The campaign against bullying is in high gear, but it's something we'll never get rid of. Bullying, the now-stylish catch phrase for being mean, has been around since the dawn of time, when Cain killed Abel, which was totally rude and uncalled for.
Perhaps a better campaign would be to encourage people to be kind to each other.
Showing posts with label bullying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bullying. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 4, 2014
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Bullying, Part Two
Decrying bullying has become the latest national pastime. It puts you on the side of truth, justice, and the American way. It also puts you a self-righteous notch ahead of the next guy.
And sometimes it turns you into a bully, as when the elementary school teacher had her students line up and, one by one, slap the transgressing child's face, as when the school board went overboard to punish the seventh grade boys who taunted their bus driver.
Let's forget the term "bullying." It's too easy. What we are talking about is people being mean, and you don't cure that by being even meaner to them. Especially children.
And sometimes it turns you into a bully, as when the elementary school teacher had her students line up and, one by one, slap the transgressing child's face, as when the school board went overboard to punish the seventh grade boys who taunted their bus driver.
Let's forget the term "bullying." It's too easy. What we are talking about is people being mean, and you don't cure that by being even meaner to them. Especially children.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Bullying, Part I
Bullying--everyone else is talking about it, so I guess Fiorella should. But the plain truth is that Fio isn't quite sure what the word means. It's being applied to everything from kindergarten name-calling to murder.
In Fiorella's ideal world, everyone would be nice to each other, but that world doesn't exist. Fio would bet that even Mother Teresa had her days.
But, Mother Teresa or not, Fiorella thinks the word has been been over-applied. A while ago, an ARWA friend of hers was accused of being a big-time bully because she made a clever remark about an anonymous contest entry she was judging. Stupid, stupid, stupid. No one was hurt, no one died, no one even knew. The accuser, who raised a big hullabaloo over nothing, was the bully.
In Fiorella's ideal world, everyone would be nice to each other, but that world doesn't exist. Fio would bet that even Mother Teresa had her days.
But, Mother Teresa or not, Fiorella thinks the word has been been over-applied. A while ago, an ARWA friend of hers was accused of being a big-time bully because she made a clever remark about an anonymous contest entry she was judging. Stupid, stupid, stupid. No one was hurt, no one died, no one even knew. The accuser, who raised a big hullabaloo over nothing, was the bully.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Why DoThey Hate Michael C?
Q: What did Michael do to make the other designers hate him so?
A: Nothing.
It's classic bullying behavior, alive and well in every classroom in the country, and here's how it works. A strong, confident personality expresses opinions and attracts weaker personalities who shelter under the former's flapping wings. Like baby birds, they seek Mama's attention and approval by squawking loudly, echoing whatever she says in even bolder terms.
Finding prey is the key because there is nothing that unites a group like a common enemy, usually some innocuous soul whose only sin has been not to flock to the worship of the strong personality. Exciting, inciting rumors about the target add to the drama and further unite the group in a frenzy of self-justification.
Gretchen Jones established herself as the Project Runway workroom arbiter by winning the first two challenges. Then Ivy Higa opened her beak wide and became head baby bird. For her scapegoat, Gretchen zeroed in on Michael Costello, shy and self-effacing, and the other designers followed suit. To make matters worse, Michael promptly won two challenges in a row. Not even his worshipping at the feet of Gretchen's over-inflated self-esteem by choosing her first for the group challenge made her back off. In fact, it gave her an opportunity to-uh-throw him under the bus.
Logic has nothing to do with the bullying. None of the designers seem to have noticed that swallowing Gretchen's tasty worms of advice has gotten them, one by one, knocked out of the nest. Ivy, of course, blames Michael rather than Gretchen (or herself) for her ouster.
Surely, you think, the remaining workroom residents would wise up by now. But no, it's so much easier to let someone else do your thinking for you. And besides, how humbling to admit you were wrong, that you let yourself be duped by Gretchen. Mondo and AJ were big enough to do just that after they were forced to work with Michael and got to know him, but April is still spouting vintage Gretchen. Andy also seems to be goose-stepping.
Ivy is Goebbels, Gretchen is Hitler, and Michael C is a hapless Jew.
A: Nothing.
It's classic bullying behavior, alive and well in every classroom in the country, and here's how it works. A strong, confident personality expresses opinions and attracts weaker personalities who shelter under the former's flapping wings. Like baby birds, they seek Mama's attention and approval by squawking loudly, echoing whatever she says in even bolder terms.
Finding prey is the key because there is nothing that unites a group like a common enemy, usually some innocuous soul whose only sin has been not to flock to the worship of the strong personality. Exciting, inciting rumors about the target add to the drama and further unite the group in a frenzy of self-justification.
Gretchen Jones established herself as the Project Runway workroom arbiter by winning the first two challenges. Then Ivy Higa opened her beak wide and became head baby bird. For her scapegoat, Gretchen zeroed in on Michael Costello, shy and self-effacing, and the other designers followed suit. To make matters worse, Michael promptly won two challenges in a row. Not even his worshipping at the feet of Gretchen's over-inflated self-esteem by choosing her first for the group challenge made her back off. In fact, it gave her an opportunity to-uh-throw him under the bus.
Logic has nothing to do with the bullying. None of the designers seem to have noticed that swallowing Gretchen's tasty worms of advice has gotten them, one by one, knocked out of the nest. Ivy, of course, blames Michael rather than Gretchen (or herself) for her ouster.
Surely, you think, the remaining workroom residents would wise up by now. But no, it's so much easier to let someone else do your thinking for you. And besides, how humbling to admit you were wrong, that you let yourself be duped by Gretchen. Mondo and AJ were big enough to do just that after they were forced to work with Michael and got to know him, but April is still spouting vintage Gretchen. Andy also seems to be goose-stepping.
Ivy is Goebbels, Gretchen is Hitler, and Michael C is a hapless Jew.
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