I love my life. Every day people tell me I’m kind, smart, charming, handsome, and witty. Sure, those compliments often come from myself, but occasionally I hear them from others. But for the first 18 years of my life, I was told other things. I was called nerdy. I was called stupid. I was called a faggot. And the words were often accompanied with fists, rocks, or—on one occasion—a bag of flaming fecal matter left on my doorstep. When I was in elementary school I would frequently fake being ill so I could stay home instead of being harassed by bullies. When I was in junior high I contemplated suicide. When I was in high school and came out of the closet I was constantly afraid that I would get severely bashed and would end up in the hospital or in a grave. And through it all, I felt incredibly vulnerable, isolated, and alone. So naturally, I’m incredibly happy that there have been several anti-bullying campaigns over the last few years. Countless TV shows like “Glee” are tackling the issue head-on, and even the government has gotten involved with a Stop Bullying campaign, StopBullying.gov. Yet with all of my personal reasons for supporting anti-bullying initiatives, I am boycotting The Weinstein Company’s new documentary, Bully. With Bully, The Weinstein Company will bring more attention to the national problem of bullying in America by following the real life of a tormented pre-teen named Alex. Through Alex, The Weinstein Company will show bullied children that they are not alone and that people do indeed care. These are all things that I whole-heartedly stand behind. What I can not stand behind though is how The Weinstein Company is using this issue and the abuse of a real child for financial gain. Bully cost an estimated $1.1 million to produce. That’s a tiny sum in Hollywood. At $10 ticket prices, only 110,000 people need to see this movie for The Weinstein Company to break even. Add to the mix the free publicity The Weinstein Company received when the Motion Picture Association of America gave the film an R-rating due to language, leading to a firestorm of controversy and attention, and it’s clear that there will be more than 110,000 butts in seats, leading to what will be a profit of Fahrenheit 9/11 proportions. True, making money isn’t a bad thing. Hell, I love the green stuff. But I don’t make mine by exploiting children. Even the trailer for the film is repulsive, disgusting, and sickening to watch. In the 2 minute and 15 second trailer, the film’s main subject, Alex, is strangled once, has his head bashed into the back of a seat in a schoolbus, and punched five times, once in the face. The images are horrifying, but what’s more gruesome is the idea that a film crew stood by, watched, and did nothing as they witnessed criminal acts of assault on a 12 year old boy. It’s quite possible that the violence against Alex escalated due to the presence of a film crew, and yet they still did nothing but stand quietly and go home with a paycheck. I understand why Hollywood wants to bring attention to this issue, but due to the physically violent nature of the subject, the documentary format is not appropriate. This is a real child, and these are real crimes of abuse. If you want to take a stand against bullying, I applaud you and thank you. Volunteer for an anti-bullying campaign. Be a friend and ally to a bullied child. Tell bullies that enough is enough. But don’t see this movie, and don’t give the bullies at The Weinstein Company your money. --Jeff Davis