In April 2014, VH1 released an anti-bullying public service announcement, supposedly aimed at preventing bullying among young children. It doesn’t take close inspection of the video for the viewer to understand that it actually advocates bullying. The closing statement reads: “Nerds today, bosses tomorrow. Don’t bully.” The use of “nerd” as a derogatory term already places this PSA in the realm of unfair and unwarranted stereotyping.
Placing people into groups gives power to the individual doing the classification. When someone is labeled, they can’t help being seen that way by others. This often has lasting affects. “Nerds” and “bosses” in the VH1 PSA exemplifies how stereotypical behavior is carried over into adulthood.
The first scene of the PSA shows an adolescent boy being given a swirly in the toilet of the school bathroom. As he leaves the restroom, soaked, he sings, “But then I spent so many nights working on my grand revenge. I’ll be your boss. I’m gonna’ make you be my slave,” to the tune of Gloria Gaynor’s famous song, “I Will Survive.”
Next, we see a boy held over a railing in the school locker room while others hit him repeatedly with twirled-up towels. He sings, “All my power, I will abuse. I’ll be the CEO, you’ll be the one that shines my shoes.” He states (or, rather, sings) outright that he will abuse his power once he holds a position higher than the bullies. There is a consistent portrayal of power and dominance over those who have once wronged you.
In the next scene, a girl’s hair is set on fire, and as she runs away from her bullies, she sings, “You’ll never get a single raise. You’ll get the same pay till the end of your unhappy days.” The girl wants her classmates to suffer. This idea completely opposes anti-bullying values and ideals. A common phrase promoting anti-bullying is “treat others how you’d like to be treated.” Here, there is no sense of respect or forgiveness for those who have abused or been abused.
Lastly, we see a boy strung to the top of a flagpole, angrily singing, “And behind a tiny desk, you’ll be saying your regrets. You’ll be my pet; you’ll be my pet.” All too obviously, the boy wants to grow up to dominate. And the sad truth is those people he may be the boss of might not even be the bullies from his school years. He will treat people as pets who might have never harmed him in childhood. This is a real-life occurrence in which an adult feels as though he or she is avenging his former self by exercising power over others in adulthood. Dominance over co-workers also vindicates the individual, if they feel their independence and power needs to be affirmed.
The only truthful message in this PSA, if there is one, is the lasting affects of bullying are detrimental and can change the personality and character of children, molding them into who they will be as adults. VH1 should have portrayed a school campus where educational employees intervened in these bullying acts and where student cooperation is promoted. This PSA sends the wrong message to children and teenagers. People should always strive to forgive those who have hurt them. In addition, dominance over others in order to seek out revenge is a behavior that threatens society today. These are not values and ideals that should be broadcasted through public media.