Sinister: About a *john*john*; bullying; links; going out

[idleberry]

Forget your "I HEART KEN CHU" badges. The cult of Ken
Chu is over. Thats like, so five minutes ago, dahling.
Ken might have been a cult, but our very own johnjohn
has had a moviemade about him, and has been
immortalised on the silver screen.

I went last night with pigtails, and another friend,
to see the film "about a boy".

Almost instantly, it was recognisable, as a slightly
younger version of john john, from the clothes he
wears, to the fact that in the film, the wee boy
(Marcus) even nicks johnjohns little catchphrase and
says "baaa!". So I watched the film, noting only a few
differences between them, which, without wanting to
rock the boat, I am now going to list. 
(But I'm not putting numbers against them, so I'm
reckoning, I might just escape the evil glares and
dirty looks as I tread carefully on eggshells through
the den of sleeping sinister lions, and perhaps also,
a bollocking.)

Johnjohn has a slightly deeper voice;
johnjohn is taller;
johnjohn isn't from Islington, London, England, The
World, The Universe; hes from Dingwall near Inverness;
I think Johnjohn's hair is a bit lighter, and a little
bit shorter, but still kinda cool and floppy;
As far as I know, johnjohn isn't related to Toni
Collete in any way, shape or form.

I could have numbered it. I could have put it in roman
numerals. Or perhaps a) b) c)... call it a top A to J
list? Dos that count? or a top I to X list? or add N
to X? No, I don't think so.
(*DEFINATELY AWAITING A BOLLOCKING NOW.*)

Anyway, back to the film. 

So, its a film about john john. 

It was a great film, alothugh I think my comments can
be fair, if I say that its one of those where its what
you wished your childhood was actually like- to be
rescued by some cool, older person who isn't related
to you, who sticks up for you, and lets you hang about
with them, to make a friend outside school, someone
who is willing to teach you the ways of the world
becuase other adults won't tell you, someone who
rescues you when you need it most. Well, I do. I mean,
bullying is rubbish, isn't it? But if you're going to
be different, and stand out from the crowd and be
interesting, and you went to school, you're going to
get bullied. Its the rule. If you're going to grow up
and become fascinating, and transform from the
catipillar in its chrysalis to the social butterfly,
or from the ugly duckling into the swan, you're bound
to get bullied along the way, aren't you? You're lucky
if you don't.

******Bullying*******

I got bullied at school. I remember sitting in the
back of Chemistry class, when I was 14, and this
girlwith theis awful perm tried to poke my eyes out
with a biro, and the teacher happily ignored it.I
remember the head of the school, during assembly,
saying there was no bullying at our school. Which you
know is rubbish. Its like politicians saying the crime
rate has dropped since they came into power, or that
unemployment has dropped.. but you know its only the
statistics that have dropped, and there is a lot left
thats been unaccounted for, or not reported. 
Its the same with bullying.

And what do youdo about it? Teachers are useless,
mostly. Tell them that the kids call you names, and
they tell you to turn the other cheek, or ignore it,
or not to tell tales- becuase they think bullying has
to be physical. Its not. Its easy for grown ups. Or so
it seems. If you were to turn round to your teacher
and say the things that people have said to you-the
verbal abuse- mentioning mothers, sex, etc etc. What
do you hink the first thing they would do would be?
react? I think so. Would they ignore it, like they
advise you to do? no. Would they get angry at you?
Yes. So the teachers are giving out useless advice
that they wouldn't follow. Nobody likes to think its
going on in their school, do they, the teachers.
Ignore it? Thats what teachers like to do, in my
expereince, therefore it doesn't exist. 

I got teased a lot about my chest when I was at
school, by boys and girls. If anyone said that to me
in an office, they'd get done for sexual harrassment,
and disciplinary charges would be brought against
them. At school, its not quite as sophisticated. It
gets ignored. 

I don't think theres any advice I can give to any
younger listees about how to tackle bullying. I think
it varies, from person to person. My only piece of
wisdom, that I have learnt is this: that karma can
exist. And if it doesn't happen straight away, keep on
thinking about it. 

The kids that bullied me at school: where are they
now?

Well,one girl bullied me when I was 16. 
Actually, I think the whole school did.

This girl though, this one particular girl. She used
to make sly remarks, just loud enough for me to hear
but quiet enough so nobody else did. Comments how I
was a teachers pet when I put my hnd up in class to
answer a question. Or comments about how I was thick
(or words to that effect) when I asked a question. It
was a loose-loose situation. And her little gang of
friends...
These girls were all clever.
But this one girl, lets call her.. Elaine.
She had a speach impediment, and a turned up nose, and
got straight A's and grade 1s throughout school.She
was clever. Her gang consisted of a bunch of clever,
popular, sporty girls. 
Anyway, this girl. When we came to leave school, I
later heard she went for an interview with a
university to get on a degree course. Despite her
fantastic grades, she was told she was too immature
and turned down for university.
Thats the first best bit of karma.

Some of the other girls, who weren't so bright, (not
in Elaines gang) went on to get jobs in local
factories, they grew up, and had babies, and are all
settled down now. I'm quite glad I never did any of
that. I'm still having far too much fun with my life
to give it away to the idea of becoming a mother,
wheeling a buggy around the suburban town centres,
wearing tracksuit bottoms and oversized t shirts,
threatening two year old brattish spawn when they
start to scream in Asda becuase they want a comic/
toy/ sweeties/ want to go home. I'm glad I'm still
having fun, going out late at night to gigs and clubs,
without having to get a babysitter. I'm glad I don't
have to go to the post office once a month to collect
child benefit. I'm glad I can spend my money on going
to nice hair salons, and getting a head massage and a
cool haircut rather than going to mothercare and
spending it on nappies. 
I remember one of my ex boyfriends too, was a nasty
character. The stories I could tell you about him...
but I won't. Anyway, despite all the bad stuff that
happened, I remember two years ago, sitting in the
computing centre late, one night, typing up an essay.
I saw him and his pal there, typing up a 15000 word
dissertation, due in the next day, for their finals.
These two went outside, to have a spliff, and when
they came back.. eventually.. they hadn't saved their
work, and the computers had logged them off becuase
they had been away so long. 
Karma offers guaranteed satisfaction no amount of
revenge could ever provide.

And remember, theres a whole lot of belle and
sebastian songs written for people who are feeling
like a social misfit. As well as other bands, writing
songs for you. 

Wouldn't it be cool, if you could get the school
bullies to actually watch all the films where the main
charactr, who is often the coolest, gets bullied, and
then the real life bullies actually understand what
its all about? Wouldn't it be cool, if witty retorts
that work on the silver screen actually worked in real
life? It won't happen though. Bullies aren't the most
emotionally intelligent of people. They can't connect
the villains in films to their own behaviour, nor do
they try and change it. Its always seemed quite odd to
me, how the  bullies at school could listen to bands,
or read about pop stars or celebrities, talking about
their lives how they were bullied, and not even manage
to see themselves within the context. How they could
sing along to the songs about being a social outcast,
then carry on behaving where they treat other people
as social outcasts. Like I said, Bullies aren't the
most emotionally clued up of people.

*** back to the film****

So About A boy. Very idealistic, a feel good film, and
the sort of thing you wished for as a kid, or wish had
happened in retrospect. 
The closest reality you'll get, is the Sinister List.

****other news*****

Very pleased to see Mick Cooke has kindly added
Corduroy Smoke to the Belle And Sebastain list of
links, at request.

****going out****
Went to the Egg last night. Was a bit miffed, becuase
its not as good as I remember it. Or maybe I'm just
falling behind with the times. Whatever, I think I
shall be going to Keith Watsons night next week,
seeing as I've bumped into him twice this weekend, and
he's been busy selling it to me.

****finishing off*****

I think I'll say goodbye now.

Thankyou if you have red my post all the way down to
here.

You are indeed a devoted sinisterian.

Love,

Idleberry
xxxxxxxxx



















=====
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/corduroysmoke/ starting playground gossip and passing notes

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