The Bully Project (new 2012 documentary)

[Cole Parker]

Count 'em:

fuck

fuck

fuck

That's three, apparent the magic number, right?

WRONG!

The magic number is:

[insert drumbeat]

ONE!

Figure it out. There are now ZERO fucks in The Bully Project PG-rated movie.

Fuckin'-a!

Colin

So it sounds like you saw the movie. Was it good?

C

[eric312]

The scene that has been at the forefront of the battle with the MPAA, the intense scene in the film that shows teen Alex Libby being bullied and harassed on a bus, has been left fully intact and unedited. BULLY director Lee Hirsch felt editing the scene was not an option, and subsequently refused to do so, since it is too important to the truth and integrity behind the film.

That is said to be the scene in which the word fuck was used four times. Apparently, the word was cut from three other scenes to placate the MPAA. However, I have not seen the film so I cannot say for sure. Living where I do, I have a feeling I'll have to wait for it to comes out on DVD before I can see it. It's opening in 55 more markets on April 13th, but my little backwater town is not one of the markets.

[The Pecman]

How many "fucks" does it take? In the original uncut version of Bully there were five instances of the word which allowed the MPAA to give it an R rating. In order to allow the film a PG-13 rating, the producers removed two of them, but that still leaves three times that the word "fuck" appears in the dialogue. It seems the MPAA is now pleased with itself.

People act like this is something new. But those of us of a certain age remember times like... for example, with My Fair Lady in 1963, the original play had Professor Higgins saying "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! I've grown accustomed to her face!" at the beginning of that song. But in the Warner Bros. movie version, the MPAA insisted on cutting out one of the "damns." Apparently, it's less racy that way.

[DesDownunder]

There was great controversy in 1939, over the use of one 'damn' in Gone With The Wind where Rhett Butler exclaims to Scarlett O'Hara at the end of the movie, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." David O'Selznick insisted the 'damn' remain against all advice. The rest is history.

I first saw the movie when I was 16, and believe me no one even batted an eyelid at the use of the word. In fact I think it was plainly evident that what he really meant was that he didn't give a flying fuck, but then I'm Australian and we tend to use the vernacular wherever possible.

[blue]

Not relevant to apything, but anything that *could* give a flying fuck is really...quite athletic, you know?

It's strange. You'd think it would be an all or nothing thing. If there's one major cuss word, it's too much. But when it's an argument over a handful versus one more, then the argument has turned silly.

I'm repeating myself. I'm just still amazed it's so ridiculous. My upbringing was strict, but it wasn't that nonsensical. I wouldn't have been forbidden to see the movie when I was in junior high or high school. Yet I have an aunt who's probably up in arms over it. (Even she might have better sense on this one. I'd ask, but I don't want to hear it. :) )

Bottom Line: There are kids out there getting beaten up and abused with ugly, hateful speech, so much so that some of those kids want to die or run away. We (all of us) need to do what we can to make them feel wanted, welcomed, needed, and...worthwhile human beings as good as anybody else around. One more f-bomb in a movie is not going to hurt when the goal is to make life better for kids who feel left out, unwanted, or without worth, or...less than human by how they are treated. If a few f-words make a difference to some people, then those people really need to reexamine their priorities. The kids matter. Life matters.

In light of that kind of need, what's wrong with saying an extra fuck or two? -- An extra fuck or two? What's wrong with that anyway? You know, that should be a word that describes a wonderful expression of love between two people. Or at least a fun romp. That it is used as an insult at all is another case where our priorities are out of whack.

Get over it, people. There are kids out there hurting. Trust me, those kids have heard the F word before. They aren't going to be shocked. Neither are nearly all the other kids in school.

I wish it were not such a big deal for some people. If they could see what it feels like for a kid who's being bullied; if they could know the full truth of it that isn't being said, maybe they'd change their minds.

Oh wait, that's why the film was made, wasn't it?! Ohhhhhh.

Dang MPAA. Use your brains, people, not your rulers or your rulebooks.

Where are George Burns and John Denver when we need them? ;)

[blue]

I just checked, after another email about the Bully Project. I'm in one of the major US cities. The Bully Project is showing at two, count 'em, two theaters for my city. Ouch. But it's showing and it's PG-13.

Now I just have to figure where the dang theater is and schedule with my cabbie so I can go see it. I get the feeling it is one of the huge theater complexes I've only been to maybe once or twice. It's not local, exactly. The other theater is in an outlying town. It won't help me to go that far to see it.

I'm also waiting for it to come out on DVD/Blu-Ray.

Gaaah...low vision and seeing a movie in an unfamiliar theater. Hope I don't trip like last time. Frickin' embarrassing.

[colinian]

The Landmark Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley is showing the unrated version of Bully starting on April 13 (the official release date).

Colin

[The Pecman]

Very nice new (short) trailer, with the Justin Bieber song "Born To Be Somebody":

[EleCivil]

Clearly, the MPAA doesn't give a fuck.

Rather, it takes two away.

Morality is saved!

[blue]

So you're saying there's a remainder and a divisive situation going on?

Yeah, pun * 2, I should quit before it gets recursive!