Bullying is wrong! It is unacceptable behaviour that makes the person being bullied feel afraid or uncomfortable. There are many ways that young people bully each other, even if they don’t realize it at the time. Many have a good idea of what bullying is because they see it every day! Bullying happens when someone hurts or scares another person on purpose and the person being bullied has a hard time defending themselves. So, everyone needs to get involved to help stop it.
San Mateo Daily Journal:Potter, 20, plays Becky Jackson on “Glee” and has Down syndrome. She will head the campaign after a report by a local nonprofit agency indicates bullying is widespread against people with disabilities and often unreported. Children with disabilities suffer a silent epidemic of bullying, according to a first-of-its-kind report released by AbilityPath.org yesterday. “Bullying is every parent’s fear,” said Sheryl Young, chief executive officer at San Mateo-based Community Gatepath, which oversees Ability Path.org. “For parents of children with special needs, that fear is exacerbated” - Bill Silverfarb Feb 2011 (‘Glee’ star: Stop bullying kids with disabilities).
Gleefan: Lauren had a trick she used when playing the part of Becky Johnson. “I became that person,” she said. “I practiced my script a lot and my mom would do it with me. She’d say, ‘Wow, you know every single line.’” “She memorizes easily … you never have to feed her lines,” Sinkhorn said. “I’m shocked because she really hasn’t had any formal training. She took drama at Poly, but that’s about it other than her dance lessons she’s been taking since age 2.” Lauren enjoyed the two-day shoot but said it bothered her that when people looked at her, they first saw the Down syndrome. “It’s really hard for me when people see me as a Down syndrome kid,” she said. “I want them to see me as typical.” “She’s so smart and it’s difficult that she can see the differences,” Sinkhorn said. “The kids on ‘Glee,’ they’re all in their 20s and they were all so sweet. But she’d see them and say, ‘I want to be doing what they’re doing.’” Lauren has a lot of plans for the future now that she has graduated (Lauren Potter, an Actress with Down Syndrome, to Star in Glee).
Socialitelife: Not at all. To be quite honest, that doesn’t take up a huge chunk of what really matters about Blaine. After having gotten to know the show a little bit, I was really excited to see that a character like this—such a strong gay character, especially a young, male, out-and-proud teen—was going to make its way onto network television, much less Fox. This is the first time I’d really seen an out student that was so young and innocent and really struggling with the big ordeal that it is to be an out student at such an early age. When other shows present the gay character thing, it’s typically been in much more adult situations, like gay men living in New York or closeted men who are married and struggling with that ordeal, but never really the core of the journey of defining your sexuality. Blaine offers a beautiful counter to that and makes such a great addition to the many-colored palette that is Glee. So as far as me having any reservations about it, no. I read it being like, this would be so cool, whoever gets to play this, it’s going to be a great thing for an already great show. (Justin Thompson Dec 2010) Darren Criss Proud To Play Gay
Out: Criss initially thought he would tell reporters something ambiguous and "idealistic" like "It doesn’t matter if I’m gay or straight -- I’m playing a role." Though new to Hollywood, he’s wise enough to know that such a tactic could have backfired. He concluded, "I didn’t want to make it troublesome." So Criss came out, as it were, as straight, and now he regularly says things like "I think it’s more empowering to everybody, including myself, if I’m articulate about identifying myself as a straight male playing a gay character. Ultimately, that’s more powerful for both communities." Criss’s backstory is so good it seems tailor-made for this moment. He grew up in San Francisco (translation: he’s gay-friendly), where he was a big musical theater geek (see previous); his mom is Filipino and his dad is Irish (so he’s appealingly multicultural); he graduated from the University of Michigan in 2009 (in other words, he’s a smartie); his self-produced EP and the Harry Potter musical parody he and his UM friends made became worldwide viral video hits (he’s creative, resourceful, and of-the-moment); he auditioned three times for Glee (that’s persistence); and he’s still deeply involved in Team StarKid, the theater company he started with his friends in college (he’s grounded). The New Kid on the Block
Darren Everett Criss (born February 5, 1987) is an American television actor, singer-songwriter, musician, and Internet personality. He is best known for his portrayals of Harry Potter in the plays A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel, as well as playing the role of Blaine, an openly gay student at Dalton Academy, in the second season of Glee (Wikipedia).
Criminal Code of Canada: Hate Provisions "Hate" is defined as a crime under two parts of Canada’s Criminal Code: sections 318 and 319. To convict anyone under the Code, very specific proof is required: both of the criminal act itself, and of the intention or motivation to commit the crime. It isn’t enough that someone has said something hateful or untrue; the courts will only find someone guilty if they contravened the Code exactly, and if they did it deliberately. In most cases, hate propaganda communicated through the Internet is an offence under the Criminal Code. Amendments to the Code, made under the Anti-Terrorism Act in December 2001, further clarify measures and offences regarding Internet hate crimes (media-awareness.ca).
Hate crimes (also known as bias-motivated crimes) occur when a perpetrator targets a victim because of his or her perceived membership in a certain social group, usually defined by racial group, religion, sexual orientation, disability, class, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, gender identity, social status or political affiliation. "Hate crime" generally refers to criminal acts that are seen to have been motivated by bias against one or more of the types above, or of their derivatives. Incidents may involve physical assault, damage to property, bullying, harassment, verbal abuse or insults, or offensive graffiti or letters (hate mail) (Wikipedia).
Kenneth Westhues: In the view of some commentators, overconcern with workplace bullying (mobbing, too, in so far as it involves hurt feelings) has relegated to the sidelines what should be front and centre in any workplace: getting the work done well. In 2006, a large award by a British court to a victim of harassment by co-workers sparked intense debate over who, in fact, got taken advantage of by whom. In his 2007 essay on "The Hypersensitive Workplace." David Butcher argues that there is an important line, however elusive, between rudeness and harassment, support and handholding. In a trenchant entry on his Scientific Misconduct Blog, Aubrey Blumsohn laments a situation where "civility, decorum and status" displace genuine ethics. Research and public concern about both bullying and mobbing will doubtless continue, and so will a certain difference of "feel" between the two fields of inquiry. Scholars who prefer to talk about bullying will continue to be a little wary of those who prefer to talk about mobbing, and vice versa. This webpage has been intended to clarify the reasons for that wariness, and to help readers situate themselves in the debate. Bullying vs. Mobbing: a Difference of Priorities and Outlook
Workplace Mental Health Promotion: It is the legal duty of an employer to protect the mental and physical health of employees. That means protection from harassment, violence and bullying. Across Canada, there has been a major push through legislative amendments to make employers more accountable for fostering mentally safe work environments. This push is backed by case law which has found employers liable for exposing employees to unsafe work environments that have caused unnecessary psychological harm. Harassment, Violence, Bullying and Mobbing
Workplace bullying, like childhood bullying, is the tendency of individuals or groups to use persistent aggressive or unreasonable behaviour against a co-worker or subordinate. Workplace bullying can include such tactics as verbal, nonverbal, psychological, physical abuse and humiliation. This type of aggression is particularly difficult because, unlike the typical forms of school bullying, workplace bullies often operate within the established rules and policies of their organization and their society. Bullying in the workplace is in the majority of cases reported as having been perpetrated by management and takes a wide variety of forms. Bullying can be covert or overt (Wikipedia).
Plot Summary: Robbie Levinson (Seth Peterson) and Trey McCoy (Brian J. Smith) are an openly gay couple living in a suburban home near friend and next-door neighbor Kathleen Slansky (Lin Shaye). The 8-year couple plans to hold a commitment ceremony to exchange rings. Trey's mother, Barbara (Cindy Pickett), suggests to Trey, who suggests to Robbie, that the couple consider raising a child. Under pressure, Robbie expresses his wish to "worry about one thing at a time." When Chris Boyd (Chad Donella) arrives next-door with a moving truck with friend Alton Kachim (Luke King), they disgustedly watch Trey kiss a nervous Robbie. Alton annoys Chris with his homophobic jokes, and suggests they "do something about it." Chris makes unprovoked, threatening remarks toward Robbie, telling Robbie he will "go to hell" and warns “watch his back." Chris is a youth pastor and the son of Pastor Boyd (Bruce Davison) who vehemently condemns homosexuality. Chris delivers Robbie his church's pamphlet after Kathleen refuses it and threatens retaliation should Chris get involved. Robbie subsequently learns of the church and Pastor Boyd, who is angered to learn Chris has long estranged his presumed daughter-in-law. While walking his Boston Terrier, Trey is brutally attacked with a baseball bat and is taken to a hospital where Robbie and Trey's parents are told he is hemorrhaging and lies in a coma. Under criminal investigation, the Boyd family conspires to agree on Chris's alibi. Robbie commits to a child, but Trey soon suffers severe brain hemorrhage and dies, having never awakened since the attack. Robbie dons himself and Trey with their commitment rings at Trey's viewing. The investigation is transferred to homicide Detective Esposito (Giancarlo Esposito), who asks Robbie if he killed Trey, pointing out his insurance policy and the fact that Robbie’s were the only set of fingerprints on the bat. Robbie is arrested and given a restraining order for assaulting Chris after a failed attempt to get a surreptitiously tape-recorded confession from Chris. Esposito moves to make a case against him. Robbie enters Chris's home and finds gay porn in his internet bookmarks. Pastor Boyd confronts Chris with a private investigator’s photographs of Chris meeting for anonymous gay sex on multiple occasions, and it is revealed that Chris was on such an outing on the night of the murder. Detective Fisher (Farah White) contacts Alton, who surmises that Chris killed Trey, because he phoned his parents' home and he was not there. Pastor Boyd confronts his son and confesses to murdering Trey. Robbie tape-records Pastor Boyd confessing to the murder and turns the tape over to Esposito. Esposito refuses to move against the pastor and confiscates the tape, but Barbara recovers it. Chris contemplates suicide yet refuses to testify against his father at Robbie's plea, he does however leave his father's gun. Robbie, Kathleen, and Barbara conspire and execute a plan to kill Pastor Boyd in a disguised break-in to retrieve the tape-recording. With Chris's testimony against his dead father, Esposito reluctantly accepts the staged break-in as fact (Wikipedia).
Credits: Director: Tommy Stovall Writer: Tommy Stovall Cast: Seth Peterson, Bruce Davison, Chad Donella, Brian J. Smith, Cindy Pickett (IMDB).
Accomplishments: 2005 Breckenridge Festival Best Director - Tommy Stovall; 2005 Breckenridge Festival Best Supporting Actor - Chad Donella; 2005 Breckenridge Festival Best Supporting Actress - Lin Shaye; 2005 Dallas Out Takes Audience Award Best Feature Film - Tommy Stovall; 2005 Fort Worth Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival Audience Award Best Feature - Tommy Stovall; 2005 Q Award Best Debut Film - Tommy Stovall; 2005 Rhode Island International Film Festival Second Prize Best Feature - Tommy Stovall; 2005 Sedona International Film Festival Audience Award Best Feature - Tommy Stovall; 2005 Director's Choice Award Festival Favorite - Tommy Stovall (Awards for Hate Crime (2005)).
Film Reviews: Some painful, personal issues compelled former Londoner Ebony Tay to make the movie Hate Crime. "Being a woman and a person of colour, I understand what it's like to be the victim of prejudice," says Tay, producer and music composer of the film that will have its Canadian premiere screening at Rainbow Cinemas tomorrow night. "And another strong motivation was my brother-in-law's death," she adds. The brother-in-law is Tay's reference to her gay brother's partner, who committed suicide in Toronto a few years ago. "When this young man announced his sexuality to his family and friends, they all turned on him," she recalls. "He ended up losing his mind and taking his own life. It was an awful tragedy." The horrific impact of intolerance is among the social themes probed in Hate Crime. - Noel Gallagher, Aug 2006 ('Hate Crime' tackles tragedy).
Plot Summary: A woman is forced to stand up for herself and her co-workers in order to restore respect to the workplace in this drama. Anna (Nicoletta Braschi) works in the sales department of a large manufacturing concern; she's a single mother, often finding it difficult to meet the demands of her job and still have enough time to spend with her young daughter (Camille Dugay Comencini) and elderly father (Impero Bartoli). When a powerful multinational corporation buys the company, Anna notices a subtle but troubling shift in the way the firm does business. Like many of her co-workers, Anna finds herself being manipulated in small but significant ways, and she's soon shifted from her longtime job into a new and unfamiliar position working for a new boss (Stefano Colace) who does little to disguise his lack of respect for her. Anna finds her responsibilities increasing and her work days getting longer, adding to her stress both at work and at home, and when she's forced to time how long it takes loading dock workers to empty a truck (much to their annoyance), she decides its high time the employees stand up to their new employers. Mi Piace Lavorare ("mobbing") was inspired, in part, by a true story; real-life labor activist Assunta Cestaro appears in a supporting role. "Mobbing" is a slang expression used in Italy for harassment in the workplace. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi (All Movie Guide). Mi Piace Lavorare (Mobbing):Synopsis
Credits: Film Producer: Donatella Botti Director: Francesca Comencini Writer: Francesca Comencini Cast: Nicoletta Braschi, Camille Dugay Comencini, Rosa Matteucci (IMDB)
Accomplishments: 2004 Won Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Berlin International Film Festival - Francesca Comencini; 2005 Best Original Story Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Migliore Soggetto; 2005 Best Actress Nomination Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Nominated Silver Ribbon Best Actress (Migliore Attrice Protagonista) - Nicoletta Braschi; 2005 Best Film Nomination Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists - Donatella Botti; 2004 Best Actress Mar del Plata Film Festival - Nicoletta Braschi; 2004 Special Jury Award Mar del Plata Film Festival - Francesca Comencini; 2004 Best Film Nomination Mar del Plata Film Festival - Francesca Comencini IMDB: Awards for I Like to Work (Mobbing) (2004)
Film Reviews: Italian actress Nicoletta Braschi plays a character that gets put through the corporate ringer and amazingly 'rolls with the punches' while trying to raise her latchkey daughter alone. Amazingly, she never loses control though what's being done to her certainly warrants a violent outburst. Apparently in Italy, what she goes through with her new manager at work in a technique called 'mobbing', where a new merging company is unable to fire longtime employees so they do everything possible to humiliate the worker to get them to quit on their own. During the course of the movie 'Anna' (Braschi) is transferred numerous times within the company to more and more demeaning jobs (she's put in charge of running the copy machine at one point) until finally ... well I don't want to spoil it for you. Suffice to say this is a very sobering account of unethical corporate policy and it is told very realistically with little or no humor at all (though some comic relief would have been gratefully appreciated by this reviewer). Good one to see if you want to get the heads up on a dirty practice that still goes on today in the corporate world. IMDB: User Review for I Like to Work (Mobbing) (2004)
Plot: In London, at Thorton Square 9, the prima donna Alice Alquist is strangled and her famous jewels miss. Her young niece Paula is sent to Italy to study music and the house stays empty. Ten years later, Paula decides to get married with the older pianist Gregory Anton, who convinces her to move back to the old address in London. When they arrive, Paula finds a letter from a mysterious and unknown Sergis Bauer, making Gregory upset. He psychologically begins to torture Paula and she has a nervous breakdown, insecurity and memory problems. When the Scotland Yard policeman Brian Cameron sees Gregory Anton [the couple] in a tourist place, he immediately recognizes Gregory [he see Paula who reminds him of her aunt; he does not know Gregory] and decides to investigate and find evidences to connect Gregory with the unsolved murder, while Paula is being driven mad and menaced of being interned in an asylum by her husband. Plot Summary for Gaslight (1944)
Credits: Director: George Cukor Screenwriters: John Van Druten, Walter Reisch Cast: Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman. Joseph Cotten, Dame May Whitty, Angela Lansbury (IMDB)
Film Achievements: 1944 OSCAR Best Actress in a Leading Role - Ingrid Bergman; 1944 OSCAR Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White - Cedric Gibbons, William Ferrari, Edwin B. Willis, Paul Huldschinsky; 1944 OSCAR Nomination Best Actor in a Leading Role - Charles Boyer; 1944 OSCAR Nomination Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Angela Lansbury; 1944 OSCAR Nomination Best Cinematography, Black-and-White - Joseph Ruttenberg; 1944 OSCAR Nomination Best Picture; 1944 OSCAR Nomination Best Writing, Screenplay - John L. Balderston, Walter Reisch, John Van Druten Golden; 1944 Globe Globe Best Actress - Ingrid Bergman IMDB: Awards for Gaslight (1944)
Film Reviews: Gaslight (1944) (aka The Murder in Thornton Square) is a superb, definitive psychological suspense thriller from 'woman's director' George Cukor. [Previous Cukor films that were similar as period dramas included Little Women (1933), David Copperfield (1935), and Camille (1936).] The lavish and glossy MGM film, with authentic Victorian-era production design, was a remake of a taut and subtle film made four or five years earlier in Great Britain. This earlier version, starring a very sinister Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard, was directed by Thorold Dickinson and released in the US as both Gaslight and Angel Street (1940). When MGM decided to remake the film, it bought the rights to Dickinson's version and withdrew it from circulation (and reportedly - and unsuccessfully attempted to destroy prints of the film) - causing resentment among British film-makers (Tim Dirks). Gaslight (1944)
Gaslight is a 1944 mystery-thriller film adapted from Patrick Hamilton's play, Gas Light, performed as Angel Street on Broadway in 1941. It was the second version to be filmed; the first, released in Great Britain, had been made a mere four years earlier. This 1944 version of the story was directed by George Cukor and starred Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotten, and eighteen-year-old Angela Lansbury in her screen debut. It had a larger scale and budget and lends a different feel to the material. Wikipedia
Plot Summary:Beastly is a 2011 fantasy romance film based on Alex Flinn's 2007 novel of the same name. It is a retelling of the fairytale Beauty and the Beast set in modern-day New York City. The film is written and directed by Daniel Barnz and stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer, Mary Kate Olsen, Neil Patrick Harris and Lisa Gay Hamilton. The plot focuses on Kyle Kingson, a handsome man with an evil streak, who disrespects a classmate, who is a witch in disguise, during an environmental event. The witch then casts a spell on Kyle and physically transforms him into a grotesque monster. It was expected to be distributed to theaters by CBS Films and Alliance Films on July 30, 2010. It was, however, moved to March 18, 2011, in order to avoid Hudgens's film from clashing with the release of Zac Efron's film Charlie St. Cloud, but in January 2011, it was bumped up to March 4, 2011 (Beastly (film)).
Credits: Director: Daniel Barnz Writers: Daniel Barnz (screenplay), Alex Flinn (novel)Cast: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens and Mary-Kate Olsen (IMDB).
Accomplishments: 2011 ShoWest stars of tomorrow - Vanessa Hudgens, Alex Pettyfer; Ranked #45 in The Times' 50 Biggest Movies Of 2010 (Beastly (film)).
Film Review: “Beastly” is an edgy teen romance about learning how to see past false surfaces to discover true inner beauty. Yes, another take on Beauty and The Beast. Kyle Kingson (Alex Pettyfer) has it all – looks, intelligence, wealth and opportunity – and a wicked cruel streak. Prone to mocking and humiliating “aggressively unattractive” classmates, he zeroes in on Goth classmate Kendra (Mary Kate Olsen), inviting her to the school’s extravagant environmental bash. Kendra accepts, and, true to form, Kyle blows her off in a particularly savage fashion. She retaliates by casting a spell that physically transforms him into everything he despises. Enraged by his horrible and unrecognizable appearance he confronts Kendra and learns that the only solution to the curse is to find someone that will love him as he is – a task he considers impossible. Repulsed by his appearance, Kyle’s callous father (Peter Krause) banishes him to Brooklyn with a sympathetic housekeeper (Lisa Gay Hamilton) and blind tutor (Neil Patrick Harris). As Kyle ponders how to overcome the curse and get his old life back, he chances upon a drug addict in the act of killing a threatening dealer. Seizing the opportunity, Kyle promises the addict freedom and safety for his daughter Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens) if she will consent to live in Kyle’s Brooklyn home. Thus begins Kyle’s journey to discover true love in this hyper-modern retelling of the classic “Beauty and the Beast” story (Beastly 2010 with Vanessa Hudgens and Alex Pettyfer).
"Everyone knows that social trauma is unpleasant, but people are often blind to the full severity of these experiences and therefore don’t do enough to protect or intervene when victims suffer" said study leader Loran Nordgren, assistant professor of management and organizations. "News stories in recent months centered around bully victims who took their own lives out of desperation and fear, whether harassed physically in school, or emotionally via text message, online or through social networks. Only by having a heightened sense of empathy to victims’ true suffering can we begin to pave the way for reform and new policies" (’Beastly’ Shows Bullies Can Be Formed By Parental Attitudes And Lack Of Empathy By Danielle Faczan).
Plot Summary: The story, which was featured on the OPRAH WINFREY Show, CNN's AC360 with ANDERSON COOPER, the Dr. Phil Show, and other U.S. and international news media, not only depicts this powerful story, but also offers solutions to teachers, school administrators, parents, and teens on bullying. Documentary Film on Bullying "RATS and BULLIES"
Accomplishments: 2004 Thunderbird International Film Festival Karl Malden Award for Excellence - Ray Buffer; 2004 Thunderbird Competition Prize Best Use of Internet Technology Awards for Rats & Bullies (2004)
Film Review:"Rats & Bullies" produced by Roberta McMillan and Ray Buffer probes the suicide of a 14-year-old girl from Mission, BC named Dawn-Marie Wesley, who took her own life by hanging herself with a dog leash in her bedroom after systematic bullying and threats by three teenage girls from her school. Her suicide was discovered by her then-13-year-old brother who had come to her room prior to the family's dinner, to use her TV. The bullies were named in Dawn-Marie's suicide note which prompted an investigation by RCMP and Crown Counsel leading to two precedent setting cases by Canada's provincial court in which the bullies were held accountable. Relational Aggression is discussed with a focus on female bullying. An added cultural component to the story is the role of aboriginal sentencing circles, which were utilized in sentencing one of the bullies, since the victim and one of the accused were both Native, or First nations. This form of Restorative Justice is beginning to gain wider appeal by legal systems around the globe.
Actions and their consequences are explored through interviews with Dawn-Marie Wesley's mother, Cindy Wesley and brother D.J., as well as MLA Randy Hawes who was Mayor at the time of the incident, Judge Jill Rounthwaite who presided over one of the trials, Kyla Mae Dunn - one of the bullies who was prosecuted, Dawn-Marie's best friend - Paula Settee, Kevin Gillies - a Mission news reporter, Lee Hanlon - a paralegal who assisted the victim's family, Karen McQuade - a co-founder of a bully prevention activism group named PAVE, which arose from Dawn-Marie's demise, and NY Times best-selling author and President of Washington DC's EMPOWER, Rosalind Wiseman. RATS & BULLIES - A Powerful Film
Plot Summary: Classic horror of two kinds. The first is believable: ostracization and humiliation of a classmate (Sissy Spacek) by high-school seniors who have in this respect formed themselves into a mob. The classmate's telekinetic response is less believable but even more horrific, and it appeals deliciously to the common human hunger for revenge. Rent the original, not the 2002 remake. FILMS ABOUT GANGING UP
Accomplishments: 1976 Oscar Best Actress Nomination in a Leading Role - Sissy Spacek; 1976 Oscar Best Actress Nomination in a Supporting Role - Piper Laurie; 1976 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Golden Scroll Best Horror Film; 1977 Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival Grand Prize Brian De Palma; 1977 Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival Special Mention Sissy Spacek For the acting; 1976 Edgar Allan Poe Awards Best Motion Picture Nomination - Lawrence D. Cohen; 1976 Golden Globes Best Motion Picture Actress Nomination in a Supporting Role - Piper Laurie; 1976 Hugo Awards Best Dramatic Nomination - Sissy Spacek; 1976 National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress - Sissy Spacek Awards for Carrie (1976)
Film Review: Carrie is an unusual member of the horror film genre for one simple reason - it finds time for a believable script amongst all of the gore. Carrie is in many ways a typical gawky teenager, confused by the hormone-induced changes occurring and unsure of her position in the great scheme of things. However, she is also lumbered with two unusual features; a raving, obsessed mother and a latent telekinetic ability. With these, Carrie is walking a knife-edge, vulnerable to criticism yet capable of inflicting fatal retribution on those who upset her. Thus, by restricting the pace, the story gradually builds, incorporating many small actions into a larger, relentless whole. As the half-way mark passes, there are hints that all is not right. Unfortunately, by then, it's too late. Carrie (1976)
Here is a PSA Meaghan Martin filmed for the Stomp Out Bullying organization. Meaghan recently starred in the movie “Mean Girls 2,” which had a lot of bullying in it, which is why she decided to be a part of this PSA to tell her fans that it’s not okay to bully anyone, even if you think it’s harmless. Watch below and let us know what you think of the Stomp Out Bullying PSA, and also be sure to let us know if you tuned in for “Mean Girls 2″ and what you thought of the movie. Meaghan Martin Stomp Out Bullying PSA
The Deadbolt: About her character Jo in Mean Girls 2 - "Jo is pretty different from Katie, Lindsey Lohan’s character, because Katie comes from Africa and had been home-schooled her whole life. It’s really her first experience socializing with people her own age, whereas Jo has moved around the country a lot and has been to every high school and experienced every bad situation that high school can offer. She knows what she’s doing. She knows her way around. She goes into North Shore High determined to just get good grades, graduate, and move on to college."
About bullying - "I think everybody has been bullied in their own way. Luckily, I’ve never had anything quite as severe as this movie demonstrates. But I definitely had girls backstabbing or lying or cheating or stealing or whatever, just little things. Boy drama that’s caused by your friend and you liking the same guys, stuff like that, but luckily nothing extreme...My advice is to think about what situation your bully is in. Maybe it’s at home things aren’t going well, or at school things aren’t going well. You can’t judge anybody until you’ve taken the time to understand their situation. So, think about what’s making them bully you. Are they asking for attention? What are they saying? If that doesn’t help, then I definitely say go to a trusted parent, older sibling, teacher, anybody who you think could help you out" (Troy Rogers, Feb 2011). Inside Mean Girls 2 with Meaghan Martin
Meaghan Jette Martin(born February 17, 1992[1]) is an American actress and singer, who is known for her role as Tess Tyler in the Disney Channel original movies Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam. She starred in the now canceled ABC Family television series 10 Things I Hate About You as Bianca Stratford, and she was the main character Jo in Mean Girls 2 (Wikipedia).
Plot Summary: Mean Girls is a 2004 American teen comedy film, directed by Mark Waters. The screenplay was written by Tina Fey and based in part on the non-fiction book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman, which describes how female high school social cliques operate, and the effect they can have on girls. The film stars Lindsay Lohan and features a supporting cast of Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried, Lacey Chabert, and Lizzy Caplan. The film is produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels. Screenwriter and co-star of the film, Tina Fey was a longtime castmember and writer for SNL. The film also features appearances from SNL cast members Tim Meadows, Ana Gasteyer, and Amy Poehler. Wikipedia: Mean Girls
Credits:
Director: Mark Waters
Writers: Rosalind Wiseman (book), Tina Fey (screenplay)
Cast: Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett, Rachel McAdams (IMDB)
Accomplishments: 2005 BMI Film Music Award - Rolfe Kent; 2004 Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards Best Young Actress Nomination - Lindsay Lohan; 2004 Kids' Choice Awards Blimp Award Favorite Movie Actress Nomination - Lindsay Lohan; 2004 MTV Movie Awards Best Female Performance - Lindsay Lohan; 2004 MTV Movie Awards Best On-Screen Team - Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Lacey Chabert, Amanda Seyfried; 2004 MTV Movie Awards Breakthrough Female - Rachel McAdams; 2004 MTV Movie Awards Best Villain Nomination - Rachel McAdams; 2004 People's Choice Awards Favorite Movie Comedy Nomination; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Breakout Movie Star Female - Lindsay Lohan; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Actress Comedy - Lindsay Lohan; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Blush - Lindsay Lohan; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Breakout Movie Star Female Nomination - Rachel McAdams; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Breakout Movie Star Male - Jonathan Bennett; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Comedy Nomination; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Actress - Comedy Nomination - Rachel McAdams; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Blush Nomination - Rachel McAdams; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Chemistry Nomination - Lindsay Lohan, Jonathan Bennett; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Fight/Action Sequence Nomination; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Hissy Fit; Nomination - Rachel McAdams; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Liar; Nomination - Lindsay Lohan; 2004 Teen Choice Awards Movie Sleazebag Nomination - Rachel McAdams; 2004 Writers Guild of America Best Adapted Screenplay Nomination - Tina Fey Awards for Mean Girls (2004)
Film Review: Though narrative cohesion isn't the strength of ''Mean Girls,'' which works better from scene to scene than as a whole, the intelligence shines in its understanding of contradictions, keeping a comic distance from the emotional investment of teenagers that defined ''Ridgemont High'' and later the adolescent angst movies of John Hughes. (Like Mr. Hughes's writing, Ms. Fey's combines comic practicality and a fascination with the cruelty born of suburban privilege.) The sureness of tone in the script achieves such clarity that our sympathies remain with Cady even as she begins to become what she has beheld. She has a genuine taste for it, the trap for all double agents. (Sometimes, the film is like a teenage version of the undercover mob saga ''Donnie Brasco.'') But ''Mean Girls'' concentrates primarily on its eccentric and funny small touches, like an exchange between two jealous Korean girls or the electric car parked in Cady's parents' driveway. Cady's loving but distracted mom and dad are played by Ana Gasteyer and Neil Flynn, who adds affection to the dizziness he shows as the janitor on ''Scrubs.'' Other ''S.N.L.'' cast members, past and present, include Ms. Gasteyer; Amy Poehler, flinging herself into playing Regina's desperate-to-be-cool mother; and, as the school principal, Tim Meadows, who reveals a savvy, weary dignity that he never had a chance to display in all his years on ''S.N.L.'' (These supporting performers are also skilled improvisational actors, like Ms. Fey, who shows up as a frazzled but sane teacher.) Tribal Rites of Teenage Girls Who Rule by Terror
Plot Summary: A gray winter sky hangs over lonely city streets, rotted oil derricks, and abandoned factories. This is Oil City, Pennsylvania, a fading industrial town in the heart of the American rust belt. It is the sort of town that Barrack Obama had in mind when he made his infamous comments about bitter small town residents clinging to their guns and religion as they watch the rest of the world pass them by. The peace and quiet is shattered when the filmmaker, Oil City native Joe Wilson, places the announcement of his wedding to another man in the local paper. The announcement catches the eye of Kathy Springer, a local woman whose teenage son, CJ, is being brutally tormented at school because he is gay. Ignored by the school authorities and with no where else to turn, she seeks help from Wilson and they begin a difficult but ultimately successful struggle to take on the school authorities who made every day "eight hours of pure hell" for CJ. The announcement has a very different effect on Diane Gramley, head of the local chapter of the ultra-conservative American Family Association. Infuriated by the prospect of the "homosexual agenda" invading her little town, she issues an action alert calling on townspeople to denounce same sex marriage and all other forms of "perversion". Over the next four years Wilson navigates the ins and outs of being different in a conservative small town. He makes an unexpected friendship with an evangelical pastor that demonstrates the understanding that can develop when people on different sides of an issue lay down their swords and get to know one another. And he helps a lesbian couple renovate an historical downtown theatre that could catalyze the town's economic revitalization - if the community will accept them. The greatest change occurs in Wilson himself as he realizes that while maverick acts such as the publication of his wedding announcement can create a splash, creating lasting change in small towns takes the courage and ongoing commitment of local folks to speak out and live openly (Dean Hamer).
Credits: Director: Dean Hamer,Joe Wilson Cast: C.J. Bills, Diane Granley, Linda Henderson, Roxanne Hitchcock, Mark Micklos, Kathy Springer, Joe Wilson Original Music: Namoli Brennet, Joel Douek Film Editing: Nels Bangerter Cinematography: C.J. Bills,Dean Hamer, Pete Smith, Joe Wilson (IMDB)
Accomplishments: Emmy Award Achievement in Documentary; Official Selection: Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, Outfest International Film Festival, Tribeca Doc Series; Nashville Film Festival Bravery Story Telling Award; South Dakota Film Festival Social Significance Award; Best Documentary - Out Takes New Zealand (Out in the Silence Web site)
Film Review: The documentary examines the controversy that arose in Oil City, Pa., after the publication of a gay couple's wedding announcement and depicts the problems a gay teen faces in the town. The Rev. Peter D. D'Angio, St. Luke's rector, said the screening could "open up the conversation" in the light of faith. Most people seem to have a view of what Christians think about LGBT issues that is not true, he said. Documentary depicts challenges LGBT community faces
OFFICIAL WEB-SITE: Following the story of a small American town confronting a firestorm of controversy ignited by a same-sex wedding announcement and the brutal bullying of a gay teen, this gripping documentary will challenge you to rethink your values and help close the gaps that divide our communities (Out in the Silence).
Teen Ink: Writer Holly Thompson talks about bullying: I didn’t initially set out with a plan to write about bullying or mental illness. Often we don’t choose our stories; they choose us. With Orchards, I set about writing lines of poetry that began swirling in my head after suicide touched my life. Bullying and mental illness are tough issues, but they are all around us...Orchards is dedicated to the three individuals whose suicide directly impacted me. First was a friend’s 14-year-old daughter; I learned of her death while holding my infant daughter in my arms. The news haunted me for years. About 10 years later, my brother-in-law committed suicide, leaving a grieving wife, two young children, and many devastated family members who had tried for years to help him cope with bipolar disorder. Soon after that, a dear friend lost his wife to suicide. At that point, I started hearing Kana’s voice in my head, and I began writing the first chapters of Orchards (Author Holly Thompson).
About the novel, "Orchards" After a classmate commits suicide, Kana Goldberg-a half-Japanese, half-Jewish American-wonders who is responsible. She and her cliquey friends said some thoughtless things to the girl. Hoping that Kana will reflect on her behavior, her parents pack her off to her mother's ancestral home in Japan for the summer. There Kana spends hours under the hot sun tending to her family'smikanorange groves. Kana's mixed heritage makes it hard to fit in at first, especially under the critical eye of her traditional grandmother, who has never accepted Kana's father. But as the summer unfolds, Kana gets to know her relatives, Japan, and village culture, and she begins to process the pain and guilt she feels about the tragedy back home. Then news about a friend sends her world spinning out of orbit all over again (Orchards).
Book Reporter: Holly Thompson, the author of ASH, grew up in New England and graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a degree in biology. She'd not given Japan a passing glance until she approached her husband-to-be in a Maine island pub, intrigued by his footwear (geta) from his time spent in Japan. After teaching science for two years, she made her first move to Japan in 1983 and stayed three years--teaching English, writing, and beginning her exploration of the less traveled corners of the Japanese archipelago. She later received her Masters degree from New York University's Creative Writing Program and after settling in the New York area for a number of years, uprooted and moved back to Japan with her husband and their two children. Her articles on such Japanese cultural issues as O-Bon festival rituals, tatami manufacturing, midwifery, and wedding customs, as well as on historic travel destinations, have appeared in magazines and newspapers in the United States and Japan, and her short stories have been published in The Broken Bridge anthology, Wingspan and various literary magazines. Her fiction tends to explore differences of sensibility, orientation and expression between Japanese and Americans and the impact of cross-cultural stress on personal lives. Characters include foreigners in Japan struggling to navigate a society lacking familiar referents, Japanese in the United States assimilating one moment and bowing to Japanese tradition the next, and children of intercultural marriages coping with often opposing identities. She currently teaches at Yokohama City University and lives and writes in Kamakura (Book Reporter).
Bullying is an abusive treatment, the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when habitual and involving an imbalance of power. It may involve verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed persistently towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability. The "imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a "targeted individual" (Wikipedia).
