Be prepared....

[wildone]

This is not a happy video, be ready for that

 

Still, wasn't sure if I should post it here or in the teen forum. Made me reflect back on many things.

 

 

 

Not sure if it has been posted elsewhere as it is 3 months old.

[BeysJoshersLepton V2]

Saw this today myself, its making the rounds on facebook and such. It still highlights theres such a lot of work to do in this area and why I am still so grateful I got support when needed. If it wasn't for such times though I wouldn't be wanting to work in what I'm studying now. In the independent

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/selfharm-figures-soar-in-a-generation-under-pressure-6272072.html

 

It shows how much of an ever growing issue it is in the UK don't have statistics on America, thankfully many who are depressed or struggle don't reach this stage but a huge amount go unreported clearly. I don't think it will ever be wiped out but we can increase the structures avalible to people and spot the signs with greater knowledge in the public domain.

[TetRefine]

Ummm, wow. The raw emotion in this video was......I don't know how to describe it. I hardly ever cry, and definitely not for strangers, but this had me welled up.

 

Wow, I really am at a loss for worlds.

[Aximili Chaosmembrane]

It's BEAUTIFUL! I saw this on Facebook as well, and shared it to every group I am a part of I think this video needs to get out there. We have a million reasons to be here.

[Y_B]

Here is a great response to Jonah

 

 

This made me smile

[TalonRider]

This is being discussed at another site I go to.

 

Apparently, he's done a Thank You, but it says it's been pulled by the user.

[Marzipan]

_{What a brave kid. My thoughts go to him and every single person who is bullied for whatever the reason.}

[Jack Frost]

I just saw the video yesterday and, well, I had feelings for once.

 

The follow-back video in this thread is just gold. Hopefully Jonah did see that one and among the others.

[Aximili Chaosmembrane]

Have you seen the responses after the follow up video??? Overwhelming love!

[littlebuddy]

That was both really moving and depressing and uplifting at the same time. I feel for the kid; I hated middle school. And as cliched as it sounds, it does get better.

 

I applaud his strength to a) admit to cutting and post this video. I certainly wasn't anywhere near as strong at his age. I especially like the parallels between his video and Sia's Breathe Me in terms of concept.

 

lb.

[Bill W]

I just get so torn up when I see a youngster in that much emotional pain. If the world wants to have a war on terrorism, then let's include the terrorists who bully gays and other vulnerable individuals.

[Nephylim]

What makes me feel so sad is the amount of responses to the original that say it's fake or make horrible comments. Why? So what if this particular vid WAS fake; the emotions and the message aren't I think that's part of the whole problem though isn't it?

 

As for Jonathan... if I were 20 years younger and a gay man I'd propose

[Jack Frost]

Apparently he lied.

 

May the trolls burn in flames.*

 

*Except me, of course.

 

So what if this particular vid WAS fake; the emotions and the message aren't I think that's part of the whole problem though isn't it?

People don't like their emotion toyed with like that because all it does is distract us from dealing with the actual problem. That's wasting our time for nothing.

 

Never mind "so what if it WAS fake".

[Myr]

a lot of those comments were rather obnoxious. I'm surprised Google hasn't cracked down on the viciousness in those comments.

[Nephylim]

Apparently he lied.

 

May the trolls burn in flames.*

 

*Except me, of course.

 

 

People don't like their emotion toyed with like that because all it does is distract us from dealing with the actual problem. That's wasting our time for nothing.

 

Never mind "so what if it WAS fake".

 

I disagree. Even if it was fake it had an effect. I opened our eyes and our minds for the time we were watching it, making us more receptive and aware of the issues behind it. Even if that boy was a fake the emotions he provoked and that he represented weren't

 

We have nativity plays at Christmas... they're fake but they make us think

[Y_B]

Apparently he lied.

 

...........WHAT?!............

 

 

I've just about lost my F*CKING mind.

[Y_B]

I disagree. Even if it was fake it had an effect. I opened our eyes and our minds for the time we were watching it, making us more receptive and aware of the issues behind it. Even if that boy was a fake the emotions he provoked and that he represented weren't

 

We have nativity plays at Christmas... they're fake but they make us think

 

I disagree 110%.

It didn't open our eyes and minds, it deceived them. This wasn't a commercial or propaganda where he played the part of an actor. It was supposedly HIM putting it all out there and made most of us believe it. People didn't respond by simply re-chanting about how gay bullying needs to stop, people responded to HIM offering their real support and he basically flipped a middle finger to all of them. You liked Jonathan's video. How do you think he reacted?

 

The thing that bothered me the most was the way he went about making that 2nd video and acting in the most obnoxious and bitchass way. His true character really showed through in that one...he's not vulnerable, he's not appreciative and strong, he's a sassy and disrespectful little f@g boy who thinks too highly of himself, and he disgusts me.

 

Personally, I am not more aware of the gay bullying issue after having watched his original video because I was already aware of it. It's not a new concept by any means. What I WAS aware of...was THIS BOY and THIS BOY specifically and he manipulated me to feel bad for him and probably smirked after he stopped recording. Not only that, he has completely undermined the entire issue of gay bullying by making a mockery of it. Being an advocate to stopping bullying and gay bullying is a relative new thing for me. I'm a no-bullsh*t kind of guy. I don't tolerate melodrama and my reaction to the whole "I'm so troubled, my life is so bad, I dont know what to do" thing is usually: "get over it..." A lot of my friends are similar. I get that the issue of bullying is serious but it's never been something I'd go out of my way to support. I can be sensitive to my friends when something is really bothering them but for things like this, Idk, I've never thought beyond "well that sucks...." For this kid though, and because of his video...I thought, what the hell, maybe I can use a change of atittude, so I actually introspected and dug into myself a little to become more sensitive to the matter and allowed myself to feel for him because I thought this was for real and not some melodramatic bullsh*t. Maybe it'll help me fulfill a better drive to succeed in helping people in my life. That 2nd video was his middle finger to me saying "you're an idiot to have taken me seriously" so of course I kinda feel toyed by it. The boy kinda cried wolf on behalf of everybody for me and I honestly am at a loss right now.

 

I really don't understand why I'm having such a bad reaction to this when I know it probably just brushes by most people's shoulders without much thought. I guess I really don't like to be toyed with emotionally and being a lame ass douche, I invested some emotions into his original video and now I'm just reintroduced to bad memories i have......I really really just don't like being taken for a spin down sucker alley.

[Former Member]

Nevertheless, the message behind the video is very much real. Hundreds of thousands of teenagers, and young adults go through those same emotions every year, and they certainly aren't fake.

Personally I'm not one hundred percent sure the boy(s) in the two videos are one and the same, and in any event, he's never said (in the follow up video) that the first video was a fake. Just that he has 'a tonne of friends now', given the fact that he moved schools recently, and I say good for him.

[K.C.]

The 1st video brought me to tears( Jonah's confession). The second had me smiling like a goof (the response video) and the 3rd (Jonah's 4 month update) had me shaking my head, but not in a bad way.

 

From someone who has a kid his same age, I think we need to view him as a child. Kids don't always act mature, he should have planned out a better way to update us on his progress. This boy posted an emotional cry for help and he got help. That was the goal. He didn't kill himself like we see so many others doing. Hopefully he stopped cutting too. He needed help and he got it. He changed schools, has friends now and has had an impact on society!

 

Smacking gum and being silly while playing with a video camera....wasn't a good idea for trying to make his thank you sound heartfelt but again, he's a kid.

[Anya]

I don't think he lied. He simply said that people love him now. On his twitter account he says that he's doing alright now but that doesn't mean that the whole thing was fake. It happened 4 months ago afterall. So yeah...maybe he was acting a bit conceited in his second video but I imagine becoming so popular so fast can do that. He's just a kid anyway

 

And even if it was fake , which I don't believe, there is a real message behind it. And this video might help other kids who get bullied. I mean just look at how much awareness it reached in just a few days ;P

Edited December 6, 2011 by Anya

[Aximili Chaosmembrane]

Hmm. Did anyone actually watch the video which says he lied? Oh well, here's the text (wrote it myself based on what I can understand):

 

Jonah: Hi everyone.

Tara: Hi.

J: Um, this is my friend Tara.

T: Hello.

J: Um, I just like to say to the people who think - now you cannot see us at all.

T: I turned it off. (laughs)

J: Hold on a moment... To the people who think that nobody likes me, um, uh, almost my entire school love me. I don't want to sound, like, stupid or conceited, or anything, but, yeah. Um, and the video I made 4 months ago, and I had a crappy camera then, so you couldn't really see my scars. I don't know if you can see them now (lights his arms that shows his scars, which are now visible), coz the flash is like really bright. Okay, you can kinda see it.

T: (unclear)

J: Oh, no. So yeah.

T: I saw them, they're real.

J: (unclear)

T: laughs

J: PSS, thank you everyone who's being nice. I don't know why I said PSS, coz I only, just, never mind. Thank you for everyone who's being nice, and to the people who are being mean and calling me gay, um, thank you for stating the obvious. You could really be the next Einstein, really.

 

From what I understand, his school mates don't actually hate him. His scars, on the other hand, are real:

 

 

 

He did not comment on whether his scars are just there due to sadistic tendencies, or because he really is depressed.

 

Also, he was chewing gum.

 

Here's what I got after looking around:

 

Gum chewing continues to be one of the more intriguing and fun ways that people satisfy their urge to chew. Today people we define as chewers will reach for various things when under stress, tense or depressed, but more than 50 percent will reach for gum when they are happy or content, and 46 percent will reach for a piece when they are bored. So when you are giving a presentation and you notice your boss sitting at the other end of the table chewing gum, be relieved she is not chewing on ice which shows frustration or an eraser that would indicated she wants to erase what's going on. She is probably happy or bored, so smile and make your presentation more lively!

.

.

.

When Americans that chew gum were asked why they chew, nearly half (44 percent) said they chew gum to banish bad breath! Americans are also sweet seekers. Thirty percent chew because they enjoy the flavor and taste or crave something sweet. Fifteen percent chew to combat stress and boredom. So notice when you start chewing on something and watch when other people are chewing and ask what is their motivation.

 

http://www.pattiwood...asp?PageID=2322

 

 

More:

 

signal chewing gum body part mouth tension, suppression possible meaning As above - detailed explination an inwardly-directed 'displacement' sign, due to suppression of natural reaction. Otherwise however can simply be to freshen breath, or as a smoking replacement.

signal smoking body part mouth possible meaning self-comforting detailed explination Smoking obviously becomes habitual and addictive, but aside from this people put things into their mouths because it's comforting like thumb-sucking is to a child, in turn rooted in baby experiences of feeding and especially breastfeeding.

signal chewing pen or pencil body part mouth possible meaning self-comforting detailed explination Like smoking and infant thumbsucking. The pen is the teat. Remember that next time you chew the end of your pen...

 

http://learn-body-la...associated.html

 

Granted, it wasn't conclusive that him chewing gum means he's nervous, but the possibility is there. Context must also be taken into account, but we don't access to the various factors which brought him to chew the gum in the first place. I know at least that smokers look for gum or candy to chew if they don't have access to cigarettes (or are not allowed to smoke in certain places).

 

*shrugs*

[TetRefine]

You don't go from having no friends and getting bullied all the time (like he claimed) to "everyone loving [you]" in 4 months. And certainly not in freakin' middle school! Jesus people, think about it. Maybe this kid got harassed here and there, but by the way it sounds he bullshitted the lot of us with his first teary eyed video.

 

And him chewing gum in the second video so obnoxiously was enough for me to lose sympathy for him. I feel completely played.

Edited December 6, 2011 by TetRefine

[Y_B]

I'm amazed at how people are still playing into his hands and regard him as the victim even taking the 2nd video into consideration. Clearly people are interpreting this whole thing differently because to me, he's not the victim, his supporters are/were, he is the bully and exploited the concept of bullying by using it as his chance to get popularity off of the internet. But hey I'll give him this much....Most people just sing a song or be weird on the internet to get themselves out there but he....wow...i'll give him some props for being original in that undertaking. Instead of begging people to love him, he actually managed to get people to feel bad for him as his method.

 

Quite a few YouTube comments and comments here shock me.To those who believe his 2nd video is actually a "thank you" message, in what sense of a warped reality did it sound anything like a "thank you"? it is completely beyond me how that 2nd video had any implications of gratitude. If that is the way people give, interpret and accept gratefulness, I have severe doubts for the future of humanity.

 

For those who believes he did society good regardless of being fake or not by having "gotten the message out there"..... 1) as far as I'm aware, the issue of gay bullying is not a new one and the efforts to remedy it in schools have already untaken progress. This whole "it gets better" propaganda has been going on for a while now. Were you made more aware of the issue by Jonah? I wasn't and people who watched it with me weren't. 2) I can tell you now that his wolf crying and making a mockery of his supporters possibly undermined the entire issue for me. 3) I will not be chewing gum for the next 5 years.

[Y_B]

From someone who has a kid his same age, I think we need to view him as a child.

Smacking gum and being silly while playing with a video camera....wasn't a good idea for trying to make his thank you sound heartfelt but again, he's a kid.

 

KC, I know what you mean, but I find your comments about the "kid" and "child" part a little offputting.

 

As someone who's not incredibly too far past Jonah's age, I don't give 14 and 15 year olds much room for this magnitude of immaturity. Of course we all did things at that age that weren't our proudest moments and we all have behaved in ways unsuitable to a rationally thinking person, but I would like to believe that I was a good kid back then who had a decent level of sense. Jonah wasn't being an ass because he was a "child", Jonah was being an ass because Jonah is an ass. Don't dismiss him into the category of being a child and letting that be the stance because quite frankly, there are people of his age who can and (based on my observations) have upheld a high level of integrity and social keenness. Your comments made it seem like you not only believe it is okay for 14 and 15 year olds to behave atrociously but you discredits all of them by implying children are not meant to have brains to begin with.

[TetRefine]

Edited.

Edited December 6, 2011 by TetRefine