October is anti-bullying month. But ironically enough, there has already been a publicized, crude act of this reprimanded behavior. Jennifer Livingston, a WKBT news station anchor in La Crosse, Wisconsin, began a four minute segment on October 3rd informing many viewers about the attack she faced by Mr. Kenneth Krause. He wrote to Ms. Livingston in an email,
“Hi Jennifer, It’s unusual that I see your morning show, but I did so for a very short time today. I was surprised indeed to witness that your physical condition hasn’t improved for many years. Surely you don’t consider yourself a suitable example for this community’s young people, girls in particular. Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to maintain. I leave you this note hoping that you’ll reconsider your responsibility as a local public personality to present and promote a healthy lifestyle.”
In her segment, Livingston reminds the audience that as a media personality she gets a “healthy dose of critiques…but this email was more than that.” She admits to laughing off the attack on her appearance, but many friends, and especially her husband, could not let it go so easy. Livingston’s attitude while discussing her injustice in the context of bullying as a whole was unwavering; she did not hold back, and she spoke as if bringing awareness to bullying was her duty. Livingston seems far less concerned with Krause’s attack than she does with the bullying of helpless children today, those fighting on the “battleground” that is the internet. Livingston does not deny her obesity, but instead emphasizes, “I’m more than just a number on a scale.”
Defending himself, Krause says that he “never meant to hurt Jennifer. If she is hurt I truly apologize for that.” He claims he is not the bully that Livingston made him out to be, yet he offers (somewhat condescendingly) to provide advice and support for her if she decides to lose weight.
Olivia Tracey ’16 says, “Mr.Krause’s [original] comment is just something that you would not say to someone, especially since Ms.Livingston tries to be a role model in the midst of such criticism. It seems like Mr.Krause tried to say it as politely as possible, but the hurtful words could not be hidden.” Extreme measures are being taken at Hewitt to raise awareness for and prevent bullying so that we young women can be confident, comfortable, and at peace with our bodies.
As a ninth-grader, I am enrolled in a wellness class introduced last year, taught by Coach DePaola and Coach DiPaolo . Our first assignment was to make a list of the things that we do and do not like about our bodies. For many of us, the list of dislikes outnumbered the list of likes. We were also asked to print out an image of someone whom we think has a “good” body. Now gracing the wall of the library are pictures of celebrities including Adele, admired by Ariana Anton for her confidence and self-esteem in the critical music industry, and Marilyn Monroe, chosen by Aimee Sillah for her curves. Notably Adrien Lesser, Sophie Gerber, and Rocki Lutsky chose to present pictures of themselves and their parents rather than the well-known singers, artists, and actresses who are often portrayed, even idolized, in the media.
Bullying too comes in many shapes and forms. One type of bullying that has recently caught the media’s attention is the manifestation of homophobia.
At Hewitt, the Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) club is dedicated not only to building a safe environment for the discussion of issues concerning the LGBQT community, but also to addressing the disgraceful acts that result from discrimination against certain sexual orientations.
Dr.Burgess, one of the club’s faculty advisers, connected the Jennifer Livingston controversy to the topics discussed in GSA. “Action and GSA viewed the video and watched her statement and spoke about how impressed we were with her choice of using a media platform to challenge this bully and remind him of how vulnerable young people are to bullying…[Livingston] mentioned support not only for people with weight differences but also the LGBQT community.” Later on this month, GSA and ACTION will meet together to hear from author Madeleine George, writer of The Difference Between You and Me, a novel based on her experience as a gay teen in high school.
The unfortunate truth is that those who do not conform to the ideals of society–whether they be related to weight or sexual orientation–discrimination and the guilt and low self-esteem that result from it are sometimes unstoppable.
So what does society want us to look like? In a mathematical test done by BBC UK, if Barbie were a real woman, she would be 7 feet 6 inches tall, have a 28 inch waist with 40 inch wide hips; is it fair for young girls growing up to look up to these unnatural, inacheivable proportions?
Jennifer Livingston is truly a role model for her strength and endeavor to empower others. For one day instead of recounting the latest news, she was the news story, and she stepped up to the plate by eloquently taking harsh criticism and turning it into a teaching moment against bullying. Livingston dedicated her announcement to Mr.Krause, but more importantly, she made this a message to the children who are victims, like she was made to be by Krause, as well as attackers. Livingston stressed her fear for her daughters growing up in such a degrading community where one’s perception of self is tainted by how he or she is superficially judged by others.
Through many venues at Hewitt, whether it be a class or lecture, we are able to address bullying, as a serious issue and urge our peers to remain mindful in order to avoid contributing to such acts with a critical tongue or mean-spirited joke.