For
me, the single most memorable scene in the movie Ben X was when the bullying
video was shown on screen during Ben’s funeral. It wasn’t memorable because it
was cathartic to see the good finally pay back and the evil repent, but rather
because the scene itself felt so… ironic to
me. Clearly, the original intention of the movie was to illustrate the moment
in which the evil bullies are humiliated in front of the still-alive public
conscience. But instead of feeling gratified, I felt uneasy. I was constantly
repeating the same question inside my head: “What would I have done had I been
Ben’s classmate?”
For
the record, I’m against bullying in any way, shape, or form. Although I’ve
never been bullied, I, too, went through a period of social isolation. When I
moved to the States at the age of 9, I experienced what it’s like to be left
out just because “I was different.” I understand just enough - from the victim’s
perspective - how terrible it can be to be bullied, harassed, and isolated.
Therefore, I abhor anyone who bullies other people altogether.
But
can I say that I’ve always acted upon my beliefs? Have I actively fought
against an act that I detest so much? Have I reached out to victims like Ben?
Have I never hurt anyone’s feelings by “teasing” him or her? Has my “teasing”
never crossed the line that, sometimes, it approached the standards of
bullying? I’d certainly like to say “yes” to all questions. But what I want to
believe and what actually is the truth is different. Maybe, if I were put in a
situation in which another Ben was being harassed by a group of people, I might
have looked away. This doubt is what constantly made me uneasy.
Then,
I ask the same questions to the crowd who are glaring at the bullies in the
video with disgust and contempt. Would
you have helped Ben if you had been in that classroom? Are you sure you wouldn’t
have joined the students jeering at Ben? I can imagine hearing angry
responses. What? Are you kidding me? Of
course I would have helped Ben! I’m “different!”
However,
the truth is that nobody says out loud that he or she is a bully. In fact, when
we’re watching the film, we all consider ourselves to be absolutely moral and
warmhearted. We despise the bullies, condemn the ones who join the bullying act
or simply sit back and watch, and root for Ben inside our minds. But honestly, have
we never seen a Ben in our lives? Hands on our hearts, can we really say that
we’ve never ignored him or even took part in the awful act?
When
I think of how many people in that church would have actually acted differently
in the video’s situation, the final scene seems ironic. To me, the
juxtaposition of the ashamed perpetrators and the furious audience is rather
comical. Had the situation been different, the two groups might have switched
places. Everyone, including the people who claim to be ethical, has the
potential to become a spectator if not a bully. Then, I ask again, are you
really “different?”
After
watching that last scene in Ben X, I am together ashamed with the bullies. I quietly
swear to myself that I’m going to try harder to live up to my beliefs - that I’m
going to be different from the ones who didn’t help Ben.
What
about you?
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