Rise up Take the power back

My friend Jackie just posted this article and last week I saw the video of Tim Gunn posted below, it got me thinking I should write a bit of a post about bullying and share my thoughts on the subject. Since my blog is getting a lot of attention this week for Philadelphia Fashion Week posts it seemed like a good time to mix in something for people to read.




To those kids out there in high-school land being bullied, hang in there. It's tough I know, but in the end it all does come around. You will almost never read a bio about a rockstar, actor/actress, supermodel, fashion designer, artist, film director, that wasn't bullied in high school. The people that shape and mold the very culture we live in today; were 9 times out of 10 bullied in high school. They pick on you for not being the norm, sometimes that comes from just being mean spirited, sometimes it's THEM trying to fit in with their own group of friends, sometimes it's just ignorance, and sometimes, often, it's jealousy. It's people who are expected to be the norm (by friends, family, etc) and feel trapped in the fact that they aren't allowed to be different; lashing out at those who are.

Creative people, gay/strait, non conformists, Goths, Punks, Artsy types, often times models, obviously photographers, tend to strive to be unique; and unique means you're not like everyone else. PRIDE YOURSELF ON THAT! While in a culture of high school it's hard to be different, uniqueness isn't respected or desired, you just have to know in your heart, that you don't want to be like them, you have more to offer the world then that.

I wasn't bullied in High school, but in Middle school I was all the time. 8th Grade was particularly helllacious, and to make matters worse I was pretty much bullied by what was technically my own circle of friends. I remember one day in science class someone stood up for me. I was being picked on and Bill Duff (who is still one of my friends) stepped in and told the kid off, threatened him and he never picked on me again. Bill was my hero that day and has since become a hero to many others; playing in the NFL, acting, and as co-host on the History Channel's show "Human Weapon". I guess if you're going to have someone step in and fight for you, a Human Weapon is the way to go. Highly recommend that.

In high school I wasn't bullied, here's why.... Most of my graduating class were friends with each other, my friends and I were metalhead/musician /rocker types so we naturally gravitated toward the older musician rocker types in our school. We became friends with all the upper classman and they looked out for us. Only time anyone ever picked on me my friend Derrick Matina (huge tough long hair guy you didn't want to fuck with) stepped in and nearly through the kid through a locker. I always had people looking out for me, it always meant a lot. When I got into my sophomore year, etc, I always made friends with the incoming class, passed it along. My circle had grown into their own as future rock-stars and although we weren't "the cool kids", jocks or anything like that, we still had respect and we're friends with all the cool kids despite us not wanting to fit in with them.

Once out of school I found the Goth Scene, and always strived to repeat the same patterns... get to know the old school, raise the new school. Learning the ropes and then passing them along to the next generation. I've always done this and feel like it's one of the reasons I've always been surrounded by friends. If you're in middle or high school right now and feel like there's no one like you, take a look around, every class seems to have some outcasts, gays, lesbians, goths, punks, artsy types; your looking at the worlds future rockstars, directors, supermodels, fashion designers, fashion elite, superstars... go meet them, get to know the people in the grade above you, below you, ban together and unite.

For those of you out there who see bullying in schools, step in. Do something about it if you're one of the cool kids, tough kids, out cast yourself, help out those who need it. You'll never stop kids from being assholes, but you sure can put a stop to that one kid picking on that other one, and that's all that matters.

Uprising - Muse

The paranoia is in bloom, the PR
The transmissions will resume
They'll try to push drugs
Keep us all dumbed down and hope that
We will never see the truth around

(So come on)

Another promise, another scene, another
A package not to keep us trapped in greed
With all the green belts wrapped around our minds
...and endless red tape to keep the truth confined

(So come on)

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

Interchanging mind-control come let the
Revolution take its toll if you could
Flick the switch and open your third eye, you'd see that
We should never be afraid to die

(So come on)

Rise up and take the power back, it's time that
The fat cats had a heart attack, you know that
Their time is coming to an end, we have to
Unify and watch our flag ascend

(So come on)

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

(So come on)

(Oi) x3
(Oi) x4
(Oi) x4

They will not force us
They will stop degrading us
They will not control us
We will be victorious

(So come on)