Bozell Column: Putting the Bull In 'Bully'
In 1968, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) effectively nationalized the movie industry’s rating system to guide parents and the wider public about the content of films before purchasing tickets. A year doesn’t go by since then that the Beautiful People don’t throw their artistic temper tantrums when they receive a harsher rating than they want.
The latest example is a documentary named “Bully,” which investigates the lives of five bullied students during the 2009-2010 school year in five states – Georgia, Mississippi, Iowa, Texas, and Oklahoma. Two of the five committed suicide. The filmmaker is basing his whole publicity campaign on shock and outrage for receiving an “R” rating for six uses of the F-bomb, as well as other vulgar threats.
Lee Hirsch has been all over television and has aligned a parade of liberal celebrities (with Ellen DeGeneres as grand marshal) to demand this politically correct movie is far too important – too important! – to require a parent to accompany a child to the cineplex.
Hirsch has been leading a dishonest campaign suggesting that an “R” rating means children under 17 are barred from the theater, period. Hirsch complained on “CBS This Morning” that the MPAA is saying “that kids can’t see a movie that’s about them.” He sent one of the bullied kids that starred in the movie (Alex Libby of Sioux City, Iowa) to the MPAA with Weinstein, so he could ask the loaded (and inaccurate and dishonest) question: “You mean I can’t even see my own life?”
What’s so disingenuous about this is that Hirsch is insisting that it’s cruel for the MPAA to insist on edits of his bullied victims’ lives. Hirsch obviously edited months of their lives down to 98 minutes to prepare his film. And if during that editing process, Hirsch had extracted just a handful of words, there would be no controversy. But then, there’d be no publicity either.
Always beware an “artist” who says the way he’s assembled the facts is “honest,” and removing three F-bombs or whatever else the MPAA objects to is somehow “dishonest.” Hirsch told NPR “the issue is that it has to sort of be seen in a way that's honest. And if we whitewash these experiences again, we’re sort of back into that landscape of minimizing the experience of bullying, making it more palatable.” So the MPAA is somehow showing favoritism to bullying unless it relents?
Well, yes. On the film’s website, Hirsch even casts the MPAA as bullies: “Don’t let the MPAA bullies win,” they say in promoting signatures to a petition demanding the movie’s “R” rating be softened to PG-13. Hirsch’s poster girl for this petition is Katy Butler, a 17-year-old lesbian activist, who naturally thinks to limit this film is life-threatening. She laments “I can’t believe the MPAA is blocking millions of teenagers from seeing a movie that could change -- and, in some cases, save -- their lives.” You’ve got to love 17-year-old lesbian activists.
There’s the lie again – the MPAA isn’t “blocking” teenagers from seeing it by giving it an R-rating. They’re insisting parents come along. It’s about the last act of responsibility left in that industry. But liberal lawyer David Boies is threatening a lawsuit to protest the film “being censored by a rating system that has got simply no rational basis.”
The grand prize for incoherence in this controversy goes to the industry front group “Common Sense Media.” Its CEO, James Steyer, told the press that “The MPAA is proving to be the real bully in the ratings fight over this film. They continue to demonstrate that their ratings system is simply inadequate when it comes looking at a movie’s content through the lens of its larger thematic issues.”
But go to the group’s website, and the movie review insists “Bully's most challenging material isn't just the language, but the suicides. Seeing grieving parents and friends could potentially be upsetting to teens and preteens, so they should definitely watch with adults.”
The MPAA system today is loaded in favor of the filmmakers. If producers feel the MPAA is too harsh with their rating, they can lobby and protest, and often they have won. But if the viewing public finds a film’s rating to be too relaxed, they have no recourse. As the Parents Television Council puts it, “their frustration almost always comes after they have been assaulted with content they were not expecting.”
If “Bully” were truly the most socially important film of 2012, then the filmmaker should want to double the audience by insisting parents accompany their children. It makes no sense for him to argue the movie is so crucial that it must be seen by unaccompanied children.
- Brent Bozell's blog
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Comments
Once again when libreals run
Submitted by Sude23 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 8:23am.
Once again when libreals run into rules that prove to be inconvenient to them they throw their little tantrums until they get their way. Sigh... If they want everyone to see it they should simply mail free copies to everyone and go on tour offering free screening if it is that important. With that said I am not saying bullying is not an important, I mean Hollywood is certainly showing how effective it is to use it when they feel they have been wronged.
The movie just wouldn't be able to...
Submitted by Clinkin on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 8:42am.
...get it's point across without the "F" word..../s
Personally I think this Bully
Submitted by Dan The Man 2 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 8:43am.
Personally I think this Bully phenomena is a bunch of hooey. Bullies have been around since Cain and Abel and will continue to be around. Kids must take care of their own bumps in life. Liberals are enabling a new generation of whimps.
Amen
Submitted by Bliggie on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 9:43am.
Brother! Nothing els needs be said
Hand in hand
Submitted by Dave the mailman on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 10:06am.
I agree 100%. The anti-bullying narative goes hand-in-hand with the whole 'everybody gets a ribbon, there are no losers' mentality. Kids have always picked on other kids and always will. Why is it that it just recently became the latest cause for leftists to cry about? Perhaps this last generation of parents is just too "soft" for their own good....or their kid's.
Bullying is not the concern
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 10:12am.
Bullying against specified groups is the focus. Pretty soon we are going to have "Hate-Bullying" crimes.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Saw this on Huckabee tonight........
Submitted by GregE on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 10:16pm.
He interviewed the family of the child who was the subject of the Bully movie. The filmmaker followed him at school for a year. The kid had no friends and was the target of all kinds of crap from other kids who of course egged each other on. His grades were bad, he was overly reserved and didn't even tell his parents. They found out from the filmmaker.
When there is a single bully, or a single kid bullying another kid, that's alot different from this. This kid got it from all sides, from lots of other kids. There's no sense in it at all. The kid may not "look" like what other kids think he should, so they would do all kinds of crap to him all the time. There comes a time where enough is enough. But NO I'm not calling for any laws.
Here's the trailer....
http://www.slashfilm.com/bully-trailer-harvey-weinstein-plans-appeal-rra...
MSNBC
Submitted by capav on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 9:02am.
I saw Thomas Roberts on MSNBC interviewing someone supporting banning gay marriage in New Hampshire. At the end of the segment, Roberts suggested to the guest that he see the movie "Bully". Of course, he didn't let the guest respond. Typical.
Does he know that kids with
Submitted by redfish on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 12:32pm.
Does he know that kids with religious views and kids who aren't liberal also get bullied in school?
coward Republicans in New Hampshire
Submitted by lrgon on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 12:51pm.
The Republican party vastly outnumbers the Democrats in New Hampshire but the GOP voted down a repeal of "gai" marriage act! With bullies like that who needs bullies?
Degeneres, or as the late Rev. Fallwell called her "degenerate," and the rest of that bunch hate American traditions.
But is "degen" the real enemy or Cover Girl and JC penny who pay her millions? Maybe the real degens are the Supreme court judges that stiped the states from regulating this filth from theaters?
Where should conservatives place their time and money fighting: saving a motion pictures ratings system or helping build the 10th amendment movement whose spirit began with James Madison and Thomas Jefferson and their nullification of federal laws. http://tenthamendmentcenter.com/
MSLSD
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 2:05pm.
Maybe someone should make Thomas Roberts WATCH AND COMMENT on Dan Savage's horrible comments about how he wanted to have HATE SEX (Rape) with Rick Santorum. I don't care if Dan Savage just so happens to be gay, but Dan Savage is an absolute thuggish scumbag and needs to be called out for his hateful hyperbolic vitriol that should not be in the public discourse.
Never mind the fact that when
Submitted by Bettendor on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 9:41am.
Never mind the fact that when this movie comes out on video, it will be purchased by all of these people who claim to want to see the movie and it more than likely will be purchased by schools wanting to show it to their students. Many a movie has made it money that way, but obviously to go along with the point of requiring parents to go along with the kids to see this movie, you don't want parents who might be able to provide some perspective, right?
"You just don't get it." - Pa Grape
http://disciplebeacon.blogspot.com
The good news is....
Submitted by Kingfish17 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 10:03am.
At least bullying is restricted to fly-over country.
"You can’t go take a trip to Las Vegas...on the taxpayer’s dime." Barack Obama
Yes, that was what I noticed.
Submitted by Tugboat Phil on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 11:52am.
Georgia, Mississippi, Iowa, Texas, and Oklahoma were the only plaves where bullying could be found.
I'm sure that bullying never occurs in LA Unified, NYC or Boston. Those are all shining beacons of tolerance.
➚ Well, it makes sense
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 12:53pm.
You see, in more enlightened cities like Chicago, "punished with a baby" actually means raising a child into his teens, only to have him murdered by the child of another mother who was "punished with a baby".
Child of second "punishee" goes off to prison where he learns to delegate the execution of more teens whose mothers were "punished with a baby".
But thank God! They weren't engaging in something so hateful as "bullying".
I'm surprised liberals don't celebrate that those "punished" mothers are free of their "punishment".
More exploitation
Submitted by russedav on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 12:09pm.
These vile subNazi immoral degenerate scum don't give a damn about kids beyond their whoring lust to exploit them, like the deranged psychotic phonyh "lesbo" pervert Katy, just looking for some more fresh meat, yum, yum. See the "homosex-"/"lesbian" fraud that has easily duped a willingly gullible world of asinine, willingly ignorant fools exposed by "The gay invention" at www.touchstonemag.com. http://touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=18-10-036-f
The reason they have to silence "ex-gays" is so their cover isn't blown, proving "gays" sometimes CAN change if they want to. Their own attempts to "convert" "straights" to "gay" proves they don't believe what they're saying, and are just sexually aroused wanting to exploit people for orgasm. Typical sick, infantile narcissism, like goes on with the lawless, fascist Obamanation baby butcher every hour, especially those nigger babies, yum, yum. See www.obamanation.com and its expose of how disgusting the Obamanation is in his grossly hypocritical clever vile ploys to destroy our children he of course won't carry out on his own, though I'll never understand how he could take enough time from worshipping himself in the mirror to be able to have kids.
Compared to these evil obscenities cannibals are civilized. If they lived in a civilized country they'd be in jail. No danger there. This is why the Founders promised our nation without Jesus Christ as God was certain suicide and ungodly fools who try the "natural law" fraud will have to give an answer to Him for their catastrophe when they stand before Him in His Judgment. I used to like Bernard Goldberg, but his delusional attack on Santorum to get him to drop out of the race by bizarrely attacking his supposed attempt to establish a "theocracy" shows nothing but grossly irresponsible, ignorant mindless religious arrogance more appropriate for the Obamanation and his crowd. Only Jesus can save us now, as the Founders knew and said, and most today, hopelessly historically and especially Biblically blind and illiterate, haven't a clue about any of it.
Dear Jesus save us!
The cure for bullying...
Submitted by AgentAmerican on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 11:58am.
...was written by Bruce Lee. Ronald Reagan was the anti-bully. Learn to defend yourself and kick their asses. Quit crying and grow up already.
This documentary is nothing more than an appeasement ploy.
My morning has just been spoiled by the sight of super skank Kathy Griffin.
Griffin: Bullying Bristol Palin
Submitted by libBuster on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 1:08pm.
I was struck by the irony and of the sign Griffin was holding. Isn't Griffin a the comedian who made a living by bullying Bristol Palin? She gave Bristol's ex a platform to blast the Palins.
End bullying or social change?
Submitted by SeniorD on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 12:22pm.
Grow UP people!
You can't change human nature, unless of course Holyweird's Morlocks want more Eloi!
I saw Harvey Weinstein on
Submitted by redfish on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 12:33pm.
I saw Harvey Weinstein on Piers Morgan argue, in complaint of the rating, that this isn't the type of movie that kids would want to go see with their parents because it would be like medicine. But it isn't a movie that kids would go voluntarily see without their parents or school, even if they have been bullied. The whole controversy about the ratings is a lot of made-up BS.
➚ Bullying
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 12:37pm.
Tell me Bart StoolPack wasn't bullied into voting for ObamaCare.
He finally folded, selling out his beliefs to the priests of the Devil.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
Submitted by liberalsarefunny on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 1:22pm.
There is nothing new about bullying.
What is new is the proliferation of mama's boys, and girls, in our pitiful culture.
Once again--thanks, liberals!!
How the times have changed...
Submitted by CobraMan on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 1:39pm.
You know, not too long ago, people could discuss their misfortunes, like being a victim of bullying, and the ramifications of such needlessly violent behaviors on society, without having to resort to the use of profanity to make a "point." Have we become so intellectually lazy that we feel the need to use profanity as a verbal exclamation point? The producers of this "documentary" sure have!
It's sad that we, as a a society, have "progressed" from "Words alone can not express my gratitude for receiving this award," to "this is f-ing great!"
The Citizens of each State shall be entitled to all Privileges and Immunities of Citizens in the several States. The US Constitution
Unless you're a fetus. The US Supreme Court
Or Anwar al-Awlaki.
Hollywood = Toast
Submitted by djwolf12 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 1:45pm.
Honestly Brent, WHO CARES about Hollywood anymore. The Academy Awards have turned into nothing more than an annual DNC event to trash Republicans in an open forum. Also, when Hollywood decides that they will put out remakes of Friday the 13th Part 4 and Halloween 2 instead of putting out CREATIVE movies, they are just basically mailing it in.
The last movie I saw was TAKEN with Liam Neeson. At the end of the movie, rather than the daughter going into years of therapy for experiencing what she did and the ex-wife re-falling in love with Neeson, the daughter goes right back to her dorky, clumsy existence and the ex wife STILL hates him. I stood up and said "THAT'S IT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" I will NEVER go to the movies again after that.
They still make good TV shows
Submitted by mandrake on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 1:54pm.
Can't wait to find out how the season finale of Dexter is going play out!
It is previewed on youtube.
Submitted by The Vet on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 2:18pm.
Oh wait. No. It is a video about you, a fly in the ointment of society.
LOL!
Submitted by mandrake on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 2:26pm.
Vet, I think I will miss you most of all!
See, I filled in the subject line just for you ;)
Why?
Submitted by The Vet on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 2:48pm.
You finally giving up the life?
Because
Submitted by mandrake on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 2:58pm.
Tomorrow will be 6 years. And it's depressing to think I've spent 1/10th of my life on such a futile hobby. Like my wife sez..nobody even likes you and you'll never change anyones mind..so why bother.
So it's on to my next career as Mandrake the magician. (grandkids are on the way) :) :)
Looks like you married up.
Submitted by The Vet on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 3:47pm.
The woman is clearly smarter than you.
So take a hike already troll. We don't cotton to empty promises.
None of us will miss you
Submitted by Free Stinker on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 4:03pm.
We'll only remember you when you come back under a new ID with the same M.O.
"This one sounds just like the galactically ignorant fool that called itself mandrake"
/// Sarah Palin Fan since July 11, 2007 /// خال
We will recognize the M.O. when it comes back.
Submitted by The Vet on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 5:29pm.
M.O. (mouth odor) This is a troll that has never ever been introduced to the concept of oral hygiene. Probably never brushed his teeth in the entire time he has been on this planet.
mandrake: 40 years ago I walked into a local medical clinic with a bad case of gingivitis.
He was 20 years old and already had gingivitis so bad he required medical care as he could not wait to see a dentist the next business day.
Repeat: The most common cause of gingivitis is poor oral hygiene.
For a 20 year old to require medical attention for gingivitis would have meant he had ATROCIOUS oral hygiene.
What the snowbilly troll prolly had was Trench mouth.
Trench mouth
Trench mouth is an acute, necrotizing (causing tissue death), ulcerating (causing open sores) form of gingivitis..
.
I doubt the snowbilly mandrake troll has ever stepped within 2 feet of a toothbrush his entire life. It is easy to see why he got confused. He walked into an emergency room with dead necrotic tissue in his mouth and the doctor's tried to explain the result of never having brushed his teeth ever from about 20 feet away. The smell must have been excruciating in the ER that day.
Stupid snowbilly trolls never brush their teeth and admit it here. Stupid snowbilly trolls.
Gotta take in one last parting shot right.
Submitted by mandrake on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 5:36pm.
Here's a clue..if someone comes around who sounds like me or "smells" like me ask them this..
"What is at the south end of Waverly Rd.? " If they can't answer..it ain't me.
Lol mandrake
Submitted by shawn. on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 8:14pm.
He gets all uppity like when I make fun if him because he said he was fat on NB in the past. Now he is making of you for not having poor oral care?
Perhaps he can pay more attention to how many Whoppers he consumes ;-)
Edit
If you watch Dexter. Juvenile Waste Feces reminds of that car salesman from season two. You know the one that can jump from one lie to another.
Up yours troll.
Submitted by The Vet on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 6:53pm.
Once again coming to the defense of another troll. Insult me and then tell the world you don't understand why I don't like you and how it is all just a misunderstanding.
up yours too
Submitted by shawn. on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 6:59pm.
You sand packing diaper baby. Poor baby don't likey I point a out of shape tub of crap like yourself has no business criticizing someones oral care.
~Someone's bringing a spork to a gunfight again
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 7:33pm.
.
point a out of shape tub of crap.
Submitted by The Vet on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 7:54pm.
Whatever that means. The class would like that explained. point a out of shape tub of crap. Say it a few times. point a out of shape tub of crap.
Whatever troll. Notice a trend here? I reply to or note what you have said. Again and again. Whereas you continue to try to point out what I supposedly am out in meatspace despite knowing nothing about me in meatspace. Yeah troll, that is directly comparable. Or maybe it is just a point a out of shape tub of crap. Whatever.
Say troll, since you keep repeating it. Tell the world. How much do I weigh out in meatspace? Since you know so much about me. How tall am I? How much do I weigh? How much do I exercise? What is my BMI?
~Ooh, I know this one!
Submitted by Wrathful Brunette on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 8:13pm.
Am I close?
Very close.
Submitted by The Vet on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 8:54pm.
Except it is a clean and jerk lifting the two dozen trolls over my head. And I only do it once. They all wet their diapers and start calling for mumzietroll. Then all the mumzies have to come rushing in to change the two dozen diapers. It is messy, loud, and not for the squeamish. Still, would make an lovely additon to the Olympics. We are pushing so far in vain to have it included.
➚ The muffin man?
Submitted by Cool Arrow on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 8:13pm.
You haven't been trying to strike up that old romance again, have you?
Where are the adults?
Submitted by misterbee241 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 2:14pm.
Why are bullied kids on their own? Why are adults not protecting them? The schools are just as guilty because they protect the bully and expell the kid trying to take up for himself.
And kids today are indoctrinated to believe they came from nothing, are here for no purpose, and nothing to whom the are accountable. It's kill your neighbor instead of love your nieghbor. I don't wonder they are committing suicide.
And Hollywood ain't helping the situation.
Kathy Griffen holding an anti-bullying sign?
Submitted by Radical1979 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 10:26pm.
The definition of irony.
Kids get into R rated movies all the time. This is nothing more than a publicity stunt.
My son was bullied terribly in school, he still has the emotional scars. If I had to do it all over again I would home school my kids, for this and so many other issues in public schools.
This movie will change nothing because to many parents today can see no wrong in their children's behavior. Public schools cultivate the athletes of the school, and for the most part, don't care about the other kids. The vo-tech kids are at the bottom of the heap, and most school officials see them as not worth protecting.
More of the same
Submitted by km2002 on Sat, 03/24/2012 - 10:51pm.
And anything where Ellen DeGenerate is the grand marshal is certainly on the wrong side of my ledger. She could champion the sun rising in the east and I wouldn't listen.
I'm an adult. If I engage in talk with a 17 year old about sex..
Submitted by gopcongress on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 12:31am.
I'm an adult. If I engage in talk with a 17 year old about sex, and I'm not the parent or guardian or authorized representative of those parents through teachers or other people, then I could be prosecuted as a sex offender, and rightly so, just like I would want OTHER men prosecuted for talking to MY own underage niece about sex.
So who does this "17 year old lesbian activist" engage in conversation with? Inquiring minds would like to know...
"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER
Very true
Submitted by shawn. on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 6:59pm.
Very true
"Anti-bullying" is a code word for "gay agenda in schools"
Submitted by 1389 on Sun, 03/25/2012 - 5:53pm.
"Anti-bullying" has NOTHING to do with protecting smaller, younger, or physically weaker kids from attack by those school denizens (I won't call them "students") who have a lot of brawn, not much brain, and a predilection to amuse themselves by ridiculing and beating up on their betters.
"Anti-bullying" is all about the pro-gay agenda in the school system, and nothing else.