This year I've had to deal with some things as a teacher and a coach I wasn't prepared for that goes right along with this. My co-workers and I have talked about this subject at length this year. We all feel we are doing a HUGE disservice to this generation by not having conversation after conversation with them about cyberbullying, sexting, etc. I've seen first hand that it is a massive problem now, and this is SUCH a huge part of the culture that teenagers are growing up with. How often do you see in the media a child taking their own life because of cyberbullying or sexting. Taking. Their. Life. Seriously. It's that big of a deal. Sidenote, if you have a child old enough to have social media, you need to be having constant conversations about this. CONSTANT. They are submerged in it every single day, and if you don't think they are you're just wrong. I love you, but you're wrong.
Second, my sister posted this in response to an article about Kelly Clarkson I'll explain below. I couldn't have phrased it any better.
If you pay attention to entertainment news as closely as I do (yeah...judge me) you've most likely seen an article in the last few days about a reallll jerk "journalist" named Katie slamming Kelly Clarkson for being "fat." For those of you who have less embarrassing things to do with your free time, let me sum it up. She tweeted,
"Jesus, what happened to Kelly Clarkson? Did she eat all of her backing singers? Happily I have wide-screen. #grahamnorton"
At first I'm thinking, ok we all say stupid things for humor we don't mean. Lord knows if I was ever followed around with a camera my family would probably disown me. However, then she "defended" herself by saying
"Kelly Clarkson is now a chunky monkey, if we're putting it kindly. She does look like she's eaten her backup singers. My advice: she needs to get out there with her stroller and do some pushing and get some of that weight off. We give fat really cute names, don't we? We have baby weight, puppy fat, love handles, muffin top, chunky monkey—ultimately these are all nice names for something that's not very nice...You're supporting Kelly Clarkson because everybody likes to have a fat friend, because the great thing about a fat friend is it makes you feel slimmer."
My first thought was language I shouldn't include because I teach high school and like my job and all. My second thought was, I feel bad for you Katie whatever your name is. You're so engrossed in this crazy celebrity fascination we all have that you can't even separate yourself from it and realize Kelly Clarkson is a real freaking person.
Excuse me "journalist" Katie, but Kelly Clarkson grew a human being. In between, oh I don't know, keeping that human being alive and winning a heck of a lot of grammys, maybe she doesn't have time to "get out there with her stroller." I refuse to use your whole name, because in a brief google search it appears you loveeee seeking out controversy, and the last thing I want is to give you what you want. It also appears you have no children of your own. Let me just speak for every person who has sacrificed their body to produce the greatest thing that has ever happened to them, you are the worst type of human. You are judging something you have never done. You are criticizing someone you have never met. Everywhere we look there is someone else telling us to feel bad about ourselves.
Want to know what I looked like 8 months pregnant?
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But guess what, I gave birth to the most perfect creature imaginable, so suck it model. 100% my baby is more awesome than yours, and this beached whale was worth it.
Don't even get me started on photoshop, but holy freaking crap. Every time you turn around it's like someone is screaming at you "FEEL BAD FOR YOURSELF." I love campaigns like Dove's real beauty and the "Like a Girl" campaign. Holler at Cindy Crawford, it takes courage to embrace this in a world of what you see above! PS, you look great guh!
Just once, I'd love to see a celebrity that refused to be photoshopped. Stop making young girls have completely unrealistic expectations of themselves. Stop making moms who already have crazy hormones and insecurity issues feel bad, when instead they should feel freaking awesome.
On days that I get really sad about my stretch marks and pizza dough-like tummy, I look at this face. It was all worth it to have this in my life. *yes he is licking my face.
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To quote Kelly Clarkson's response to this horrible woman, "That's because she doesn't know me. I'm awesome!" You are awesome Kelly Clarkson (Also you live down the street from where I teach, we should totally be BFF's). Anywhoooo....
I hope we all keep the conversation going that what you say behind a computer screen DOES matter. It is all the same! Would she have said the exact same thing to Kelly's face? I'd put money on the fact that she wouldn't. We have to teach the generation behind us that words are words. Face to face or on a screen, you are accountable for what you say. Humor is great, and we should all take a chill pill sometimes and stop being so easily offended. However, there is a big difference between humor and mean. What this cruel woman said wasn't funny. If you think it was funny, reevaluate yourself. It sends a terrible message to everyone. Stop being so desensitized to the fact that you're not looking at them face to face. What this woman said makes her coward, and I don't respond well to cowards and bullies.
I'd say this to your face Journalist Katie, no last name. You're a coward and a jerk. I hope somehow you read this and reevaluate your life. If you really don't understand the ramifications of words, please google "teen suicide." I'm in the business of teaching teenagers that they are smart and awesome. You should use the platform you've been given to do the same.
*drops the mic.
