parents and schools, who would be wary of showing it to children and young teenagers.

    “The small amount of language in the film that’s responsible for the R rating is there because it’s real,” said the film’s director Lee Hirsch. “It’s what the children who are victims of bullying face on most days. All of our supporters see that, and we’re grateful for the support we’ve received across the board. I know the kids will come, so it’s up to the theaters to let them in.”

    “While it’s often heartbreaking and deals with tough issues like suicide, the movie addresses bullying in a frank and relatable way that is age appropriate for teens and relevant for middle schoolers if an adult is present to guide the discussion,” said James P. Steyer, Founder and CEO, Common Sense Media. “The MPAA’s ratings system is inadequate when it comes looking at a movie’s content through the lens of its larger thematic issues.”

    In the past couple of weeks, the MPAA has been approached by a U.S. Representative regarding the film. The cause has also been championed by some Hollywood elite, like Johnny Depp and Meryl Streep.

  • Ex-Rutgers Student Found Guilty Of Hate Crime

    In a world where bad things happen, sometimes even as a prank, innocent people can get hurt. Well now we have A former Rutgers University student was found guilty Friday of invasion of privacy and the hate crime of bias intimidation for using a webcam to spy on his roommate’s tryst with another man before the roommate’s suicide.
    The student, Dharun Ravi, 20, sat expressionless as the guilty verdicts were read in the Middlesex County, N.J., courtroom.

    His former roommate, Tyler Clementi, killed himself in September 2010 by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in New York City after learning his sexual encounter had been caught on camera in a case that touched off a national debate on bullying.

    “He hasn’t lived long enough to have any experience with homosexuality or gays,” attorney Steven Altman said in closing arguments. “He doesn’t know anything about it. He just graduated high school.”

    Prosecutors said that Ravi set up a webcam in his dorm room and captured Clementi kissing another man, then tweeted about it and excitedly tried to catch Clementi in the act again two days later. About a half-dozen students were thought to have seen the live video of the kissing. Within days, Clementi realized he had been watched and leaped from the bridge after posting one last status update on Facebook: “Jumping off the gw bridge, sorry.”

    Ravi could get up to 10 years in prison, by some estimates — and could be deported to his native India, even though he has lived legally in the U.S. since he was a little boy. Before the trial, Ravi and his lawyers had rejected a plea bargain that would have spared him from prison. He would have gotten probation and 600 hours of community service and would have been given help in avoiding deportation.

    At a courthouse news conference after the verdict, Clementi’s father, Joe Clementi, addressed himself to college students and other young people, saying: “You’re going to meet a lot of people in your life. Some of these people you may not like. Just because you don’t like them doesn’t mean you have to work against them.”
    Rutgers said in a statement: “This sad incident should make us all pause to recognize the importance of civility and mutual respect in the way we live, work and communicate with others.”

    (image)@THE_Chris_Envy
    Chris Envy    Jury reaches split verdict in Rutgers webcam trial. For sentencing he will be forced to Skype with his mother for 2 hours a day for life.(image) 1 minute ago via txt ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@MichaelinPhilly
    Michael A Strunk    Ugh. What a f’ing douche. RT @6abc: #BREAKING: Former Rutgers student convicted in webcam case – http://t.co/MkEjRutu(image) 1 minute ago via HootSuite ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@lissa77
    lissa     Technology savvy does not give anyone the right to use it to humiliate another person. Consequences WILL happen! #Rutgers #DharunRavi(image) 1 minute ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

  • “Bully” Gains Support From Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Among Others

    “Bully” Gains Support From Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Among Others

    The Weinstein’s aren’t going down without a fight, they want a PG-13 rating for their documentary “Bully“. The problem is that the MPAA says the movie deserves the R-Rating it was given and they have no plans to change it. However, this isn’t stopping them from gaining support from some pretty big names from within, and outside the industry.

    Academy Award winning actress Meryl Streep, along with her daughter Mamie Gummer, will co-host a screening of the film with attorney David Boies, who was partly responsible overturning Proposition 8 in California. The screening is being setup for New York City, details of the screening are forthcoming.

    Just last week we saw Anderson Cooper and Kelly Ripa co-anchor a screening of the film in New York City, which was presented by Bing. In addition to that screening, Bing also has plans of hosting an additional screening in LA. Johnny Depp has even thrown in his support for the film, it’s unclear what he has planned in regards to his support for the film or if he has plans on hosting a screening.

    In a clear victory for the “Bully” cause, Gerry Lopez, CEO of AMC Theaters, one of the biggest theater chains in the world, spoke out against the R-Rating the movie was awarded by the MPAA, by saying, “To ‘automatically default’ BULLY is a mistake. Automatic default to a rating, a category, a genre… doesn’t matter, is a mistake. The message, the movie and its social relevance defy that kind of formulaic, conventional thinking. AMC will show this movie, and we invite our guests to engage in the dialogue its relevant message will inevitably provoke.”

    Ellen DeGeneres, a huge supporter of the film, devoted some time during an episode of her talk show for interviewing Kay Butler, the teenager who started the petition urging the MPAA to lower their rating of “Bully” from R to PG-13.

    This past Friday, Justin Bieber joined the cause, telling his fans via Twitter about the movie and encouraging them to stand up for one another. To help the cause further, Bieber is currently working with The Weinstein Company on what he can do for the film.

    (image)@justinbieber
    Justin Bieber    just watched the #BULLY movie. really intense. really powerful. we need to stand up for eachother(image) 4 days ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    American clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger is in the works of designing an exclusive t-shirt, based of the movie poster, which will be sold at his stores with a portion of the proceeds going to Facing History and Ourselves. Hilfiger is the first of ten designers that The Weinstein Company plans to ask to donate their time and services for fundraising efforts. Iconic photographer David LaChapelle has also offered his talents towards an advertising campaign for the film.

    The “Bully” cause is even spreading to our nations capital now as over 20 members of Congress have signed on the the bipartisan letter, to the MPAA, which was drafted by Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.). The letter is urges former Senator Chris Dodd, now Chairman of the MPAA, to overturn their initial rating of the film. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has called for a PG-13 rating via Twitter, and has told The Weinstein Company she plans to be more active in her protest of the MPAA’s rating.

    (image)@SenGillibrand
    Kirsten Gillibrand    I strongly support Katy Butler’s @Change petition urging @MPAA to change #Bully‘s rating from R to PG-13. Pls sign & RT http://t.co/jdtPlTU4(image) 1 day ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    (image)@SenGillibrand
    Kirsten Gillibrand    I’m drafting letter to my colleagues to join effort to urge the @MPAA to change #Bully‘s rating to PG-13. So impt that teens see this film.(image) 1 day ago via web ·  Reply ·  Retweet ·  Favorite · powered by @socialditto

    If you’d like to find out more about the documentary “Bully”, you can find the official synopsis of the film below along with the films trailer.

    Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, The Bully Project is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of Americas bullying crisis. The Bully Project follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children. As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers, The Bully Project examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.

    Do you think the MPAA will ever change the rating of “Bully”? Tell us your thoughts in the comment section below.

    If you wish to sign the petition, which has nearly 300,000 signatures, you can do so here.

  • “Bully”: MPAA Receives Letter From U.S. Congressman

    The Weinstein Company’s documentary “Bully” has received some very prominent support, as some members of Congress are beginning to speak up about the film needing a PG-13 rating. The MPAA has pretty much already said that they won’t change the rating of the documentary, but with some members of Congress getting involved, could that be changing?

    Rep. Mike Honda, a Democrat who represents the San Jose, California area, has drafted a letter to MPAA Chairman and CEO Christopher Dodd, asking the former U.S. Senator to change the movie’s rating. You can read the full letter below:

    Dear Senator Dodd:

    We are writing to express our sincere disappointment in the Motion Picture Association of America’s decision to issue an R-rating for the soon-to-be-released documentary Bully. This important project shows the real life anguish of many teenagers in this country who are tormented, harassed, and bullied by their peers. This truth should be shared with as wide an audience as is appropriate and possible. We believe an R-rating excludes the very audience for whom this film is desperately important.
    The current Change.org petition being circulated by Michigan high school junior Katy Butler has attracted over 267,000 signatures to date calling upon the MPAA to reconsider and change the R-rating to PG-13. Creating impediments for millions of teenagers from seeing a movie that could change – and in some cases, save – their lives, seems unreasonable to us. In support of this sentiment, and on behalf of the youth and families who suffer the direct and indirect effects of bullying, we believe that this film should be made available to the audiences to which this is most pertinent, present and urgent.

    The language in the film is a reflection of reality in our schools, on our buses, and online – something these kids experience every single day. It’s not sensationalized “adult content” as your rating suggests and is oftentimes an active part of bullying itself. This depiction is honest, and although striking at times, we should not censor reality. The educational benefit of this documentary, possibly life-saving, appears to clearly outweigh the utterances of profanity.
    We need only remember the story of Ty Field, an 11 year old who took his own life after overwhelming harassment at school, to know that younger audiences need to be exposed to the message behind this film. In short, it is never too early to teach our children the golden rule, empathy, and the repercussions of bullying behavior.
    Research shows more than 13 million kids will be bullied over the course of this year alone, and countless more are bystanders in these tragic situations. Over 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students, proving that our school environments have room to be more conducive for dialogue, knowledge and an exchange of our stories. We cannot hope to control this epidemic without widespread, mainstream educational efforts. This film is an important contribution to this cause.
    We commend the Weinstein Company, Writer Lee Hirsch, and Executive Director Patricia Finneran for tackling this tough issue in documentary form. We are moved by the stories in the film, commend these brave people for their honesty and sincerely hope this film can be viewed by as broad of an audience as possible. With this in mind, we ask you to reconsider the R-rating in the context of its educational importance and life-changing potential.

    Sincerely,

    Mike Honda
    Member of Congress

    If you’re unfamiliar with the film “Bully”, you can watch the official trailer below:

    Do you think the MPAA will ever change the rating of “Bully”? Tell us your thoughts in the comment box below.

  • MPAA Won’t Change “Bully” Rating

    MPAA Won’t Change “Bully” Rating

    Shortly after Katy Butler hand delivered a petition with more than 200,000 signatures to the MPAA, asking them to give “Bully” a PG-13 rating, chairman of the Classification and Rating Administration said the MPAA “shares Katy’s goals of shining a light on the problem of bullying.”

    Sure, that sounds good… but does the MPAA plan on changing the rating of the film? Nope.

    “Katy Butler’s efforts in bringing the issue of bullying to the forefront of a national discussion in the context of this film are commendable and we welcome the feedback about this movie’s rating. We hope that her efforts will fuel more discussion among educators, parents and children“, Joan Graves said in the statement.

    “The R rating is not a judgment on the value of any movie,” Graves wrote. “The rating simply conveys to parents that a film has elements strong enough to require careful consideration before allowing their children to view it.”

    Currently there is nothing in place to change the rating once the Classification and Rating Appeals Board makes a decision, which they did on February 23. It should be noted that numerous members of the board wanted the movie rated PG-13, so it could be shown in schools, but it takes two-thirds vote, rather than majority to change the rating.

    As it stands, the filmmaker can submit a new version of his film with some modified elements and the MPAA will rule if a rating change is in order. It’s unclear at this time if the Weinstein Company will have this done, but we highly doubt that, as they’ve considered leaving the MPAA over the rating of Bully.

    Butler started her petition on change.org, and quickly saw the number of signatures shoot up to more than 200,000. The site paid for her, and her mother, to hand deliver the signatures to the MPAA headquarters in Los Angeles.

    Just today the Weinstein Company released the official trailer for the movie, you can check it out below:

  • “Bully” Trailer Released By The Weinstein Company

    The Weinstein Company has released the official trailer for their much talked about documentary Bully. The trailers release comes on the heels of the MPAA slapping an R rating on the movie, which angered many individuals.

    UPDATE: It now appears as though the MPAA has no plans on changing the rating of the film, which is truly a travesty.

    In an effort to battle against the MPAA rating of Bully, so the film can be shown in schools, there is a petition with over 200,000 signatures that will be hand delivered to the MPAA by 17-year old Katy Butler of Michigan, who initially started gathering the signatures.

    If you’re unfamiliar with the film Bully, it debuted last April at the Tribeca film festival. You an read the official synopsis below:

    Directed by Sundance and Emmy-award winning filmmaker, Lee Hirsch, The Bully Project is a beautifully cinematic, character-driven documentary. At its heart are those with huge stakes in this issue whose stories each represent a different facet of Americas bullying crisis. The Bully Project follows five kids and families over the course of a school year. Stories include two families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into homes, classrooms, cafeterias and principals offices, the film offers insight into the often cruel world of the lives of bullied children. As teachers, administrators, kids and parents struggle to find answers, The Bully Project examines the dire consequences of bullying through the testimony of strong and courageous youth. Through the power of their stories, the film aims to be a catalyst for change in the way we deal with bullying as parents, teachers, children and society as a whole.

    What did you think of the trailer? Is this something you feel should be shown in schools? Let us know your thoughts in the comment area below.

  • MPAA Responds to “Bully” Petition

    MPAA Responds to “Bully” Petition

    A little while ago we brought you a story about a petition asking the MPAA to reconsider its R rating of the documentary Bully. The film, which explores the problem of bullying in American schools, narrowly missed receiving the PG-13 rating that its makers wanted. The Weinstein Company, which produced the film, argued that the R rating would prevent many of the kids who most need to see it from doing so. Many movie theaters do not allow kids under 17 to see an R-rated movie without an adult, and many schools will not screen R-rated films, regardless of subject matter.

    As part of the previous story, I sent the MPAA a request for comment. I asked about the organization’s response to the petition, and to the claim that the R rating would keep some kids from seeing the movie. They had not responded by the time the original story ran, less than an hour later I received the following statement, credited to Joan Graves, head of the Classification and Ratings Administration:

    Bullying is a serious issue and is a subject that parents should discuss with their children. The MPAA agrees with the Weinstein Company that Bully can serve as a vehicle for such important discussions. Unfortunately, there is a misconception about the R rating of this film limiting the audience to adults. This is not true. In fact, many other R-rated movies on important topics, such as Schindler’s List, have been screened in schools and viewed by children accompanied by their parents.

    The voluntary ratings system enables parents to make an informed decision about what content they allow their children to see in movies. The R rating and description of “some language” for Bully does not mean that children cannot see the film. As with any movie, parents will decide if they want their children to see Bully. School districts, similarly, handle the determination of showing movies on a case-by-case basis and have their own guidelines for parental approval.

    The R rating is not a judgment on the value of any movie. The rating simply conveys to parents that a film has elements strong enough to require careful consideration before allowing their children to view it. Once advised, many parents may take their kids to see an R-rated film.

    What do you think of the MPAA’s response? Should kids be allowed to see this movie without their parents? Let us know what you think in the comments.