Please Stop Laughing at Me Project
By: Ethan Besselman
Book Summary
Please Stop Laughing at Me is a tale of what Jodee Blanco had to go through in her years of school. The bullying started in elementary school, when she stood up for a special-ed child that was also being picked on. The torment didn't stop in middle school either. All throughout middle school, Jodee had little friends, and the suffering got worse. Even a psychologist wasn't able to help her. When Jodee entered high school, life got even worse for her. At first, she made a friend, but the friendship was short lived. In the end, Jodee ended up going to a writers camp. There, she made friends because almost everyone else had been bullied as well. This camp was a solace for her, as Jodee wrote, "I will never forget these two weeks," (Blanco, 222). After the writing camp, life got better because she finally got the surgery to fix her deformed breasts. Her senior year flew by, and after graduation, she got an amazing job. At Jodee's high school reunion, she found out that none of her high school tormentors remembered bullying her. In the end, though, they ended up letting go and becoming friends.
Jodee Blanco
Jodee Blanco was a bully victim all throughout school. She only had a few friends, the main ones being Nico, Annie, Dino, Bill, and Marianne. Jodee used to have a friend name Noreen, but, as she put it, "All the years of teasing and taunting have taken a tremendous toll on her. I still have some fight left in me, while she's become a shell of who she once was," (Blanco, 195-196). Jodee is an extremely caring and kind woman, and she used to have a breast deformity before it was fixed in between her junior and senior year in high school. Jodee's current job is to interview celebrities, as well as to go to various schools and talk about her experience with bullying.
Conflict/Resolution
The conflict that Jodee had to face would be man vs society. This is because, not only were her peers bullying her, but also her parents and psychologist didn't believe in her, as shown when Jodee's parents said, "Dr. Graff feels that you may be over-dramatizing a little bit," (Blanco, 81). The worst part is that Jodee wasn't even able to resolve this problem. She just had to wait until high school was over and she was able to escape the bullies at college.
Theme
The theme of the book, Please Stop Laughing at Me, is that "no matter how bad things may seem, they will always get better."
Meaningful Quote
A quote that I think is very important to the story is, "I know that whatever lies ahead senior year, I am ready for it now," (Blanco, 222). I think this is important to the book because it proves the theme. At one point in the book, Jodee was literally cutting her face with a knife because she was so depressed. Now she says that she is ready for anything to come.
Book Review
I would give the book Please Stop Laughing at Me 5/5 stars. This is because this book made me feel real emotions. It made me feel sadness, happiness, and hope all in different parts of the book. In my opinion, only a book with very good writing can do that.
Jodee Blanco on what NOT to say to a bullied child
Bibliography
"Bullying Battle Cry: It's No Joke." Oprah.com. Web. 02 May 2016.
"Dealing with Bullying." Dealing with Bullying: Helping Bullied Kids & Teens. Web. 02 May 2016.
"It's NOT Just Joking Around! - A Survivor's Guide to Joking and Peer Abuse :: Jodee Blanco." It's NOT Just Joking Around! - A Survivor's Guide to Joking and Peer Abuse :: Jodee Blanco. Web. 02 May 2016.
"Jodee Blanco - $10k for Public Speaking & Appearances - Speakerpedia, Discover & Follow a World of Compelling Voices." Jodee Blanco - $10k for Public Speaking & Appearances - Speakerpedia, Discover & Follow a World of Compelling Voices. Web. 02 May 2016.
MeridianCare. "Jodee Blanco on What NOT to Say to a Bullied Child." YouTube. YouTube, 07 Feb. 2012. Web. 02 May 2016.