Bullying is not just for playgrounds anymore. An alarm has been ringing across the cultures of an entire globe catching the attention of leaders and educators who desperately search for its cure in programs that teach sensitivity and empathy to youth. All of the educational materials define bullying and tell how to recognize its many forms -- verbal taunting, physical harm, racial and sexual prejudice, cyberbullying and more. Bullying is defined as "persistent unwelcome behavior." How do we know when a behavior is unwelcome? We feel it; it deeply rattles our sensibilities -- sometimes to the bone, or in a new discovery -- to the bones of an icon.
Bullying can intrude anywhere -- at home, at work, online, on the highway, on the playground... and now it appears to reach even into the afterlife. Bullying almost rose to new heights to take an even more sinister turn recently when Discovery Channel announced its plans to air Michael Jackson's Autopsy: What really killed Michael Jackson? There was such a backlash of outrage by the family, Jackson's estate, fans and the general public, that Discovery was forced to "postpone indefinitely" the crossing of that line. So for now, that human indignity was avoided and humanity is safe; or is it?
Is something really important being missed in the campaign against bullying? Is the subject of bullying being viewed through a lens that is too narrow? We might need to back up a bit, widen the focus and adjust the scope to a broader fisheye view. Has bullying permeated an entire ecosystem? A worldwide ecosystem?
What makes bullying possible is a culture that blurs the lines of humanity and human dignity. Bullying survives when an ecosystem supports it. When that ecosystem accepts the dehumanization and inhumane treatment of its constituents, an "anything goes" climate renders its' narrative as empty of humanity. People are irreversibly harmed in such a climate.
Parents, educators and clergy are wringing their hands in shock and outrage at the behavior of youth asking: "Where do they get these ideas?" and "Where does this kind of aggression and indifference in our youth come from?" They seem genuinely perplexed. They only need look to the culture. What kind of culture would consider, even momentarily, that an invasion into one's mortuary is entertaining? Or acceptable? Discovery's program was advertised as presenting a graphic synthetic cadaver with a real and currently practicing physician conducting the autopsy with voiceover commentary by one of Jackson's many personal physicians.
What kind of ecosystem made Discovery think that an international audience would have an appetite for viewing the re-enactment of an actual autopsy -- of the most well known icon of the twentieth century? Of someone who is still a beloved figure to millions around the world? What made physicians sign on to such a violation of the sanctity of human remains, virtual or otherwise? More celebrity medicine? All cultures have recognized the sanctity of burial and respect for the mourning of those who were loved, those who loved them -- and who love them still. Discovery's cynical promotional photo for the program featured a shrouded body on a gurney with Jackson's signature sequined glove protruding from under the sheet. Does this represent the standards of humanity that we want to continue into this new millennium?
In the wake of Discovery Channel's major faux pas, some hard and uncomfortable questions have been thrown up about the culture and its ecosystem. The very same culture that can't seem to get its youth to behave civilly toward one another -- in institutions built to nurture and grow young minds. Discovery and its board of directors are to be congratulated for their change of heart and eventual good sense in pulling the program but one wonders what would make them, or anyone else for that matter, think that a mock autopsy of Michael Jackson for our viewing pleasure, would be acceptable? Is it because Jackson was bullied most of his life and apparently some at Discovery thought it acceptable to take that agenda beyond his grave? Does the Discovery debacle mark yet another seminal moment in our culture?
A culture where sadistic behavior toward others is epidemic, a deeper look finds a whole system trending toward cynicism, human indifference and lack of empathy for others. Why are the fundamental principles of tolerance, compassion and human dignity missing? Why are special programs necessary for children to make human and humane connections? Why isn't compassion and empathy already hard wired into human consciousness? And as we evolve into the twenty first century shall we leave our humanity behind?
How does this humane disconnect become possible? When the natural world is ignored or avoided, children never interact with the place where life's beginnings take form and the value of life and alive and breathing sentient beings is learned. Our connections with nature and animals are what help us to develop heart and compassion for all beings. Statistics about animal cruelty and torture punctuate this alienation from the sanctity of life. Where is it being taught that life is precious and valuable and who is responsible for teaching it? Where do kids get the idea that bullying is permissible and that callously exposing someone's private life, secret struggles and woundedness publicly is somehow acceptable? Where indeed?
It is hardwired into our culture and it begins with words and images. They are the symbols and language that form a culture's narrative. They illuminate the culture's dominant pastimes and preoccupations. It is how those words and images are used -- their nuances, meanings, semantics, semiotics, linguistics and sometimes their archetypal and evocative nature -- that forms and informs -- the foundation of the cultural ecosystem. What is culturally acceptable in communication and behavior among and between humans is determined by its architecture and memes -- a kind of cultural lexiconography arises.
Images and words have punch. They comfort, evoke, challenge, inform, expel, motivate, embrace, alienate, destroy, uplift and so on. They can objectify or humanize. When people are dehumanized with images and words, all sentient beings inhabiting that ecosystem are affected. Words and images harm; and they can heal.
The Journals of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, of Family Psychology, and the British Journal of Developmental Psychology, tell us that bullying creates children who suffer from anxiety, depression, loneliness, and PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and are at risk for suicide, peer rejection, conduct problems, anxiety, behavioral difficulties, hyperactivity, academic difficulties, rule-breaking behavior, reactive aggression and are also at risk for problems in young adulthood -- psychiatric disorders and criminal offenses. The question then becomes, what kinds of adults does this produce?
Those same experts say that sibling aggression when not mitigated and aggression at home, can migrate to schools. Most homes, of course, don't feature violence as the dominant means of navigating life as an acceptable cultural norm -- or do they? The experts also say that the average 4 to 6 hours of television per day that children and teens watch, serves up 4 ½ violent incidents per hour. In the last 7 years, TV violence has increased by 75% with a 45% of that increase during the 8 P.M. "family hour" and a 92% increase an hour later. The Pew Research Center says 75% of respondents to their survey would like to see tighter enforcement of government rules on broadcast content with 69% of those in favor of higher fines for media companies who violate code. Journalistic codes abound but are rarely followed or enforced. There are no real consequences for code violations with media often citing the first amendment as the reason.
How is it that the cultural ecosystem on the one hand intervenes in child-on-child violence with campaigns like 'It Gets Better' while supporting a cultural ecosystem of inhumane treatment of people and violence as a means of conciliation and problem solving? Given the current cultural undertones we might ask: does it really get better? Does that premise work? And do our children believe it?
Remember Columbine? Columbine crossed a cultural line. With the causal theories swirling around that painful event in the collective psyche -- the guns, violence, video games, medications, "Gothic culture," or psychological pathology, experts have speculated about the whys. Harris and Klebold told us why in their words via journals left behind, that tell how they lived in a culture of exclusion, superiority, homophobia and ridicule by the jocks. And they also told us they could find nothing redeeming about society in general. While that is no excuse for their violence, it was their reason. They cited feeling disenfranchised, bullied, disillusioned and powerless. Columbine was retaliation against an ecosystem that they felt didn't support them and tolerated a climate of dehumanization, violence, tribalism and exclusion.
The recent teen suicides crossed a line of acceptability and jarred adults to awareness. In examining teen bullying, we learned of suicides by adolescents whose budding hormones and sexuality found their affections involuntarily extending toward the same gender. Confused and conflicted kids were bullied, called "fag" and other sexual epithets and sadistically "outed" on the internet by sneering peers. While their death certificates read "suicide," the real cause of death is homophobia -- and an intolerant ecosystem that dehumanizes them as people. Young and tender human beings barely out of childhood -- a captive audience required to daily visit an ecosystem that torments them -- are ostracized and terrorized simply for being different -- whether in style, interests, affections, habits, economics, race, intellectual capacity, beliefs, or that all important superficial attribute -- appearance.
Every human has him/her very personal life, we have our own thoughts, feelings. But there is one point; we live on the same planet, we are all equal by law and by what God give us. And there are some international feelings which come from different cultures.
There are many crimes happening in twenty first century. There are many injustice and many cases with no result. There are so many criminals keep living aroud the world. Media and public should take some precedences instead of accusing and making dirt on an innocent man.
Making lies about a person who has fame is not business of media. What for media is working? Is that enough for indicating real problems of our world like global warming,slaughters and death in many countries, deseases?... If it was, today there would be a movement,an actionagainst all those problems, there would be an aim to get peace and love over the world. We are all the same kind, we are all human. In the world which people kill each other,their own kind, even their own blood for money, which people sell their own bodies for money, which people spy, die, kill, lie, betray, stab their brothers and sisters on the back for money; which people have become slaves of money, how can we wait from the people,together, gain the peace? In the world, which the money is the “god†for many people, how can we wait from the tabloids to say every word truely, without any other targets, without lie? Those people are working for money, as everyone does. They do not care about it is true or not. If it is scandal, it means it will come into money. And this is important.
And the balance is broken.
Now,though people create a reflection of Michael Jackson for themselves and believe in what they create; though it is very heart-breaking and very hurting when it is thought. Michael Jackson deserves respect for being a human,a true example for children and anyone. Morever he deserves that respect of a passed away man.
But even in afterlife, the public and the media do not have that respect, which is very sad. And airing a program of re-enacment of Michael Jackson’s autopsy on a real cadaver,which-even-may resemble Michael Jackson, by one of his personal physicians shows this quite clearly.
When there is no way to change people but to change world which is possible with children, when people try to make a dirt on a person who is a true image of love by a television program in front of many eyes include young ones, we are destroying the pleasure and all sort of good feelings in the children.
“Children show me in their playful smiles the divine in everyone. These chilren are reminder of the preciousness of all life, especially young lifes untouched by hatred, prejudice and greed. Now when the world is so confused and its problem’s so complicated,we need our children more than ever. The mission of “Heal The Worldâ€- my mission- is healing; pure and simple. To heal the world, we must start by healing our children. Being with them connects to the deep wisdom of life. This simple goodness shines straight from their hearts. We have to heal our wounded planet. I wrote this song ( Heal The World) for everyone in our world,in an effort to help bring global harmony.â€
Michael JACKSON
Asena Melisa Sarıcı
The Discovery Channel was almost the perpetrator of a vile crime against humanity when it set out to air a program recreating the autopsy of the late great entertainer and humanitarian, Michael Jackson. I have never before witnessed such a callous disregard for a deseased individual or his family. Thanks to the Estate of Michael Jackson, his family, friends, and fans, the Discovery Channel was made to reconsider and eventually do the right thing by not airing the program. Not only did creating this show a lack of respect for Mr. Jackson and his family, it showed a lack of respect for viewers, showing that Discovery thinks us such low-minded and wrong-thinking people that we would enjoy watching such a travesty!
Bullying is encouraged when our children perceive that disrespect for each other, lack of compassion, and demeaning others to make ourselves feel superior is the norm. The Media must stop insulting, using, and mocking lives, and then covering more tragic bullying deaths without seeing their role in the coursening of our culture.
Why is our society eliciting and accepting such behavior?
Could it be related to the growing epidemic of "Live to Work" mentality of adults?
Expectations have grown. No longer is a GED acceptable. Nothing short of a bachelor's is acceptable. Elementary school is to prepare for Middle School. Middle School is to prepare for High School. High School is to prepare for College.
Metaphorically speaking, every teenager is sat down in an auditorium and told "There are 300 of you. When you graduate, 50 of you will actually fulfil your dreams, the rest of you will be losers."
You will see people fight, compete, and take out their opponents so they can be the 50 who "succeed" by ANY MEANS NECESSARY. Their parents will cheat, lie, and bring down the opponent's pillars so that their son or daughter is of those 50.
Our metrics of success ultimately are passed on to our children, and they should know that getting a GED and going to trade school to become a hairstylist is a VERY SUCCESSFUL LIFE. But every day these kids are bombarded with the contrary. When did this happen?
We need to re-evaluate what "success" is. As time rolls on, it's little more than money money money. And that's OUR job to fix that.
Thank you for telling the world that the root cause for the loss of Mr. Jackson is the medias continuous bullying for almost half of his life. The biased and relentless negative reporting of mainstream media—and the readers who believed their lies—killed Jackson. It is a big shame that the MEDIALOID conveniently forgets what ever damage done to Mr. Jackson by spreading lies.
It is very nice to read the facts through an article like this rather reading lies. Once again thank you for the article. Hope every one in the media especially in this country sees the truth that Mr. Jackson is one of the greatest humanitarians this world has ever produced. This country should be proud of this wonderful child and it is a big shame if they disrespect this great human.
I agree that it starts when one is very young and defenseless. It needs to be talked about and taught to our children so they understand bullying is wrong in ANY form. By God's grace, I have written a book, due to be published this year and I am hopeful this helps, in some small way, one of the largest dilemmas in our world.
I wholeheartedly agree with the mind-blowing realisation of what a growing 'hornets' nest' of global debate and reactions because of one extraordinary man, has been stirred up on such topics such as this, and media bias exhibited with the unkind comments made on a British ITV 'This Morning' programme by Kelvin MacKenzie, former editor of The Sun newspaper. Letters to ITV and their sponsor company, Beirsdorf, have not produced any apologies or apparent reactions.
No-one can ever say that Michael Jackson has not changed the world towards his dream of it being a better place, and is still doing so in death, nineteen months on, such is his power to influence us. Perhaps, slowly the wheels are beginning to turn. Time will tell.
writer as superb as Rev Kaufmann.
Q:
Will it have an effect on the corporate big-boys running the outlets, who demonstrate
staggering indifference to the damage and anguish they cause to real people?
A:
Yes.
For whether we write, march, petition, email, tell our children, friends and neighbours,
sing, dance, boycott, or simply internally affirm our anger and desire for change by not buying,
or buying into tabloid fare -- we add to the groundswell of protest that is building in the wake
of Sherrod's mauling, Jackson's death, the horror of Columbine and the senselessness
of Arizona.
Make no mistake, Jackson has recatalysed a movement. It is the same movement that has
crept quietly along the corridors and arc of human history, and it is the same movement has
led to nearly all the truly great moments that pepper our mostly grim culture.
The next generation needs to know that what was done to Jackson, and what is still being done
in the name of commerce and Freedom of Speech is an outrage -- because if we don't, the
next time the alarm rings there'll be no-one left to hear it.
For balanced, fact-only information on a non-fan written site that explores the extent of the
the injustice extended to Michael Jackson & contributed to by lawyers, journalists, and writers
head to: www.mjmessage.com.