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Blogocentric Formulations #829530 added October 1, 2014 at 2:13am
Restrictions: None
They Don't Care About... Sticks and Stones
** Image ID #2010042 Unavailable **
SONG: "They Don't Care About Us"
ARTIST: Michael Jackson
STATUS: Deceased (prescription drug-related cardiac arrest, 6/25/2009)
ALBUM: HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I (1996)
I told myself I wouldn't repeat artists from "The Soundtrack of Your Life"  challenge I participated in earlier this year, but this is going to be my one and only exception. The main reason I selected this song is because the video was shot in Brazil, which I visited this summer. The video was directed by Spike Lee and shot on location in Pelourinho (the city center of Salvador) as well as Dona Marta, a favela (slum) in Rio de Janeiro. Authorities tried to ban filming in Dona Marta, afraid that the video would damage their image and affect tourism if it showed the poverty in which many of their citizens lived. The song itself also garnered controversy and resulted in Jackson issuing apologies and re-recording altered lyrics to address accusations of antisemitism. Today, the song still remains one of the most controversial songs Jackson ever recorded.
What struck me about this song (and this video) is that it's still a popular topic in Brazil, even nearly twenty years after it was recorded. The authorities may have been unhappy about the video showing the living conditions in the favelas, but most of the impoverished residents themselves were thrilled that Michael Jackson filmed a video there (the people featured in the video are all either real residents, police officers, or members of Olodum, a Brazilian cultural music group). With the corruption and poor living conditions still a very real problem in the country, even today Brazilians point to the video and song as one of the best representations of the oppression they face.
When I was in Brazil - mostly in and around Sao Paulo, with a short trip to Rio - the locals had plenty of examples that showed the government is less than interested in the well being of every citizen. For example, there's a current initiative to create a metro system in Sao Paulo... but with all the overspending and delays, it won't be ready for several years and even then will be too expensive for many residents to use. In order to make way for high-end construction projects, an entire favela was relocated. And while officials praised themselves for building new, modern structures for the poorest segment of the population, they built the favela so far outside the city that there are no nearby amenities. Residents now have to take (and pay for) public transportation to get to and from the grocery store, pharmacy, schools, etc. Especially with the (mis)management of funds relating to the country's bids for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games (the cost of which is trickling down to the average Brazilian in the form of dramatically increased taxes and fees), Michael Jackson's claim that "they don't care about us" may ring as true today as it did back in 1996. And it's not just for the people of Brazil; the song has become an anthem for anyone suffering under the weight of oppression or abandoned by those who are supposed to be looking out for them.
 
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| ASIN: 0812992806 |
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I've been listening to Emily Bazelon for years on the Slate Political Gabfest podcast. The former senior editor of Slate and recent addition to the New York Times Magazine staff wrote a series of articles about bullying which culminated in a Michael Kelly Award-nominated story "What Really Happened to Phoebe Prince?" Bazelon includes the story of Phoebe Prince - as well as stories of two other targets of bullying - in this book about the causes of bullying and what can be done to combat it.
I'm a little less than halfway through the book (just to the point where the stories of the three kids' experiences have been presented), but so far it's a very engaging read with some great insights about perceptions of bullying from the outside, the victims, and the aggressors themselves. Bullying is a terribly insidious experience that many children go through at some point in their lives, and it desperately needs to be brought to the forefront of our discussions about children and the experience of growing up.
Reading this book reminded me of Tornado Dodger  's excellent forum, the "Youth Suicide Prevention Initiative" and all the great resources that are out there for parents and kids themselves to take advantage of. What I'm learning from the book (and have learned from personal experiences in my youth) is that one of the most dangerous aspects to bullying is the ostracism - sometimes perceived and sometimes real - that occurs when someone brings attention to it and/or seeks help from outside authority figures. It's so important that parents and teachers speak with children about this issue and that there are clear courses of action when it does occur, so that victims don't have to suffer in silence, becoming more depressed and more withdrawn until they feel like the situation is hopeless.
I don't want to necessarily jump the gun before I'm finished reading, but so far I'm thinking this book should be required reading for every educator, parent, and adolescent. People need to understand the conditions under which bullying spreads, and the approaches that work and don't work against this insidious problem.
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