Simply Unbearable

Simply Unbearable

Natalie Mahomar

The problem with bullying continues all around America even today. Many people have taken action so that it may be controlled in schools and in homes. Even celebrities have taken the stand to fight for the enforcement of anti-bullying policies all around schools in America. Wherever bullying might be found it prevents children and teenagers from properly identifying themselves in the hardest moment of their development and growth as a human being. The main cause of bullying is the bully’s unawareness of the effects these acts have on the victim’s life. Most of the time the victims do not demonstrate that a bully is affecting them, so these acts keep going on until it is too late. Depression and death are the main effects of bullying on teenagers since they feel like it is not worth living any more. Many teenagers seem to underestimate the effects of mistreatment and harassment to others. This is why the best way to stop these acts is by spreading awareness to everyone with effective techniques that will cause an effect on people’s perspective on this problem.

          The role of people with authority in advertisements is the main influence in an audience’s response to a message. Ellen DeGeneres, one of the first celebrities to come out as homosexual, addresses the problem by sending out a message to all of her fans. As seen in her recognized TV show, “The Ellen Show,” people feel obligated to pay attention to a commercial or article if it includes or is created by someone recognized as a celebrity, politician, or someone of great 

influence. Other texts that address bullying as a widespread gruesome act are articles like “Gay Teen Bullied to the Point of Suicide” by Kenneth Miller. Miller writes on the struggles of bullying in schools and in homes towards gay teenagers. Images can also cause an impact on societies view of a matter like gay acceptance, for example an image of a celebrity advocating for a cause like Lady Gaga in the 2009 National Equality March. In her speech she gave in Washington D.C., Gaga really got the attention of her crowd and the media with her vigor and passion for the cause on equality for homosexual people in society. Discrimination because of appearance or sexual orientation are affecting teenagers and even adults to the point where influential people have had to get the word out for these cruel acts to stop.

It is evident that not much is being done to help teenagers who are bullied for their appearance or their sexual orientation. All around America it is noticeable that bullying is affecting teenagers and it seems as if leaders and parents are not conscious that this act is hurtful and damaging. Ellen DeGeneres spoke on this topic in her well-known television show and asserted that the root of this act is that bullying has become “an epidemic in this country.” Bullying seems to be going on everywhere we look and people do not seem to be care as if it was some kind of ordered behavior that everyone “has” to experience during their teen years. Similarly in his article, Kenneth Miller uses assertion by saying that “If bullying goes on, it creates a chaotic environment where no one can learn.” This assumption is supported with some real life stories of teenagers who have been bullied for being gay and have committed suicide. It also includes teenagers who were able to surpass the judgments and the oppression to have a normal life. In other cases for example, in the image demonstrating Lady Gaga in the Equality March in Washington D.C., a statement is printed out asking, “Are you listening? Full Equality for all.” This is the central thesis that this image is trying to illustrate as she yells this question out to President Barack Obama in her speech. Each of these texts uses assertion to make the audience believe the message they are trying to give out about the consequences and the rights that the victims should have.

            In the image that the online Be Chic Magazine displayed in the article, “I Want to Turn the World Gay,” it is evident that the framing of the picture gives some sort of higher position to Lady Gaga standing on the podium. Both the waving rainbow flag with the son in the background and her body language towards the crowd that we are not able to see, demonstrate the authority that Gaga has in this event. Not only does this image show how serious Gaga is about the matter, but it also gives the audience a sense of patriotism and freedom. Lady Gaga is dressed appropriately to this occasion and also uses formal language in her speech. By the way she expresses herself in her speech, we can observe that her attitude towards having equal rights for the gay community is very serious. In the same way Ellen is very serious in her tone and in her way of addressing her audience. The framing of the clip was very straightforward as she spoke with clarity and certainty.  Ellen looked straight into the camera to say her message to the crowd meanwhile Lady Gaga was talking to a huge crowd of people in Washington D.C. Surely, Ellen was more convincing in her message because she was talking directly to her audience and became very personal as she was talking to us. On the other hand Lady Gaga was very general and spoke politically on the topic about equality without using any stories or examples people could relate to. “We will continue to push you and your administration,” said Lady Gaga to President Barack Obama, “to bring your word of promise into a reality.” Miller also uses a political angle of vision in his article when he narrates the story where a principal at Omaha South High Magnet School advocates respect and freedom between the students. Miller states that, “As the Department of Education reminded schools in an October 26 letter, harassment of any kind is against federal civil rights law.” Miller not only communicates with his audience politically but also he directs himself to the families in the communities where gay intolerance is found. Teenagers feel more intimidated if they are bullied not only at school but at their homes as well. Therefore Miller proves his main points by presenting some stories where bullied teenagers seem to develop better if they accepted by their family members. One of the stories he mentions reports that, “At that point the Platas realized that a few hugs and words of support weren't going to cut it. Ed and Elizabeth joined a church with a more inclusive attitude. They eventually started a support group for local gay kids and another one for parents. And they became outspoken advocates for gay rights.” Parent’s acceptance is definitely a key factor into a gay teenagers mental and emotional development in his or her own home. As Ellen, Lady Gaga, and Miller attack the problem with bullying with a different angle of vision it is relatable between the three that this epidemic is a serious issue and should be treated immediately.

Miller made it evident in his article that a Zero-Tolerance Policy Plan against bullying must be enforced in schools. Miller uses emotional anecdotes as examples to support his previous statement for example, “Accepting the truth about E.J. was hard for Ed, an electrical contractor and ex-Marine from a blue-collar Mexican-American family. He'd been taught that homosexuality was an abomination. With Elizabeth and their six children, he attended a church that preached the same message. But he loved his son, whom he describes as gentle and artistic, and hated to see him suffer. When E.J. was 15, he asked his dad, "Am I going to hell?" Ed looked at the boy and said, "No way.” Ellen DeGeneres also begins her video with stories about children who committed suicide because no action was taken in his school and bullying lead them to this perplexing act. “Rutgers student 18 year-old Tyler Clementi took his own life last week by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate allegedly secretly filmed him in an encounter with another man.” This is one of the few stories Ellen mentions in her clip which is very effective in the way she begins her message with stories like in Miller’s article.

            The fact that these issues are coming across through famous modern celebrities into the public demonstrates how bullying is a problem everywhere in America.  The main problem with gay bullying is that they are being mistreated for their sexual preference instead of considering them as just regular people in our society today. Lady Gaga surely neglects people who are against homosexual marriage, which she considers as discrimination towards all people including her fans. In her speech she mentions that politicians have made promises to the gay community in their campaigns that equality will be brought into action. Having Lady Gaga yell out to the current president of the United States grabs the attention of an audience not only because she is talking about the president but because she is someone who is very involved in the gay community as an ally. In the same way Ellen uses a serious tone in in her message towards her fans and is seriously concerned about the number of suicides that are occurring because of bullying.

Certainly Ellen is being serious about this matter and using serious language since normally the audience identifies her as a comedian in her show. Likewise, Miller is serious and straightforward in his article revealing the experience of many families who have dealt with gay bullying and the impact that is has on teen’s lives. Miller firmly states, “For both liberal and conservative opponents of antigay bullying, it boils down to the issue of basic human dignity.” The fact that Miller brought up the human quality of dignity into his statement reveals the formal level and depth of what he means. His vocabulary causes people to reflect on their own values and how they should react to this problem. Miller quotes the director of Teaching Tolerance, Maureen Costello, “Expressing your opinions in a civil way, whether on homosexuality or any other issue, is a good place to start.” This makes people pause and think of the way they are to act in case they are having bully related situations in their life or even just to prepare for them if they appear in the future.

Lady Gaga is well known today by considerably most of the young generation today because of her success in the music industry as a pop singer. Most of her audience is adolescents who are gay or teens that are just into the newest pop music. However Miller, on the other hand, has an older audience of women who are probably mothers and are struggling with a child who might be gay or bullied. Similarly, housewives and the older generations mainly see Ellen’s TV show. Even so, Millers article is still lead towards a more political/religious older generation than Ellen’s spectators. Both Ellen and Lady Gaga have an audience that is very active in current situations about bullying and LGBT tolerance.

Bullying is considered an epidemic in our modern society that should be terminated by people setting an example to the younger generations. All of these texts tackle the issue of the bullying that occurs all around America in different ways. For example Lady Gaga and Miller talk politically on this topic, while Ellen DeGeneres uses emotional appeals to get to her audience. All of these texts are effective to grab the attention and cause an impact in someone’s perspective on gay bullying or simply just disrespect on someone for being different. In my opinion the most effective was Ellen by directing herself to her viewers as a real and emotional celebrity who wants this nonsense to stop. In general it is important to bring awareness to all of the people who can make a change into the schools and the communities so that bullying is stopped. Not only should awareness be given out, but also policies should be approved and enforced so that no one has to deal with being discriminated for who they are. Therefore, these texts prove that bullying does exist and people should not have to go through this unbearable mistreatment.   

Work Cited

An Important Message from Ellen About Bullying. Dir. TheEllenShow. Perf. Ellen DeGeneres. .     YouTube, 19 Oct. 2010. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBUMugqDRHg>.

Miller, Kenneth. “Gay Teens Bullied to the Point of Suicide.” Ladies Home Journal. The Meredith Corporations, 8 Feb. 2012. Web. 5 Sep. 2012

National Equality March Rally: Lady Gaga Speaks. Dir. Inlookingout. Perf. Lady Gaga.YouTube.           YouTube, 11 Oct. 2009. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRNsl_0AZOs>.

V., Camlyn. "I Want To Turn the World Gay." BeChicMag.com. N.p., 29 June 2010. Web. 30     Oct. 2012. <http://bechicmag.com/magazine/lifestyle/culture/gay-lady-gaga/>.