Please Stop Laughing at Me... One Woman's Inspirational Story

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Please Stop Laughing at Me... One Woman's Inspirational Story

3.77 of 5 stars 3.77 · rating details · 5,046 ratings · 680 reviews

In her poignant work, Jodee Blanco tells how school became a frightening and painful place, where threats, humiliation, and assault were as much a part of her daily experience as bubblegum and lip-gloss were for others. It is an unflinching look at what it means to be an outcast, how even the most loving parents can get it wrong, why schools fail, and how bullying is both...more

Paperback, 288 pages

Published March 1st 2003 by Adams Media (first published February 1st 2003)

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Jun 07, 2012 Reem Al-juhani rated it 4 of 5 stars

تقريري في مدونتي :
http://rjuhani.wordpress.com/2012/05/...

كم ظلمك مجتمعك المدرسي يا جودي ، و لكنهم ندموا بما فعلوه بك

لم تُعاني جودي معاناة نفسية فقط بل أيضا معاناة جسدية لأنها كانت مختلفه عنهم و حسب
لاقت العنف منهم و البصق عليها و سخروا منها لأنها أفضل منهم و مختلفه عنهم
و منهم من يفعل ذلك على دون إقتناع فقط ليبقى مُنضم إلى مجموعة الرائعين مثل : تايلر

أُتهمت جودي بأنها لا تستطيع التأقلم مع المجتمع المدرسي فهي ذهبت إلى مدارس عديدة و نبذوها من أجل إنسانيتها ، و لكن هذا ليس خطأها
لأن التأقلم في م...more

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Jan 16, 2008 Kewpie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I was so excited when I saw this book on the shelf. I was badly bullied in school. I had a very similar background to Jodee. I am about her age, and at the time, school administrators ignored bullying or tried to blame the victim. My parents also moved me from school to school but that only made matters worse. I was also physically and mentally abused. I was also socially isolated in schools for most of my growing up.

I REALLY wanted to like this book. I However, Jodee turned out to be one of the...more

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Sep 06, 2008 Melissa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Let me start by saying that I am a special education teacher and my brother was constantly teased because of a physical disability. With that being said, I thought this book was just annoying.

The story is about a girl who moves through school after school after school and continues to be tormented by her classmates for various reason. And by tormented, I mean physically assaulted on a daily basis. The kids were downright evil, the teachers were nasty, and her parents seemed like morons.

I hones...more

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Apr 13, 2008 Sherri rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir-biography

This is supposed to be a true story about the author's life, and how she was bullied all through school. As an adult she became a famous publicist and has gone on to lecture about bullying. The book started off ok but then became harder to believe; eventually it didn't seem to ring true at all.

The author states how she is traumatized and the book was described on the jacket as, "...harrowing tale of survival against insurmountable odds." but the story wasn't like that at all. It seemed that Ms....more This is supposed to be a true story about the author's life, and how she was bullied all through school. As an adult she became a famous publicist and has gone on to lecture about bullying. The book started off ok but then became harder to believe; eventually it didn't seem to ring true at all.

The author states how she is traumatized and the book was described on the jacket as, "...harrowing tale of survival against insurmountable odds." but the story wasn't like that at all. It seemed that Ms. Blanco was fairly popular a lot of the time and she was only bullied when she made the other, popular kids angry. According to her, she did this by standing up for others who were being abused and refusing to go along with the crowd when they were doing things that were wrong. Apparently everyone else in the schools, (she moved to a different school to get away), was controlled by peer pressure and went along with whatever the "in crowd" demanded--only Jodi stood against them. She made comments stating things like: it was her strength that made the other kids hate her,and her actions may make her a great adult but they weren't helping her now, at school.

Not only was she the only student to always do the right thing, but no teacher backed her up, not even the principal. At one point she indicated that the teachers were picking on her for standing up to another teacher who was cruel to a student. Her parents loved her but kept telling her to ignore the bullies saying that they would leave her alone. She also claimed that her parents at first thought that she was the problem so they took her to a psychiatrist...he didn't believe her either. Ms. Blanco said that the doctor told her to learn to get along and then medicated her.

This book did not seem true to me at all and by half-way through I couldn't wait to be at the end. I almost stopped reading it but I hate doing that and I wanted to see how it ended. It wasn't very interesting because I found it so hard to believe. By the time I was done, I felt like I was ready to bully the author! She came across as a wholier- then-thou, pompous girl.

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone and the author never did explain how to deal with the serious problem of bullying.(less)

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Jul 25, 2007 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: educators, anyone with children

i am absolutely fascinated by the human mind, so i'm always eating up anything that has to do with psychology, and decided to read this book while i was working as a K-8 substitute teacher. i started wondering why some kids were so damn mean to other kids who seemed so perfectly sweet. i wanted to understand why kids taunted each other, and how i could help curtail this behavior while i was teaching. that was my goal when i set out reading this book. but then i started wondering how many lives i...more

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Jul 13, 2008 Homeschoolmama rated it 1 of 5 stars

This was a terrible book. I saw it at the grocery store and thought the cover looked interesting.. But the book itself was shallow, dishonest and lacking in depth. The author writes about being bullied at every school she went to. She portrays herself as a a good do-be, while bragging about her intelligence and accomplishments, and expressing bewilderment as to why she is being picked on. Well, maybe it has something to do w/her bragging and arrogance. Her self pitying , whining, condescending t...more

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Apr 02, 2009 Suelynn rated it 2 of 5 stars

I would have given this book more stars but some how I feel the author got lost and sort of forgot what it was like to be a teen she began to write more like an adult. She would say things like they don't like me cause I am different or very adult like justifications. It makes sense because she is an adult but I think trying to write it from her younger years experience and point of view she could had gotten into the mind of a 14-17 year old a little bit better.

I really hated how she never knew...more I would have given this book more stars but some how I feel the author got lost and sort of forgot what it was like to be a teen she began to write more like an adult. She would say things like they don't like me cause I am different or very adult like justifications. It makes sense because she is an adult but I think trying to write it from her younger years experience and point of view she could had gotten into the mind of a 14-17 year old a little bit better.

I really hated how she never knew how to pick her battles. She wanted to be part of the biggest, more difficult groups to be in and she couldn't settle for something that was some where in between. I am not sure why she didn't just find a group of people she liked rather than a group of people she idolized. I was picked on as a kid all through middle school and high school. They were some of the more difficult times that I have had to endure, but i grew and I learned from those times. The author though didn't seem to have realized anything. She found herself in the end of the book and the begining of the book wanting to so badly still be a part of the incrowd. Who the hell cares about that in your freaking late 30s or early 40s??!!!

I agree with some of the other readers. Jodee was indeed rather condescending and not that she deserved what she got but the way she presented what happened to her and the way things went down was still kind of harsh. I am sure that some where in what really happened and what Jodee wrote there is a filter and maybe she was a little more mean in defending the underdog, maybe she made her bullies feel dumber and more stupid than the book really lets up. I felt for the character, I really did. I found that I was crying because it showed mehow ugly people could be and how sad and unhappy some people really are, but I felt that there was so much more than she could have done. Her book only presented black and white options when in life there are so many more options than just two. Certain poitns of the book seemed almost unreal because of the level of how cruel she portrayed those people. Those people showed no sign of decency and I know that in a group of that many people some one was bound to have a shred of kindness.

I don't know if I would recommend this book or not.(less)

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Aug 11, 2009 Arlene rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2009, just-awful

I had a hard time reading Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco, probably because I questioned the accuracy of her story. I feel bad saying this if it truly is a completely accurate account of her life in middle and high school, but as I continued to read on, I gradually questioned the creditability of the content. I didn't think it was meant to read as a fictional story, but some of the incidences described were a little too absurd to take for face value.

Here are some of the examples I fou...more I had a hard time reading Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco, probably because I questioned the accuracy of her story. I feel bad saying this if it truly is a completely accurate account of her life in middle and high school, but as I continued to read on, I gradually questioned the creditability of the content. I didn't think it was meant to read as a fictional story, but some of the incidences described were a little too absurd to take for face value.

Here are some of the examples I found hard to believe, and keep in mind, none of these incidences resulted in the perpetrators being reprimanded or punished.

On her way to school, Jodee is plummeted with stones by a group of neighborhood and school kids. The results of her injuries are welts, cuts and bruises to her body. Her family does nothing about this because Jodee insists that it will get worse for her if they report the incident to the parents or the authorities and the parents acquiesce! Really???? Their daughter just got butchered and they did NOTHING? *shakes head*

Another incident involves Jodee refusing the take part in a pig dissection for a science lab. She is finally excused, but must return to class. When she returns a bully unwraps a dead pig and flings it at her, hitting her square in the chest and dousing her with formaldehyde. When the teacher walks in and confronts the situation, the guilty party is mildly chastised. *shakes head…. again*

Jodee is beaten to a pulp right outside of school, another time she is attacked by a gang of boys who almost choke her to death with snow, she is held down by two students who smother her hair with gum, she is ostracized because she called out a teacher for his lack of consideration when referring to the mentally challenged in the school, her clothes are continually stolen and damaged and is called a freak, etc… it goes on and on and no one does anything about it. *shakes head…yet again*

All of it was a bit too hard to believe, especially because the kids doing this stuff never suffered any repercussions, the parents relented to Jodee's pleas of doing nothing and the teachers allowed the taunting to continue.

I was tempted to give it one star, but I'm adding an extra one for a lesson I was barely able to pull from the story, which is victims of abuse have one of two choices. One, they can take that pain and redirect it to a purpose and make a difference; or two allow it to extinguish the light in you. This story focuses on a girl who took abuse from her classmates for making noble decisions despite the consequence of ridicule and persecution. I think the author would have had a better final product if she would have positioned it as a fictional story. Sorry, it's just where it stood with me.(less)

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Feb 04, 2009 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was amazing. I finished it in one day and can't recommend it enough. As a victim of peer abuse in middle school (though not to the level Blanco was tormented), I could relate with a lot of her pain. It's a tremendous story of personal courage and standing up for what you know is right in the face of adversity.

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Feb 24, 2008 Jamie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, memoirs

This book starts off interesting and compelling, but soon became annoyingly redundant. Reading about the way this young girl was treated and the damage that caused was sad, but I could not stop wondering throughout the book, what about her caused her to be such an outcast? And how many more chapters are going to chronicle this torture she endured before it gets to the inspiring part? Unfortunately, I don't think it ever got there. It was one long, constant account of the formative years of the a...more

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Aug 12, 2008 Andy rated it 3 of 5 stars

While I had great sympathy for this person and her struggle, I felt the way she compromised herself at its conclusion (the high school reunion) was illustrative more of a bad, long-term case of Stockholm Syndrome than any sort of personal growth. Had she come to that conclusion herself, the book might have redeemed itself on that count. It remains a harrowing account of the bullying experience, however. I'll certainly give it that.
Honestly, one needn't forgive bullies; they are mostly sociopath...more

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Sep 28, 2007 Meaghan rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teachers and parents

Shelves: memoirs, childrens-young-adult-nonfiction, read-in-2007

I don't see what was so "inspirational" about Please Stop Laughing at Me. Mainly it was one long whine about how the author was bullied throughout her school years. I'm a survivor of bullying myself and her stories rang true, but Jodee Blanco's so-called "insights" rang hollow. She might as well have just said, "I got treated horribly in school, but I'm a stronger person now" instead of having to stretch that one sentence into 276 pages. She also promised to provide answers to the bullying probl...more

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Jan 19, 2009 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

I started this book this afternoon and finished it before bedtime. The author's story is engrossing yet so sad. I wasn't popular in school by any means, but luckily I experienced not one iota of what the author had to endure. Hopefully this book will bring bullying to the forefront of parents' and teachers' minds and encourage them to learn more about effective responses to bullying.[return][return]My only minor criticism of the book is that I wished the author had commented more on how very luc...more

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Apr 30, 2013 Rachel Sanchez added it

Jodee Blanco had moved to a new neighborhood. She was a very shy girl in school, but soon enough she made a very good friend. They even started to crush on each other after a while. She got invited to a party one day, and her friends wanted to play spin the bottle up stairs. Jodee didn't feel comfortable with this idea so she went down stairs to avoid it. The parent asked her what was wrong then she told her, that said all her friends turned on her because she got them in trouble. At school they...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Megan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I give Jodee Blanco’s memoir, Please Stop Laughing At Me, 5 out of 5 stars.

In this memoir, Blanco describes growing up in a suburb of Chicago, going to school and being bullied through most of her life. The abuse was verbal as well as physical and the emotional toll was incomprehensible. Blanco hated herself, she hated her peers, she hated her life. Often she would question God, asking him why he would do these things to her, how he could let this happen. Blanco finds a safe haven among her cari...more

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Apr 18, 2013 Leslie rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. 3/5
This was a page-turner. I wanted to help this girl. Given it happened at every school, I wanted more specific examples of what she was doing that was causing the kids to lash out or bully her other than stand up for the special education students or a teacher. To be honest, I think it would have been best to home school or find another school in a complete other area (obviously the parents had the means). I have never known kids that mean. EVER. I know they can be. But I guess I didn't know w...more 3/5
This was a page-turner. I wanted to help this girl. Given it happened at every school, I wanted more specific examples of what she was doing that was causing the kids to lash out or bully her other than stand up for the special education students or a teacher. To be honest, I think it would have been best to home school or find another school in a complete other area (obviously the parents had the means). I have never known kids that mean. EVER. I know they can be. But I guess I didn't know why she was always THE target and she got harassed by the ENTIRE football team (did not understand that part at all!) But maybe it is mixed with that author's personality and how she was so vocal. I would have kept quiet in certain situations and let it slide (not said anything when the teacher made the crude comment, it's not her place to reprimand him!) and the author had to make a big fuss and that made her stand out. But even so, I don't see one thing giving kids that much fuel to last semester after semester. Did she dress weird? Make weird faces? Another thing didn't click for me: the author is so vocal in class standing up to the teacher, why doesn't she stand up to her peers? Yell at 'em. say something. that didn't make sense. She is vocal in one sense but not in another? She seems opinionated, not afraid to say her piece (drama and speech) ... Why not say something clever back to them? Is it because her parents said basically "turn the other cheek" & walk away? She knew that wasn't working. She should have devised another plan once that wasn't working.

THE BOOK was sometimes quite unbelievable. As in NOT believable. Yet it s a memoir so I have to hand my trust over to the writer. I did have questions though. How could one teen endure SO much? Over and over? And how could she ho to one school after another and the same thing happen again? WhT girl says to their mother, "they are playing spin the bottle or they are necking up stairs I want to go home?" Even if you wanted to go home just say you wanted to go home. Bringing down the kids in the process? She brought on some of the the problems herself. I don't consider that bullying but common sense.

I moved to nine schools and endured teasing here and there and that is partially why I picked up the book. I generally like memoirs. The emotional & physical pain she endured was incredible. It is good that is thankful for her family, especially her parents. I was an only child too and could talk to my parents about what happened. I resonated with that portion f the book.I wish I could have resonated with the jet setting portion. ;) The trips to Greece and New York.

At the end of the book, the author as a career woman going back to her high school reunion finally admits "its the best night of my life." OMG. Really? I'm sorry. She does need therapy. As one reviewer pointed out, who cares out high school cliques in your 20s and 30s and 40s? That statement just rubs me the wrong way. I could see being validated, but to just think 'I'm finally in the in-crowd' is naive and even silly. She is an accomplished career woman with a lot to show for herself, stand tall. After all she has been through with these people and she still wants to please them, be their friends? Yes, their revelations were revealing (I liked you, etc.) but in the end, isn't Greece, New York and the author's career her best choices? That seems right to me. Or something that involves family because they helped her through her schooling. I think standing back from them and saying I'm cool now and I was cool then. You just didn't see it. Don't fall in their arms like a lover. That is exactly what she did. Best night of her life? Makes me wonder what kind of career she really has then?! ;)

Overall, it was a speed read to see what would happen to this young girl. One more quick thing: why didn't a family member take her to school instead of her having to ride the bus?

As a reader I was left with a lot of questions, I would give it a higher score if I had fewer questions/quandaries story-wise... And the character even though it's a memoir she's still a character felt so caught up in high school even years later. To me, that doesn't show a strong person. Why does she need them to say "you made it?" They said awful things to her? Beat her up? It's like the ultimate abusive relationship. She keeps coming back for more. (less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Rae Copeland rated it 4 of 5 stars

I thought this was a good book that really rang true for me. I know a lot of people on here are saying it was too unbelievable of a story and it didn't ring true, but I suppose that depends on your experience. I had some very similar experiences in middle school and was traumatized by that. I think I will carry that with me through the rest of my life, though I have by now let go of the anger I once held. This book is very helpful to read to gain some insight into the world of bullying, how anyt...more

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Feb 07, 2013 Stephanie Ziegler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: booksneeze, favorites

This book is a MUST read! Whether you are the bullied, the parents of the bullied, the bully or the parents of the bully, you have to read this book. It is gut wrenching. I, being an "Adult Survivor of Peer Abuse", felt myself in many of the situations Jodee found herself in. I know what it is like to have so much love to give and no one to give it to. Reading the horrible things that these kids did to Jodee, for no reason, made me want to vomit in disgust. I am so thankful that her parents fina...more

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Dec 19, 2012 Morgan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Please Stop Laughing at Me…is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. Just like the back of the book says, it really is “an unflinching look at what it means to be the outcast” and shows “how bullying has been misunderstood and mishandled by the mental health community.” Some of the characters are well developed while others, not so much. The way Jodee Blanco describes and writes about them gave me as a reader a clear picture of what they were like, but most of the characters themselves...more Please Stop Laughing at Me…is honestly one of the best books I have ever read. Just like the back of the book says, it really is “an unflinching look at what it means to be the outcast” and shows “how bullying has been misunderstood and mishandled by the mental health community.” Some of the characters are well developed while others, not so much. The way Jodee Blanco describes and writes about them gave me as a reader a clear picture of what they were like, but most of the characters themselves seem like such cruel people in real life (before Jodee’s high school reunion). Some of these characters include A.J. and Greg.
I found the plot of the book to be both realistic and realistic for the type of book it is because bullying is dealt with everyday all around the world, and that’s mainly what this book is about. It did make unexpected twists and kept me guessing, which made me want to keep reading it. The plot was not predictable either. This book moves at just the right pace-not too fast or too slow.
Jodee Blanco wrote her book very clearly so that her readers could imagine everything in their heads that she went through and described throughout the story so they knew how she felt the whole time. I do like the way she wrote this story because I really could picture the things she went through. For example, when she described her first time playing Spin the Bottle, I had a clear picture in my head of what it was like for her. Blanco didn’t under-develop or overdevelop things. Her writing wasn’t funny, but it was relatable and honest. She wasn’t trying too hard, and the dialogue was realistic.
I think the point of the book was to inform readers that bullying is cruel and needs to be stopped, because just like Blanco said, “…bullying can damage you for life, and it’s not only acts of cruelty that scar deeply, it’s the deliberate omission of kindness that can have an even deeper effect.” Blanco also says, “My goal as you read this memoir is to help you access the courage already inside of you and use it to find that hope.” There’s weren’t really any quotes that stuck with me, but the overall point of the book will stick with me because it was so inspirational. People should get from this book the fact that next time they decide to bully someone or witness someone being bullied and not trying to stop it they should reconsider doing so because bullying really does scar people for life. This book affected me as a person by making me realize that anything you say really can change how someone feels about themselves, whether it’s nice or not.
I would recommend this book to anyone who has been bullied themselves, has tried to stop bullying, or just wants to read a good, intense book!
(less)

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Dec 14, 2012 Eve Prodoehl rated it 5 of 5 stars

The book Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee blanco should be a must read for all kids in high school. That is because in this book the author writes about her school years and how mean and cruel the kids were to her since she was nine. It’s amazing how mean kids could be. You hear about kids making up rumors and calling names, but this is way past that. It was a good book because it was relatable. Even though you might not be bullied, but you could very well be taking part in the making fun of...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Amel Musghani rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

جودي بلانكو...أرجوكم لا تسخروا مني

لا يمكنك إلا أن تتعاطف مع الكاتبة جودي و أنت تقرأ جزء من سيرتها الذاتية الذي يتناول مرحلة الطفولة و الدراسة
كانت تتعرض لما يسمى في المجتمع الأمريكي " التنمر " أي المضايقات و سوء المعاملة من طرف زملائها بالمدرسة
خلال صفحات الكتاب تنقلنا من حادثة لأخرى و تسحبنا لمعايشة الأحاسيس التي راودتها من ألم و عجز و فشل لعدم قدرتها على تحمل إهانات زملائها
تقول أن شكلها كان سببا كبيرا في جعلها تبدو للآخرين ضعيفة و محل تهكم و بصق و دفع و ضرب ، صراع كبير عاشته قبل أن تقرر أن ت...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Stargirl (Shoujo and YA Banter/Vocaloid Fanatic) rated it 1 of 5 stars

I picked this up at my Creative Writing teacher's bookshelf. Bullying? I can totally relate to that! I was sure I'd love this book, and I was excited to read it. It's reccomended by author Dave Pelzer (Child Called It). I was sure I could sympathsize with Jonee. I mean I've had things thrown at me, and have been called names, talked about in public like I wasn't even there, and had rumors and been the butt of jokes. So I should LOVE this book right? Wrong.

The narrator, Jodee Blanco, writes the m...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Angela Scott rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: who-are-you

Like many who have reviewed this book previously, I also faced bullying (physical and verbal) beginning in elementary school and continuing into my sophomore year in high school. i really hoped to gain some insight into the potential impact of bullying on one's adult life. I didn't get that, but did find a rip-roarin' tale in these pages that would make Spielberg envious (Oh, wait! I'll bet Ms. Blanco has met him, too!)

I don't mean to sound like a bully myself and I feel sure that the author did...more

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Aug 16, 2012 Mohamed Al Marzouqi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: روايات

جودي بلانكو، كاتبة أميركية مغمورة، لا يتجاوز رصيدها الأدبي كتابين ومجموعة من الندوات. كان يُمكن أن تبقى مغمورة إلى الأبد لولا أن أحد كتابيها، واسمه «أرجوكم لا تسخروا مني»، تصدّر قائمة الكتب الأكثر مبيعاً بحسب الـ«نيويورك تايمز»، وترجم إلى العديد من اللغات العالمية ومنها «العربية»، كما صار يدرّس في العديد من المدارس والجامعات الأميركية.

في هذا الكتاب المستوحى من مذكرات أو ذكريات بلانكو الحقيقية، تلقي المؤلفة الضوء على مفهوم النبذ، وتستعرض جانباً من سوء المعاملة والمضايقات التي كانت تتعرض لها في ال...more جودي بلانكو، كاتبة أميركية مغمورة، لا يتجاوز رصيدها الأدبي كتابين ومجموعة من الندوات. كان يُمكن أن تبقى مغمورة إلى الأبد لولا أن أحد كتابيها، واسمه «أرجوكم لا تسخروا مني»، تصدّر قائمة الكتب الأكثر مبيعاً بحسب الـ«نيويورك تايمز»، وترجم إلى العديد من اللغات العالمية ومنها «العربية»، كما صار يدرّس في العديد من المدارس والجامعات الأميركية.

في هذا الكتاب المستوحى من مذكرات أو ذكريات بلانكو الحقيقية، تلقي المؤلفة الضوء على مفهوم النبذ، وتستعرض جانباً من سوء المعاملة والمضايقات التي كانت تتعرض لها في المدرسة منذ كانت طفلة في المرحلة الابتدائية، إلى أن أصبحت مراهقة في المرحلة الثانوية. الكتاب الذي أصبح يوصف بـ«إنجيل مكافحة البلطجة» فتح أعين الكثيرين من مسؤولين وأكاديميين ومعلمين وآباء على أسرار وحقائق المدارس المؤلمة، والعواقب الطويلة المدى للبلطجة.

تقول بلانكو في أحد فصول الكتاب: بينما كان الآخرون، من الطلاب، يحلمون بالحفلات الغنائية، والمغامرات العاطفية، والحياة الجامعية أو الوظيفية، كانت ـ هي ـ تحاول تحديد أفضل الطرق لتنتقل من الساحة إلى قاعة المحاضرات من دون أن يبصق عليها أحدهم أو تتعرّض للمضايقة بينما تعبر الأروقة!

بعد صدور كتابها، عادت جودي إلى مدرستها الأولى (ومدارس أخرى)، لتروي حكايتها مع البلطجة أمام آلاف من الطلبة والمدرسين. كان حديثها مليئاً بالدموع، والنقمة!

ربما كانت نهاية قصة جودي سعيدة، ولكن النهايات ليست متشابهة دائماً حتى لو كانت البدايات كذلك، فقصة الطفل فيجاي سينج شاييري ـ التي أوردها ممدوح عدوان في كتابه حيونة الإنسان ـ شبيهة بقصة جودي بلانكو. مع فارقٍ واحد، هو أنه خسر إلى جانب كرامته حياته أيضاً. و«فيجاي» هذا طفل هندي يعيش في مانشستر، وقد انتحر بعد أن بلغت مضايقات زملائه الجسدية واللفظية حداً يعجز عن حمله أو تحمله العصبة أولو القوة، فكيف بطفل لم يبلغ الـ.13 وقد وجدت هذه الورقة في دفتر مذكراته: «سأذكر ما حصل ولن أنساه أبداً. الإثنين: سُرقت نقودي، الثلاثاء: أُطلقت علي نعوت بذيئة، الأربعاء: مُزق ردائي، الخميس: الدم يغمر جسدي كاملاً، الجمعة: انتهى الأمر. السبت: الحرية»، ووجده والداه يوم الأحد ميتاً يتدلى من حبل مربوط في السلالم!

ما نشرته صحيفة «الإمارات اليوم» عن البلطجة التي تعرضت لها الطفلة «لجين» والطفل «يوسف يعقوب» وأدخلت الأولى العناية المركزة وسببت جروحا نفسية وجسدية للثاني، يثبت أن البلطجة في المدارس سلوك عالمي وعام، فقد حاولت بعد قراءة تفاصيل قصة الطفلين، التي آلمت إنسانيتي بشكلٍ كبير، أن أبحث في الكتب عن الدوافع الباطنية التي تجعل أطفالاً يُفترض فيهم البراءة يقترفون أفعالاً وحشية تعجز عن اقترافها أكثر قبائل الكونغو بدائية؛ فوجدت للكاتب المصري علي سالم تحليلاً منطقياً وغريباً في آن واحد. يقول علي سالم إن العدوان يرتبط أشد الارتباط بمرحلة الطفولة، فطاقة العدوان عند الطفل لا حدود لها، وتبدأ بالاضمحلال تدريجياً، مع التقدم في العمر، عن طريق التربية الجيدة. وكذلك المجتمع يلعب دوراً في كبت عدوان الطفل عندما يستهجن تصرفاته.

أما عن عبارة «براءة الأطفال» الشهيرة، فيقول علي سالم إنها من صنعنا نحن، وربما كانت حقيقية لأن الطفل لا يدرك عدوانيته الغريزية ويراها أمراً طبيعياً تماماً كبقية غرائزه.

تقول جودي بلانكو إنه لو قرأ الذين تورطوا في مضايقتها ـ وهي طالبة ـ كتابها اليوم، لاعتذروا منها عما سببوه من آلام. ولكن من يقص جناح الفراشة هل سيجعلها اعتذاره تطير من جديد؟(less)

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ميّ أحمد اكتشفت معاناة أحد أقاربي من فترة ليست بعيدة كونك إنسان حساس وتكتب ما يشبه الشعر وأنت في سن صغير ستكون مضطهدا ناهيك عن حجمك الضئيل وعدم وجود أية هواية...more
Aug 16, 2012 02:31am

Mohamed Al Marzouqi ابن صديق لي تعرض للبلطجة على أيدي هؤلاء المتنمرين، ولم يعلم والداه بالأمر إلا بعد أن وضحت معالم الضرب على جسده. يصف -فيما بعد- العذاب النفسي الذي كان...more
Aug 17, 2012 08:25am

A3thar صديقتي كانت تنتقم من هذه التصرفات بسرقة دفاتر الواجبات وتستمتع برؤية ذهولهم عند اكتشاف اختفاءها بعد بداية الحصة ثم تراهم معاقبات ولا أحد يصدق اعذارهن...more
Aug 17, 2012 07:01pm

Jul 07, 2012 Diana V. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Main Characters: Jodee Blanco
Point of View: First Person
Setting: Schools
Lexile Level: 750L (However, the book’s content is geared towards middle school students).
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Plot: “This powerful memoir chronicles how one child was shunned--and sometimes physically abused--by her classmates from elementary school through high school.” In this moving account, Blanco describes how she became a true outsider at a young age. When reporting bad behavior to authority figure...more Main Characters: Jodee Blanco
Point of View: First Person
Setting: Schools
Lexile Level: 750L (However, the book’s content is geared towards middle school students).
Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Plot: “This powerful memoir chronicles how one child was shunned--and sometimes physically abused--by her classmates from elementary school through high school.” In this moving account, Blanco describes how she became a true outsider at a young age. When reporting bad behavior to authority figures, Blanco in return was mocked, which resulted in physically, emotional, and mental abuse. By transferring schools multiple times, Blanco along with her sympathetic parents sought to escape the negative effects of bullying. Her parents were sympathetic, but did not reasoned how and why she was being bullied. They forced her to see a therapist, who prescribed medication that made her sleepy “while her tormentors remained unbothered and oblivious.” Additionally, her emotional torment was partly due to a breast deformity caused by prescribed medication – Blanco’s corrective surgery allowed, her finally, to search for her dreams. – By constantly reflecting, loving, and letting go, Blanco, finally, describes how she was able to become the successful woman she is today.

Main Ideas:
Character and Values
Social Issues

Recommended: I would recommend “Please Stop Laughing at Me….” since this memoir reveals the hash realities and long-term consequences of bullying. Although, it has a lexile level of 460 I consider the content intended towards late upper elementary, but especially middle school students. By reading and discussing “Please Stop Laughing at Me….” along with current events – such as bullying statistics and the Trayvon’s case, students will recognize the negative effects of bullying tendencies in their schools and become prompted to reexamine their views and actions amongst themselves.

Personal Reaction: Reading “Please Stop Laughing at Me….” last semester made me realize the importance of preventing bullying at a young age. Since the effects of bullying are immeasurable, I believe discussing with students the consequences of bullying and listening to students’ necessary to prevent and/or stop bullying from occurring. After reading this memoir, I reason that students, educators, and families will be aware of how the lives of teens and children today are affected - by bullying.

Satisfying Concluding Statement: An eye-opener for students, educators, and families.
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Jun 10, 2012 Samantha rated it 3 of 5 stars

I quickly became immersed in this memoir by Jodee Blanco. She writes well, and her story was fascinating to me. I read the whole book in one day.

However, I won't really say that it was a "good" book. Know what I mean by that? I'll explain. While being about a very deep subject, Blanco somehow only seems to scratch the surface in 200 something pages. We get an extensive play by play of her life from grade school through high school, with every detail of her bullying drawn out for us, but somehow,...more

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Jun 03, 2012 Abby rated it 1 of 5 stars

I read this in one sitting because I couldn't bear the thought of having to pick it up to finish later. It was the worst book I've read in ages. Moreover, I have strong doubts about the validity of the stories told in part because there are anachronistic inconsistencies (for example: call waiting in a story that clearly took place in the late 70s/early 80s considering her favorite band was STYX).

The dialogue is downright horrible; it doesn't even attempt to ring true and contributes a jarring i...more I read this in one sitting because I couldn't bear the thought of having to pick it up to finish later. It was the worst book I've read in ages. Moreover, I have strong doubts about the validity of the stories told in part because there are anachronistic inconsistencies (for example: call waiting in a story that clearly took place in the late 70s/early 80s considering her favorite band was STYX).

The dialogue is downright horrible; it doesn't even attempt to ring true and contributes a jarring inauthentic tone to the whole text. For example, the reader is asked to believe that a teacher, who is described as severely physically disabled and confined to a wheel chair, describes students who have Down's Syndrome as "mentals" who occupy the "rubber room?" When Blanco supposedly defends these students to the teacher, (defending the underdog is the typical trigger for the bullying abuse she incurs) we are further asked to believe that the teacher says "No wonder you're such a loser. It was only a joke. Class, what do you think? Maybe Mrs. Blanco should consider going to another school."

In another section, she highlights her participation in two instances of bullying. In both instances she goes along with friends, who she says instigate the bullying. One instance is directed at a teacher, and she feels remorse. The other is directed at a fellow student, a cheerleader, and she doesn't feel so badly about that one. She says of the cheerleader "she had an imperious attitude and I didn't think a little dose of humility would do her any harm." Isn't the desire to force a dose of humility one someone who "bugs" you at the root of LOTS of bullying? This coupled with her comment that bullies rarely remember the behavior their victims never forget suggests a likelihood that she bullied too, but perhaps doesn't remember the scope of it.

The book also contains a subtle anti-Midwest tone that I find irritating. This is hinted at in both the social acceptance she finds among friends she meets in Greece while still in high school and in the depiction of her escape to NYC and her post-bullying life. Like the author, I grew up in the Midwest; and like the author, I ultimately moved to one of the big coastal cities to pursue a creative career. During my high school years I too felt different and misunderstood by my peers (doesn't everyone?). Still, I find her "look at me now - I escaped! I'm successful, cool, and I know famous people" coda a nauseatingly boring and simplified cliche.

The truth is, most people have memories of being bullied in middle and high school. For some kids, the bullying is extreme and has truly tragic long term consequences. While there are a couple incidents in Blanco's reported experience that fall under the umbrella of extreme bullying, her self-righteous tone simply fails to engender honest sympathy for her experience.
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Jan 25, 2012 Wafaa Golden rated it 3 of 5 stars

قصّـة مترجمة (واقعيّـة) تعكس حياة تلاميذ المدرسة ، لا أستطيع أن أقول في المجتمعاتِ الغربيّـةِ فقط ،و لكن في جميع المجتمعات، لأنّ نفـوس النّاس تتشابه رغم اختلافِ البيئة التي تنشـأ بها..
القصّـة تـُناسب من هم في سن المراهقة، ربّـما تعـينهم في اجتياز ما يمكن أن يكونوا يتعرّضون له في حياتهم اليوميّـةِ في المدرسة، أو مع أفراد أسرتهم..
ولكن أفادتني القصّـة بشيء أعتقد أنّـه ضروري جداً أن ينتبهَ له الإنسان ألا وهو أن يدرس ألفاظه وتصرفاته وتعـليقاته قبل أن يرمي بثقلها على الآخرين ، لأنّـه ربّـما لن يكون عل...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Dayna rated it 1 of 5 stars

What a page-turner in the beginning - I hated those mean kids who kept bullying Jodee and was rooting for her to come out on top. Slowly, however, her holier-than-thou attitude started to shine through, and not only did I begin to dislike her, but also noticed that the bullying situations she described were brought on by her own bratty behavior. I feel like she exaggerated her stories to emphasize her victim-status. I also noticed that she wrote often about cliche situations (which further damag...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Jaymie Gagui rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: september-2011

I love this book. From start to finish it was great. Many people have experienced some type of bullying or peer pressure during sometime in their life. Just like Jodee Blanco. I find it interesting how she can go through all the beatings and hurtful things her classmates do to her. This book shows Jodee's highschool life on how she was treated by her peers. In Jodee's perspective, highschool seemed to be the scariest place that she was forced to go to. She shows all the things that happens in he...more

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About Jodee Blanco

Founder and CEO of The Blanco Group.

Survivor, expert and activist Jodee Blanco is one of the country’s pre-eminent voices on the subject of school bullying.

The author of The New York Times bestseller, "Please Stop Laughing At Me . . . One Woman’s Inspirational Story."

More about Jodee Blanco...

Books by Jodee Blanco

Please Stop Laughing at Us... One Woman's Extraordinary Quest to Prevent School Bullying

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Quotes from Please Stop Laughing a...

“The hardest thing about being an outcast isn't the love you don't receive. It's the love you long to give that nobody wants. After a while, it backs up into your system like stagnant water and turns toxic, poisoning your spirit. When this happens, you don't have many choices available. You can become a bitter loner who goes through life being pissed off at the world; you can fester with rage until one day you murder your classmates. Or, you can find another outlet for your love, where it will be appreciated and maybe even returned.” — 38 people liked it

“Am I going to be this way for the rest of my life, always waiting for something bad to happen? Will I never truly be able to trust anyone? I worry that when I'm older, I'll be so afraid that people won't like me that I'll have trouble believing it when they actually do.” — 18 people liked it

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Please Stop Laughing at Me... One Woman's Inspirational Story

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