Saturday, October 15, 2011

FILM: "Teach Your Children Well"


Huffington Post: "School bullying is sadly an ongoing problem in schools worldwide, and often with tragic consequences. A powerful new documentary short (39 minutes) dealing with this problem, "Teach Your Children Well," narrated by Emmy Award winning actress and comedienne Lily Tomlin, will premiere October 16th in Hollywood. The film has been selected as one of Kat Kramer's Films That Change the World. The film explores the daily harassment, bullying and violence endured daily by thousands of students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans-gender. The shameful events unfold through interviews with the students themselves as well as with parents, teachers and professionals from gay and lesbian service organizations. Included is a moving recounting of the September 2010 suicide of 13 year old Seth Walsh, by his mother, Wendy Walsh. The documentary's aim is to shine a spotlight on homophobia and its harmful repercussions, hopefully playing a part in reducing the bullying and violence..." (Anti-Bullying Documentary 'Teach Your Children Well' Premieres October 16th)

Movies.broadwayworld.com: "...The bullying issue is especially relevant, in light of several teen suicides in 2010 and the killing of Lawrence King," said Kramer, an actress and daughter of late producer/director Stanley Kramer. "So much bullying happens not just in schools, but on the Internet and in the workplace. I think it is the single most important social issue right now, because of the long-term impact it can have on one's life and self-esteem." King, a 15-year-old gay student, was shot to death by fellow student Brandon McInerney at their school in Oxnard, California in 2008. The jury in McInerney's recent hate-crimes and murder trial was unable to reach a verdict, resulting in a mistrial being declared. The Ventura County District Attorney's Office has said that it will seek a retrial. Narrated by multi-award-winning actress and comedienne Lily Tomlin, "Teach Your Children Well" seeks to promote tolerance toward LGBT kids. Tomlin agreed to participate in the documentary as a result of her own experiences and those of people she knows. "I had a brother who was the object of tremendous harassment and intolerance, and he really suffered as a teenager, because of it," Tomlin added. "I'm proud to be a part of this film. I hope it will educate people to, as the title says, ‘teach your children well,' and maybe eradicate this kind of prejudice." Among those appearing in the film is Wendy Walsh of Tehachapi, California, whose 13-year-old son, Seth, was one of four teenagers who committed suicide across the U.S. in 2010 as a result of repeated bullying..." (Kat Kramer's Films to Premier Anti-Bullying Doc Teach Your Children Well 10/16)

BelmontShore-Naples Patch: "...Tomlin spoke of the importance of expanding the reach of the film. "Bullying and its tragic consequences affect so many children," Tomlin said. "Every school day thousands of young people who identify as either lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender face harassment, bullying, and even violence for simply being who they are," said a statement by Artful Thinking Organization, a Long Beach non-profit whose programs will be benefited by a fundraiser prior to the screening. Artful engages in creative artful events aimed at educating the public about HIV/AIDS and Breast Cancer. They added, "The documentary film Teach Your Children Well focuses its attention on the challenging issues of homophobia and violence in our schools as directed against our L-G-B-T youth. The primary desire with this project is to change the consciousness that leads our children to commit acts of violence, by teaching acceptance and respect for the right of others to be who they are..." (Overflow Audience for Lily Tomlin-voiced Bullying Film)

Mary Jean "Lily" Tomlin (born September 1, 1939) is an American actress, comedienne, writer, and producer. Tomlin has been a major force in American comedy since the late 1960's when she began a career as a stand up comedian and became a featured performer on television's Laugh-in. Her career has spanned television, comedy recordings, Broadway, and motion pictures, enjoying acclaimed success in each medium. She has won many awards including Tony Awards, Emmy Awards, and a Grammy Award and has also been nominated for an Academy Award. Tomlin's humor is often sharp and insightful in the traditions of standup comedians, but also frequently endearing, slightly wacky, and generally quite "family friendly" in the tradition of television comediennes such as Lucille Ball (Tomlin's idol), Carol Burnett, and Eve Arden (Wikipedia).


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Bullying is an abusive treatment, the use of force or coercion to affect others, particularly when habitual and involving an imbalance of power. It may involve verbal harassment, physical assault or coercion and may be directed persistently towards particular victims, perhaps on grounds of race, religion, gender, sexuality, or ability. The "imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a "targeted individual" (Wikipedia).