Quote:
Originally Posted by rionablue
I have been thinking about posting this thread for awhile and tonight with another few threads saying that housemates are being bullied has prompted me to finally put it out there (my views on it)
To me a bully is someone who belittles, abuses, verbally hurts, physically hurts a smaller or weaker person who is unable to stand up for themselves. I. like I am sure many other forum members was bullied from a very young age. I was one of the smallest in my class in school and was quite bright when it came to homework etc. Therefore I was picked on, my hair was pulled, the kids told the teacher I slapped them, my school bag destroyed, my copybooks written on.
I know that adults can also bully other adults so I am not saying that it just happens with kids. In all the years I have watched Big Brother (both civilian and celebrity) I have only seriously seen what I DEEM to be bullying in one series and that was when Jade and the other two girls bullied Shilpa. They kept attacking her for various reasons, her beliefs, her looks etc and almost backed her into a corner. There is NOBODY being bullied in the house at the moment. Sure they are all against Gary but he is taking it well and smiling away and just discarding the comments.
Having being bullied myself I am very very careful of the use of the word and I would urge everyone to think twice before they rant on about bullying. And before anyone says it I am fully aware that BB has called housemates to the diary room from time to time to ask them about their actions and telling them it could be perceived as bullying.
So sorry my post is so long and I hope that at least some of you can see where I am coming from
|
..I agree Riona that 'bullying' can be over-used when there are conflicts of personalities in the house...the thing is that 'bullying' per se is hard to define and when warnings etc are given out or when we're using our own judgements, it's what can be 'perceived as bullying'....out of 24 hours each day BB choose the parts they want to highlight and those parts often include things like..isolation, ridicule, mocking, insulting etc so that's what they're giving us..?...we see that but we don't always see warnings or we see warnings of 'perceived bullying' and then it all continues with no more said or done...so when and if the public cry 'bully', it's because that is how it's perceived by them and designed to be perceived as such....
..I've bolded some of your post because those very things have been happening in the house with Gary..?...George who likes James observed how condescending/patronising he is...Kellie only seems to have two emotions..aggression/anger or tears/self pity...Leslie can be a viper and spiteful and gets very personal at times...Frenchie upset them all with the food thing and has caused broken sleep as have some of the others...they're all annoying..?..they're all irritating..?..they probably would all want to make you scream at times..?...but Gary's hearing impairment aside and his age aside so it can't be said...oh why should we make allowances for him/he shouldn't be there/why should he be special...well he is 'special'..he's special because he's the only 'annoying/irritaing' housemate that they are ridiculing, mocking, insulting and treating differently to anyone else....so is that 'bullying'..?...just because his responses are..oh yeah, I'll learn from that/interesting/I'll try to work on that/thank you for pointing it out...he's had his beliefs laughed at, he's had his parenting questioned, he's had his hygiene insulted, he's had his hearing impairment dismissed as an annoyance that they have to repeat themselves several times....has anyone else had their flaws, their failings or any other perceived negativity about them so painfully, cruelly, openly and brutally pointed out....he definitely gets 'special' treatment for sure....and in my opinion he is definitely 'singled out' for that special treatment in a way that no other housemate is despite their obvious failings/annoyances/irritations....other housemates may have had things about them picked up on/confronted about..even been insulted ... but not in such a consistent and persistent way as he has...