I dont think this video glamorized anything. I think the point of it was to show that, no matter what many people would like to believe, all of the stuff that lots of us on RYL deal with, are things lots and lots of people. And that instead of people reverting to these coping methods, or whatever you would like to call them that people should just encourage other people to realize that they are beautiful and perfect the way they are, and shouldnt feel bad about who they are.
"Wish that I could cry,
Fall apon my knees,
Find a way to lie,
About the home I'll never see"
Superman by Five For Fighting
I love this song, and the video. It is a little shocking and triggering, but it is so wonderful and perfect and nice. I have nothing bad to say about this song or anything about Pink.
After seeing the radio edit (or whatever the video equivalent is) of this, I cannot see how anyone can say it raises awareness of anything other than childhood/teenage bullying. Let's face it, the vast, vast majority of people will only see this much edited version. It's also all a bit fairytale for me, but then maybe that's just my way of thinking.
I didn't listen to the song, just watched the video because I'm in college, but I didn't find it in any way triggering, and I didn't get the impression that she was glamourising something. On the contrary actually.
In the UK (and I assume elsewhere), there are two versions of the video.
The first one is the original, which shows everything.
& the second one shows a lot less self harm and stuff. I've only ever seen the original on TV after 9pm (i.e. the watershed).
I found it difficult to analyse the lyrics and watch the video at the same time.
But I guess the point of the video was to shock. But not to lose hope. The beginning could have two meanings- sleeping around as part of a depressing/ mentally ill/ poor coping, or she has a partner/ husband who loves her and they have a daughter.
What I got from it was- teachers can be wrong about you, parents can be wrong about you, so called friends can be wrong about you. But there will come a point in your life where you can keep feeling sorry for yourself or do something to make your life turn around- make you happy.
Fantastic in a 2 minute music video, but not realistic for people who know this is a lifetime struggle. The point is you never know what will happen if you don't hang on and losing hope because you think you are not worth it is one of those things that I guess Pink was trying to combat.
~Happy tomatoes together we will be~
You say toe- may- toe, I say toe- mah- toe:
Let's call the whole thing- red
“It’s time to lead the third revolution, which is not to say we want to be at the top of the world, but to say we want to change the world. Because the way the world has been designed by men is not working. It’s not working for women, it’s not working for men,
it’s not working for polar bears.” Arianna Huffington 2014
Since the video was the main source of discussion I just watched the video with the sound muted.
And after thinking about it a little, I have to say, it's very stereotypical. Doesn't seem to be really "raising awareness" if it just shows the same tired depictions of these issues again and again.
I mean, really, a super-skinny girl standing on a scale? It's so over-done that we didn't even need any more context, we just thought, "eating disorder," when (and I will say this until I die) the vast majority of those with EDs are not super-thin.
The SI was even worse. Very over-dramatized. Again, self-harmers don't cut that deeply unless they want to have to tell an awkward story in the ER (which would never fly with the word "PERFECT" carved into your arm). I'm worried that those struggling with SI will see this video and think, "Oh, I'm not that bad, I just scratch/lightly cut every once in a while." Worse still is that it re-enforces the notion that all self-harmers are melodramatic attention-seekers.
The video had a good ending, but I still got the impression that Pink was trying too hard to be "edgy" and "out there."
My name is Matt, and I am a boy. Feel free to PM me :)
I have learned that the world is not a safe place. Not at all. But there are so many people who love me and want to keep me safe. And that is enough.
....
I watched it for the first time today. Then i remembered all the dicussions i used to read on RYL (ruin and recover) about songs/clips like it.
Linkin Park's Numb
Christina Aguilera's Beautiful
The point is, ANY exposure to Self-harm/eating-disorder/suicide images/lyrics etc, will increase awareness, although not the same way for everyone who views it. A terribly depressed young girl may get "ideas" from such a clip, or she may take comfort in the fact she now has proof that she is not alone and decide it may be time to get help. A regular person may be horrified, kick up a big stink and start public debates on the content, or they may be saddened and start to examine themselves for bullying or others for cries for help and offer them that help.
I like the song. I like the clip. Mind you, if i wasn't as well as i have been lately it might have triggered me. And I am sure my mother (she works with children's services, and knows how unwell i have been in the past) would be of two minds about it until we had a chat.
In the end, it will help lift the veil of silence surrounding the issue, and reasonable people will start questioning and learning and helping, how can that be a bad thing? if it wasn't so taboo still to admit to mental illness, i know i wouldn't have the scars i do, i would have gotten help much sooner.
Just my two cents
...I try to outsmart him, but somehow he knows,
Wherever I am, that f***ing dog goes... - Dog, Andy Bull
No matter how bad things get, the true test is how we choose to respond to the pain we suffer, or inflict. - Amenadiel, Lucifer
Why is the path unclear,
When we know hope is near
Understand we'll go hand in hand, but we'll walk alone in fear
~~Margo is my penguin 🐧!!! ~~
I don't believe that the video glamorizes the issues it covers, but I do find it very triggering however the words of the song make it better. The words do make you feel like everyone is equal and no matter the mistakes you make that you are perfect. But there should be warning before showing such detail as it does act as a trigger seeing the cuts and other people cutting.
I think that it is a great song, and video but it should come with warnings.
There's a little piece of heaven,
Right here where you are.
The fact that you keep trying
Is what sets you apart. Heaven (Little by Little) - Theory of a Deadman
