I moved from TO to a VERY small (minded) town and the bullying began...I was brainy, (bad) chubby (worse) and hated because my family had money (horrible!) I was threatened with a knife, grabbed at sexually, the list goes on. Long story short, I moved away at 16 back to Toronto to finish my education. Did 2 years in one and got on with my future.
"Best years of your life"--bullshit. It still hurts, because those I told simply advised me to 'Ignore it' Like that helped. ;-/
Hi Emmetgirl. Thanks for your kind words, but I think the only reason the media hasn't brought "our attention" to suicides based on height-related bullying is that the media doesn't consider heightism worthy of discussion. However, suicides or school shootings rooted in height-based bullying are legion. Google Jon Carmichael for an example of the former.
You had me, I was crying tears of joy, feeling so proud of the CBC for sharing these wonderful testimonials, it was magical! Then you let me down with a thud: "The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the CBC itself." Really? Why on earth would you want to distance yourselves from this uplifting and positive message? To the people in the vid itself, thank you so much for sharing these awesome messages, bless you! To the CBC itself, please grow a spine, sheesh.
@TheBimbly the idea behind this project is that it can be difficult in many high schools (especially where bullying based on gender presentation/sexual orientation *is* a huge problem and the homo/transphobia of teachers and administrators makes them reluctant to get involved) to get approval for a speaker or workshop talking about these issues.
the internet isn't a substitute for being an in-person role model, but it's a tool that can be used to reach out to kids that *doesn't* require getting approval from the people who, in many cases, are the ones actually exacerbating the bullying problem.
as a teenager who watched teachers stand by while students threw around all kinds of abuses during class time and wrestled with obnoxious administrators to bring queer-positive projects to my high school, the internet was a really important support for me. it enabled me to connect with people outside my community who cared when it seemed like nobody on the inside did. the it gets better project --especially its viral nature -- would have meant a lot to me back then.
@Thesumofallthings short people matter and nobody deserves to be bullied, but media hasn't really brought our attention to a spate of recent suicides based on height-related bullying.
As an American who has LOVED Canadians since my first visit to your amazing country when I was a teen -- thank you! Each and every one of you are amazing and have HUGE hearts!
@TheBimbly I would agree that zero tolerance is key, that doesn't address bullying that occurs outside of the school. And for the kid getting beaten up on a regular basis, they need to know and believe that is does improve.
25 years later shows that you can survive bullying, homophobia, intolerance. It also shows that bullying is not a part of "growing up" that it still affects people year, shit - decades, after the fact.
I think we should as true Canadians defund all of the Military, RCMP and CSIS and put all that funding into CBC. Just imagine all the employment we would create and we would have a well paid influential group of real Canadians to tell us how to think and behave. Long live Socialism and the CBC.
CBC Staff - excellent job! Thank you for sharing this side of you. Can you imagine ever having this impact when you were younger? You show that not only does it get better, but it gets great!
HELLO, BULLYING HAS BOTH AN EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL IMPACT ON CHILDREN. I HAD TO GIVE UP MY CAREER TO PROTECT MY 5 YEAR OLD SON WHO WAS BEING BULLIED AND ABUSED BY HIS FATHER & OTHER KIDS. IT DOESN'T STOP. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR ME & MY SON.HE WENT TO MANY DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, DOCTORS, PSYCHIATRISTS & HE TRIED SUICIDE @ AGE 16.I SPENT ALL OF MY TME TALKING, COUNCILING PLAYING GAMES WITH HIM. ANYTHING TO TRY 2 MAKE HIM FEEL OKAY, FEEL LOVED. .
One note: the youthline that is mentioned is the Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youthline at 1-800-268-9688 (youthline.ca) - a toll-free service provided by youth for youth. The youth providing the service identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit or queer, and offer support, information and referrals specific to your concerns. Give them a call.
Sorry to harp on this but I've seen Sook Yin do interviews and she's very intelligent and aware. It seems those who are bullied make it in life. How many bullies make it? I guess we'll never know because not many if any admit to having been bullies. As I said before, Great people are forged in the furnace and fire of feeling powerless.
@ralfcis Everyone's a bully. That sounds like crap, but if you think it's true. We're all 'mean girls' at heart. No matter how sweet, kind, accepting you are, you can't REALLY look back and say "I've never insulted anyone."
I never thought I was a 'bully' - Then I realized I talked a lot of crap about one girl because she was dating my best friends ex. I thought I was being a good friend, but I was being a bully.
Everyone has said something they shouldn't. - But we grow up. Most of us anyways.
@redsary42 Ok now I'm gonna have to bully you redsary. Saying everyone's a bully is like saying everyone's a liar. True but it's really a question of degree. I worked at Dell on the help desk. Talk about the meek inheriting the earth and not being so meek anymore. Every society in nature establishes a pecking order by bullying. What doesn't kill you will either make you or break you. Bullying is part of the test in life and those who figure it out end up much stronger.
I wasn't really bullied beyond the odd brief occaisons in my youth. Don't understand bullies except they feed off fear, power and torment like all evil does. I don't really understand why parents can't just go and kick the shit out of bullies. This is really one case where violence does end violence trust me. I've had more episodes of attempted intimidation in my middle age and people backdown very quickly once they see I won't take their crap. Bosses included, they dont like me much.
I was thrilled to participate in this. but afterwards I thought of all the things I forgot to say... Namely, if someone is bullying you, speak to your teachers, parents, or principal. If you are not getting the help you need. Talk to the police and press assault charges and then get a lawyer and sue the school board. No one deserves to get assaulted. And I guarantee they will listen then.
well done, i posted a vid response
MeganLandryPixelDust 1 month ago
well done video
it would have been nice to know where those people worked at the cbc though
nis3r 1 year ago
I moved from TO to a VERY small (minded) town and the bullying began...I was brainy, (bad) chubby (worse) and hated because my family had money (horrible!) I was threatened with a knife, grabbed at sexually, the list goes on. Long story short, I moved away at 16 back to Toronto to finish my education. Did 2 years in one and got on with my future.
"Best years of your life"--bullshit. It still hurts, because those I told simply advised me to 'Ignore it' Like that helped. ;-/
Thank you CBC!
Blue
TheBlueRose2008 1 year ago 3
Hi Emmetgirl. Thanks for your kind words, but I think the only reason the media hasn't brought "our attention" to suicides based on height-related bullying is that the media doesn't consider heightism worthy of discussion. However, suicides or school shootings rooted in height-based bullying are legion. Google Jon Carmichael for an example of the former.
Thesumofallthings 1 year ago
You had me, I was crying tears of joy, feeling so proud of the CBC for sharing these wonderful testimonials, it was magical! Then you let me down with a thud: "The opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the CBC itself." Really? Why on earth would you want to distance yourselves from this uplifting and positive message? To the people in the vid itself, thank you so much for sharing these awesome messages, bless you! To the CBC itself, please grow a spine, sheesh.
TinyDancer500 1 year ago 2
@TheBimbly the idea behind this project is that it can be difficult in many high schools (especially where bullying based on gender presentation/sexual orientation *is* a huge problem and the homo/transphobia of teachers and administrators makes them reluctant to get involved) to get approval for a speaker or workshop talking about these issues.
emmetgirl 1 year ago
the internet isn't a substitute for being an in-person role model, but it's a tool that can be used to reach out to kids that *doesn't* require getting approval from the people who, in many cases, are the ones actually exacerbating the bullying problem.
emmetgirl 1 year ago
as a teenager who watched teachers stand by while students threw around all kinds of abuses during class time and wrestled with obnoxious administrators to bring queer-positive projects to my high school, the internet was a really important support for me. it enabled me to connect with people outside my community who cared when it seemed like nobody on the inside did. the it gets better project --especially its viral nature -- would have meant a lot to me back then.
emmetgirl 1 year ago 2
I loved this video the whole way through it - until the end where the disclaimer stated that the CBC does not endorse this. Why not?
prixator 1 year ago 2
Not bad, but like many of these "It gets better videos," there is nothing at all about bullying based on height or the consequences of heightism.
Of course why would there be when you have as a participant a very heightist CBC host like Brent B?
Shorter people just don't matter right?
Thesumofallthings 1 year ago
@Thesumofallthings short people matter and nobody deserves to be bullied, but media hasn't really brought our attention to a spate of recent suicides based on height-related bullying.
emmetgirl 1 year ago
As an American who has LOVED Canadians since my first visit to your amazing country when I was a teen -- thank you! Each and every one of you are amazing and have HUGE hearts!
Gamec0ckGrad 1 year ago
@TheBimbly I would agree that zero tolerance is key, that doesn't address bullying that occurs outside of the school. And for the kid getting beaten up on a regular basis, they need to know and believe that is does improve.
25 years later shows that you can survive bullying, homophobia, intolerance. It also shows that bullying is not a part of "growing up" that it still affects people year, shit - decades, after the fact.
daavq 1 year ago
This video is fantastic! Great job CBC. It's so true... life really does get better! Each decade seems to be better than the last.
lauribear23 1 year ago
@TheBimbly when people realized that speaking out was the way to accomplish things in life
sweiland75 1 year ago
I think we should as true Canadians defund all of the Military, RCMP and CSIS and put all that funding into CBC. Just imagine all the employment we would create and we would have a well paid influential group of real Canadians to tell us how to think and behave. Long live Socialism and the CBC.
MichaelCrowell 1 year ago
@MichaelCrowell Did the CBC tell you to say that? LOL
sweiland75 1 year ago
you all look GREAT NOW... thanks
jdcinsf 1 year ago
BAHAHAHHAA WE WILL GET OUR REVENGE!
loveyourbody1231 1 year ago
CBC Staff - excellent job! Thank you for sharing this side of you. Can you imagine ever having this impact when you were younger? You show that not only does it get better, but it gets great!
cancsis 1 year ago
wow, that girl at 3:00 is a cutie patootie!
stairwaytokevin11 1 year ago
Comment removed
stairwaytokevin11 1 year ago
HELLO, BULLYING HAS BOTH AN EMOTIONAL & PHYSICAL IMPACT ON CHILDREN. I HAD TO GIVE UP MY CAREER TO PROTECT MY 5 YEAR OLD SON WHO WAS BEING BULLIED AND ABUSED BY HIS FATHER & OTHER KIDS. IT DOESN'T STOP. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE FOR ME & MY SON.HE WENT TO MANY DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, DOCTORS, PSYCHIATRISTS & HE TRIED SUICIDE @ AGE 16.I SPENT ALL OF MY TME TALKING, COUNCILING PLAYING GAMES WITH HIM. ANYTHING TO TRY 2 MAKE HIM FEEL OKAY, FEEL LOVED. .
DON'T GIVE UP....
universalsoj 1 year ago
Hi all--it was great to be a part of this!
One note: the youthline that is mentioned is the Lesbian Gay Bi Trans Youthline at 1-800-268-9688 (youthline.ca) - a toll-free service provided by youth for youth. The youth providing the service identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirit or queer, and offer support, information and referrals specific to your concerns. Give them a call.
ddtoronto 1 year ago
Sorry to harp on this but I've seen Sook Yin do interviews and she's very intelligent and aware. It seems those who are bullied make it in life. How many bullies make it? I guess we'll never know because not many if any admit to having been bullies. As I said before, Great people are forged in the furnace and fire of feeling powerless.
ralfcis 1 year ago 11
@ralfcis Everyone's a bully. That sounds like crap, but if you think it's true. We're all 'mean girls' at heart. No matter how sweet, kind, accepting you are, you can't REALLY look back and say "I've never insulted anyone."
I never thought I was a 'bully' - Then I realized I talked a lot of crap about one girl because she was dating my best friends ex. I thought I was being a good friend, but I was being a bully.
Everyone has said something they shouldn't. - But we grow up. Most of us anyways.
redsary42 1 year ago
@redsary42 Ok now I'm gonna have to bully you redsary. Saying everyone's a bully is like saying everyone's a liar. True but it's really a question of degree. I worked at Dell on the help desk. Talk about the meek inheriting the earth and not being so meek anymore. Every society in nature establishes a pecking order by bullying. What doesn't kill you will either make you or break you. Bullying is part of the test in life and those who figure it out end up much stronger.
ralfcis 1 year ago
I wasn't really bullied beyond the odd brief occaisons in my youth. Don't understand bullies except they feed off fear, power and torment like all evil does. I don't really understand why parents can't just go and kick the shit out of bullies. This is really one case where violence does end violence trust me. I've had more episodes of attempted intimidation in my middle age and people backdown very quickly once they see I won't take their crap. Bosses included, they dont like me much.
ralfcis 1 year ago
well done cbc.......... this is beautiful !!!!!
luvlife48 1 year ago 6
I was thrilled to participate in this. but afterwards I thought of all the things I forgot to say... Namely, if someone is bullying you, speak to your teachers, parents, or principal. If you are not getting the help you need. Talk to the police and press assault charges and then get a lawyer and sue the school board. No one deserves to get assaulted. And I guarantee they will listen then.
daavq 1 year ago
Thank you for doing this.
evilmark 1 year ago