Minnie Driver spoke with Ellen Degeneres on Wednesday about her experience with a bully as a kid.
Like most all of us, Minnie had a bully in school who made her life hell. Later in life she had the opportunity to confront the bully which gave her some closure on the experience.
Minnie tells Ellen: “I remember this new girl arrived when I was like nine years old, and I was completely happy at my school, very confident, and, for whatever reason, she decided that she needed to take me down, and for the next five years, just every single day repeatedly, it was just abusive and frightening.
“It wasn’t until I finally realised that I could fight back and I literally smacked her, it never happened again.”
When she saw her tormentor again years down the road she decided she would confront her about the bullying.
“She was there with her husband and her kids and I got the same kind of chilled fear in my stomach when I saw her. After a couple of drinks I went over to her and I was like, ‘Can I just ask you, you remember everything that went on, right? The systematic and repeated bullying that you inflicted on me.’ Her face went white and she looked like she was going to throw up or burst into tears, and I said, ‘Why did you do it?’ She said, ‘It was my identity. I was frightened of who you were, creative and loud and sort of gregarious, and my identity became stopping that and shutting that down in you because it was shut down in me.’ That minute, I realised that she was, in a way, as damaged by what she’d done as I had felt damaged myself. It was an interesting and good moment, but I don’t think everybody has that opportunity to face their aggressor later on.”
Interestingly enough, internet bully Perez Hilton also spoke with Ellen about bullying and he swears that he is going to end bullying on his blog. Makes me sick. He has been doing it for years and he has become a millionaire from it. So NOW it’s time to quit? Now that Ellen is spearheading a movement to end bullying, NOW he feels like he “wants to be a part of the solution and not the problem?” Reaaallly…
Well, I’m not buying it.
Anyhow, how about you, Smackaholics? Ever been bullied? What was your experience with bullying and did you ever get the opportunity to confront them?
Because I was too “nice” in school in junior high, I would get walked on by my friends and more aggressive kids. Most of those people who did that to me are big losers now. Now, as a teacher, I’ve seen soooooo much of it in my career. I can stop it in my room and playground for SURE. I always took the teased kids under my wing and tried to build up their self esteem by focusing on their talents. I also gave some kids a safe recess haven in my room if they needed it. If every teacher , adult , and school official would say NO MORE – things could be changed. Unfortunately, cruelty still prevails. School staff usually just look the other way, even after all the suicides we hear about.
Because I was too “nice” in school in junior high, I would get walked on by my friends and more aggressive kids. Most of those people who did that to me are big losers now. Now, as a teacher, I’ve seen soooooo much of it in my career. I can stop it in my room and playground for SURE. I always took the teased kids under my wing and tried to build up their self esteem by focusing on their talents. I also gave some kids a safe recess haven in my room if they needed it. If every teacher , adult , and school official would say NO MORE – things could be changed. Unfortunately, cruelty still prevails. School staff usually just look the other way, even after all the suicides we hear about.