Danielle Ware RAP Blog

    Nowadays it seems everyone is striving to “fit in” and be just like everyone else. They are all wearing the name brand fashions, listening to the newest music, and working for that perfect body. Have you ever thought about the kids not following in everyone’s footsteps and just being their own person? The kids who are not fitting the description of “cool” or “popular” are the targets for today’s bullies. Bullying is a rising problem throughout the world.  Kids are faced with bullies everywhere they look; on the school bus, in the bathroom, on the playground, pretty much anywhere they turn. People have started to realize how much of a problem bullying is. Therefore, there are resources for these kids to look too such as anti- bullying organizations. There are also other ways people are spreading awareness, through things such as social media, videos, images, and sharing real life stories from the victims and their families. You can easily access these resources through places like the internet, paper back issues, and simply word of mouth. All of these resources focus on the hope that they can be the difference to help kids choose not to take their own life and look for help.

       There are many tools used when trying to appeal to such an audience. Each tool can affect people differently and help show a greater understanding. Many tools are used more often than others; ones such as pathos, where the writer appeals to the targets through values, sympathies, beliefs and specific emotions of the audience. We also look at the tone of the resource, which is the writer’s attitude toward the subject or reader that comes through specific words that carry certain connotations. Language is another tool we look at, evaluating the type of words and vocabulary a writer uses to come across with. We also see a lot of anecdotes, which is a story the author tells. The last main thing we look for is reasoning, which is the use of logical steps to reason from point A to Z.

       Lee Hirsch recently produced the movie Bully which looks at the stories of many teens and their families who have endured obstacles through bullying. Each story has a different message to get through, but the overall message of the movie is to show how much bullying really occurs during our everyday lives. Bully does a good job of using anecdotes. By being able to hear these teens’ stories and see what they go through daily makes us feel more connected to them. We get connected with five different teens that have been effected by bullying and get a close up view of a family who has lost a son to bullying. One teen, Alex, says he “just does not feel anymore” because he has been bullied so much. We also get the feeling of emotions through pathos. “People think I’m not normal” says one of the teens. Different emotions go through us at different points in the movie, but overall we just feel a sense of discomfort and just want to show hope to these teens. We get emotionally attached to each of the stories and we are moved by the actions shown in the movie. Each person can connect to one of the stories told by the teens; rather it is knowing someone who is bullied, or knowing someone who has taken their life because of bullying or even reevaluating your actions seeing you were once really a bully. All of the emotion really gets people attached to this movie. The tone used throughout the movie is also important. Each family wants people to hear their voice so they are not afraid to really say what they have to say. Using vulgar words or crying and hardly being able to speak are both effective in different ways. They show anger towards the situation and show how much it has hurt them, but then somehow through all of that they show a sense of hope, hope to help other kids so no one has to go through what they went through. The families will give examples of ways the teens are bullied and most of the time that is through word of mouth. Kids are called “fish face” or told to “go hang themselves.” Words are just as hurtful as actions and through the tone used in this movie we are able to see that. This is just one way we are shown how much bullying is taking place. If you have not seen the movie here is the trailer.

       AntiBullying000 released a video on YouTube that focuses its attention to the stop bullying movement. This video is again very touching through the use of pathos. But this video does it differently than Bully. The video plays through images of kids and teens impacted from bullying. It shows some of the emotions and facial expressions of these particular kids. We see kids alone, upset or kids actually getting bullied by others. It is moving because it makes you feel bad for them and just want to go through the computer and give them a hug or tell them it will be okay. We also see a use of reasoning. The video starts off with what bullying looks like, there are many types of bullying and the video tries to show all the different scenarios. Then they take the video to the result of all the bullying. It shows teens who have hung themselves or teens with a gun in their hand. It is trying to show that because of the bullying that happened in the first place, this is the result teens turn too. The tone we see through the video takes these kids to a dark place where they feel like they cannot get up. The have anger just like the teens and families in Bully. They also show defeat in a way that they see no hope coming soon, which is difficult to realize. These teens are just simply depressed and need something or someone to lift them up. There are many places victims can turn to, to look for help.

    “Bullying is for Losers” is a community Facebook page that I recently found online. It is open to the web and their goal is to spread hope for those being bullied. You can look through the page and find many inspirational quotes and images. The group is well known with over 14,000 followers. Each day the site tries to post something, rather it is a quote or a question for people to respond too. There was a black and white image I found that really spoke to me. First the colors were black and white because this girl was in a dark place and had no place to turn, like in the stop bullying video. She seems isolated and lonely. She is holding herself in a closed off way, seeming powerless. Her mouth is covered with “Stop Bullying” because that is what she wants to say. The author uses the front view to draw all the attention to the girl and the things written all over her body. The language showed on her shows numerous things she has been called. “Fat,” “Boring,” “Ugly” are just a few examples. The audience of this image can be anyone throughout the internet, but it is really targets the bullies. The tone of this image is like the “Stop Bullying” video because we see this girl here again in this dark place, but when we compare it to Bully, Bully uses personal information to express the tone, unlike these two. We do not know this girls story, but we can see what these words have done to her; they have taken her to a dark place and all she wants to say is stop bullying. Throughout the Facebook site you get this feeling of reassurance and hope for those victims. It has a broad audience, seeing it is on the internet, many people are able to view it.

       In the “Stop Bullying” video another effect it has is the song playing in the background, “Hero” by Superchick. The language of this song is much different from the Facebook page. Here the lyrics are giving a view as an outsider and making you think about being the change. The language seen on the Facebook image are words the young girl has been called. That works well for the image because it is easy to see what it wants to get across. The song takes a different approach and writes from someone who sees these things from the other side. The main line of the song is “heroes are made when you make a choice.” This phrase could not be truer. To be a hero you do not have to do something so dramatic, something as simple as helping a victim when you see they are down. Just giving them a hand and giving them the motivation they need, can make you the biggest hero. The lyrics suggest being the change, but then also look at individual scenarios. “It's not like you hate him or want him to die But maybe he goes home and thinks suicide Or he comes back to school with a gun at his side And a kindness from you might have saved his life.” It is amazing how much you can feel through the words of a song. The song is perfect for the video because this is what these kids go through and all they need is a hero. Each source shows a way to reach out to these teens and show them there is help. You can find the rest of the lyrics here.

      After searching through each of these resources the one I feel most useful is Bully. Even though I feel they each speak their own story and have their own way to spread awareness, Bully does the overall best job. The use of anecdotes is hard to beat. Hearing first hand from the families and teens and seeing their emotions is just overwhelming. Being put in their shoes and taking a walk in their life and certain things they have to overcome only makes you feel more like you are going through it as well. Throughout the movie we feel many emotions and are really moved from the actions of these bullies. How is it these kids still feel the urge to bully when there are cameras following this story? This itself shows how much bullying happens every day and that kids are not hesitant to show it. Lee Hirsh did a great job touching all the people who watch this movie. Being a victim himself, he knew he had to do something extreme to really show how much of this is really happening and how oblivious people are to it. This movie was the answer. Through all his different techniques his movie will hopefully spread awareness and help these struggling teens.

     In the end, we only want to find the answer for these teens. Hearing that they feel giving up their life is the only choice they have is heart breaking. We each have a choice and that is to either sit back and watch this happen or to really stand up and do something about it. These are just three different ways we are shown how to spread awareness. Looking at all of these sources certainly will make you feel something and want to take action. Bullying is real and it is happening every day. It is time to put a stop to it.                                                                     
                                                                    Works Cited

AntBullying000. “Stop Bullying.” 2009. Web. 5 March 2013.

Bully. Dir Lee Hirsh, 2012. Film.

Facebook Inc. “Bullying is for Losers.” Last Modified 18 Mar 2013. Web. 5 Mar 2013.