"Star Wars Kid" settles out of court

[LethalWolfe]

No, you are quite wrong on the salient point -- William Hung consented to his performance being publicized.

Consent is the first test here. Clearly the plaintiff never consented to publication, and the defendants broke several laws in misappropriating, copying and then publishing the material.

That is completely aside from whether the result was embarrassing or caused injury (emotional or economic) to the plaintiff.

The plaintiff used school equipment on school property to knowingly record himself goofing around. He then left the school's tape in the school's camera where it would obviously be found and viewed by someone else at the school. Expectation of privacy is where...? No one stole his camera w/happened to have the tape w/the footage on it. No one secretly taped him. He knowing taped himself and knowing left the tape where it would inevitably be discovered.

If I use the office copy machine to photocopy my butt, and I leave a copy of my photocopied butt in the machine, and said copy of my butt ends up all over the office (or on the internet) it's not my fault, but someone else's?

I agree that the nice thing to do would have been to erase the tape, but I disagree that the classmates should be held legally accountable. Not being nice shouldn't be a criminal act, IMO.


Lethal

 

[MacsomJRR]

Didn't he have some sort of role in Episode III or was that a joke too?

 

[MacsomJRR]

The plaintiff used school equipment on school property to knowingly record himself goofing around. He then left the school's tape in the school's camera where it would obviously be found and viewed by someone else at the school. Expectation of privacy is where...? No one stole his camera w/happened to have the tape w/the footage on it. No one secretly taped him. He knowing taped himself and knowing left the tape where it would inevitably be discovered.

If I use the office copy machine to photocopy my butt, and I leave a copy of my photocopied butt in the machine, and said copy of my butt ends up all over the office (or on the internet) it's not my fault, but someone else's?

I agree that the nice thing to do would have been to erase the tape, but I disagree that the classmates should be held legally accountable. Not being nice shouldn't be a criminal act, IMO.


Lethal

Amen brother Lethal

 

[OutThere]

We're also apparently raising a generation of victimized tattlers who keep climbing Mt. Molehill.

This is too true...

The thousands of frivolous lawsuits and idiocy are making it seem, at least to kids, like any time you're bothered, embarrassed, scared or hurt, it's someone else's fault, and they should compensate you.

Kids don't settle their differences any more...they tattle to the teacher and get the other kid in trouble. I remember a time when someone who tattled to the teacher was seen as the ultimate traitor. Lawsuits are just the next step up.

Sometimes the whole "everyone's a winner" mentality really pisses me off. Self motivated, intelligent, curious kids are no longer rewarded...now everyone is brought to the lowest common denominator, because he has to be a winner too....even if he doesn't do sh**, he's just as much of a winner as those who really deserve to be recognized.

</rant>

 

[MacsomJRR]

nice helmet nerd.

 

[LethalWolfe]

Sometimes the whole "everyone's a winner" mentality really pisses me off. Self motivated, intelligent, curious kids are no longer rewarded...now everyone is brought to the lowest common denominator, because he has to be a winner too....even if he doesn't do sh**, he's just as much of a winner as those who really deserve to be recognized.

</rant>

+1


Lethal

 

[CorvusCamenarum]

Sometimes the whole "everyone's a winner" mentality really pisses me off. Self motivated, intelligent, curious kids are no longer rewarded...now everyone is brought to the lowest common denominator, because he has to be a winner too....even if he doesn't do sh**, he's just as much of a winner as those who really deserve to be recognized.

</rant>

As much as I think we should be trying to help eveyone pull themselves up instead of pushing everyone down, I think this fits pretty well:

 

[iBlue]

nice helmet nerd.

ok that just made me laugh pretty hard. (OutThere has a sense of humor thankfully - and a viewpoint on this which i so happen to agree with, for the most part)

 

[Abstract]

LethalWolfe is 100% right.

While it might be immoral for someone else to find the video and post it on the internet, that kid made all his own mistakes, including using equipment that wasn't his own to record himself, and then leaving the tape in there.

And even if you think he deserves to win a lawsuit, $324000 is too much money for some teasing he experienced in high school. And just imagine.......some kids are bullied for reasons that were COMPLETELY out of their own control. They didn't do anything stupid or anything --- they were just born. How many kids should be allowed to sue then? How much should THEY deserve? Maybe a cool $1 million?

This guy is a whiney baby. Wait til someone informs him that he's also fat.

 

[madoka]

This guy is a whiney baby. Wait til someone informs him that he's also fat.

I guess you didn't read the article where it states:

He said the situation left him feeling drained of energy, and that he let himself go and no longer lifted weights to keep fit.

 

[Abstract]

Wait a sec......he let himself go AFTER the video!?!?!?!?!?!


My point was that life is cruel, and he has to live in it. We live in a world where some people tease, joke, and poke fun, often just for shiggles. I don't want to live in a society where people sue every time their feelings are hurt (and in a situation where he's partly to blame, no less), so if he can't take it........*hands him a strong rope and attaches a hook to the ceiling*

 

[Timepass]

LethalWolfe is 100% right.

While it might be immoral for someone else to find the video and post it on the internet, that kid made all his own mistakes, including using equipment that wasn't his own to record himself, and then leaving the tape in there.

And even if you think he deserves to win a lawsuit, $324000 is too much money for some teasing he experienced in high school. And just imagine.......some kids are bullied for reasons that were COMPLETELY out of their own control. They didn't do anything stupid or anything --- they were just born. How many kids should be allowed to sue then? How much should THEY deserve? Maybe a cool $1 million?

This guy is a whiney baby. Wait til someone informs him that he's also fat.

You be surpised how long those scares from HS will last. Depends on how hard the guy was pushed.
I can rememeber back 10 years ago when I was harrassed and pick on to the point where I came to the point of nearly commetting suicide and ending my own life. Not just thing about but I mean I was really close to the edge and now over 10 years later it still a heavy weight I carry and something I dont go into detail talking about and subject matter that trips a lot of painful emotions.

You would think after 10 years I could let go of the hate for the guy who pushed me that far but no I still hate and I mean truelly hate him. Hate is a very cold emotion and I feel sorry for any one who has had experince of feelling it and know what it is truelly like to hate someone.

That kid had to be push pretty hard and his life had to be made a true living hell. People bash the kid of the stuff he doing but if you think about the living hell he still living though. One small mistake made years ago is going to haunt him for the rest of his life. He is never going to be able to truelly get away from this and it will effect him greatly for the rest of his life. The kids who did this to him though that the 30 sec of fun would be just take. No they ruined some else life and put a huge black mark in the "star wars" kid life and it going to be hell. and they deserive some type of really punishiment.

 

[LethalWolfe]

You be surpised how long those scares from HS will last. Depends on how hard the guy was pushed.
I can rememeber back 10 years ago when I was harrassed and pick on to the point where I came to the point of nearly commetting suicide and ending my own life. Not just thing about but I mean I was really close to the edge and now over 10 years later it still a heavy weight I carry and something I dont go into detail talking about and subject matter that trips a lot of painful emotions.

You would think after 10 years I could let go of the hate for the guy who pushed me that far but no I still hate and I mean truelly hate him. Hate is a very cold emotion and I feel sorry for any one who has had experince of feelling it and know what it is truelly like to hate someone.

Everyone has bad sh*t happen to them. Everyone. Some more than others, but there isn't a single person alive that hasn't been hurt. And no matter what's happened to you there are probably a couple billion people world wide who think your life is blessed. I don't care how much HS sucked for you you are a lot better off than a kid in a third world country who struggles everyday just to fight off starvation.

That kid had to be push pretty hard and his life had to be made a true living hell. People bash the kid of the stuff he doing but if you think about the living hell he still living though. One small mistake made years ago is going to haunt him for the rest of his life. He is never going to be able to truelly get away from this and it will effect him greatly for the rest of his life. The kids who did this to him though that the 30 sec of fun would be just take. No they ruined some else life and put a huge black mark in the "star wars" kid life and it going to be hell. and they deserive some type of really punishiment.

So being mean is a crime and being irresponsible gets you a few hundred thousand dollars? That's perfect. I guess my new plan for financial independence is to act like a goof ball in public and sue everyone that laughs at me.

Hopefully the kids that got sued by the Star Wars kid don't read this thread, find your lack of compassion emotionally damaging and sue you for a few hundred thousand dollars.


Lethal

 

[Takumi]

Hate is a very cold emotion and I feel sorry for any one who has had experince of feelling it and know what it is truelly like to hate someone.

That's why I don't take any grudges, too much effort, let go and move on. Give the guy a call aask him out for a beer you'd be suprieds how times change

Takumi

 

[Abstract]

You be surpised how long those scares from HS will last. Depends on how hard the guy was pushed.
I can rememeber back 10 years ago when I was harrassed and pick on to the point where I came to the point of nearly commetting suicide and ending my own life. Not just thing about but I mean I was really close to the edge and now over 10 years later it still a heavy weight I carry and something I dont go into detail talking about and subject matter that trips a lot of painful emotions.

So?

Maybe you should sue? How do I quantify your pain? What if another boy or girl is teased, but is better at shaking it off than you. Same amount of teasing with less of the negative effects. Does that person sue for just as much as you do? Or maybe she/he was teased, but didn't cry. Is his or her pain worth at least a couple hundred dollars if your pain is worth $500,000? What about the people who continue to distribute this file through the internet? Surely they should get sued too.

Everyone has bad sh*t happen to them. Everyone.

Yes, people make mistakes, and he'll remember his mistake for the rest of his life, but for some people, being teased is a part of life. Nobody likes being teased ---- grow a thicker skin. If it was something you could laugh at, then get a sense of humour and don't take it so seriously. I live in the most racist places I have ever been in --- a place that's quite famous for it's racism, actually (Australia, and I've been to around 35 countries), and I haven't hung myself yet.

Like LethalWolfe said, everyone has bad sh*t happen to them, and some people have it rougher than others. Why? Because we're not all going to go through the same experiences throughout school, and yes, some of us will make mistakes and get teased for it, some harder than others. Welcome to life. Some people never get teased. Some people made the mistake of being born black, chinese, whatever, in the wrong part of the country, and always get teased or bullied. Sometimes the hate is insufferable. It's unfortunate that we all don't go through highschool smiling and left completely alone, but that's not the way life is.

 

[Takumi]

I live in the most racist place I have ever been... Australia

I hope my paraphrasing hasn't twisted your words.

In anycase, the racial problems with Aboriginies is largely caused by the government throwing money at the problem and hopeing it will go away.

anyway back on topic: I'd poke the fun at the kid more now than ever for being such a winge.

Takumi

 

[Abstract]

Yeah, and don't forget asians, muslims, and basically anyone who isn't white or European. Now I know why you don't see many black people in Australia.........the word spread quickly in their circles.

Actually, I was told about the racism in Australia by a white co-worker of mine, but since I was coming from the least racist place I have ever been (and now I truly respect and appreciate Canada and my fellow Canadians more and more), I didn't really believe it. After all, it didn't seem like a big deal to me as a Torontonian, born and raised.

Coincidentally, my friend's friend is travelling around right now, and on her blog, she told my friend that she has learned a lot about Australia simply by leaving the country and experiencing life elsewhere. She even noted the racist attitude and intolerance in Australia.

 

[thedude110]

I don't care how much HS sucked for you you are a lot better off than a kid in a third world country who struggles everyday just to fight off starvation.

A moral highground, but not certainly true. The kid who kills him or herself because of the taunting/hazing/bullying they receive in a high school setting is arguably worse off than the kid starving in a third world country. So it goes when comparing suffering.

(As Frank O'Hara wrote:
"The Pittsburgh Pirates shout because they won
In a sense we're all winning
We're alive")

This "grow a thicker skin" bit blows my mind. Everyone is in need and everyone deserves to be treated as though they are in need. So much the better if our skin were thinner, negating our bodies to the point that we realized that the person beside us was equally desperate and invisible.

 

[LethalWolfe]

A moral highground, but not certainly true. The kid who kills him or herself because of the taunting/hazing/bullying they receive in a high school setting is arguably worse off than the kid starving in a third world country. So it goes when comparing suffering.

And the kid who killed himself because of taunting/hazing/bullying did so in part because they lacked perspective. They could be distraught because they don't have the "cool" clothes or the "cool" friends. They think their life sucks for largely superficial reasons because they lack the perspective to realize that being "popular" in 11th grade is pretty meaningless. The farther you get away from HS the more you realize how largely insignificant it was.

Everyone gets angry, or blue, or unhappy sometimes but you have to keep it in perspective. If everyone spent some time helping out those less fortunate than themselves (volunteering at an assisted living home, or being a Big Brother/Big Sister) then "needing" the cool clothes or cool cars would stop being such a priority, IMO.

This is a bit of a rant but I have some friends that think HS was the best years of their lives and, personally, I think that's a little depressing (we are pushing 30 BTW). I mean, we are probably going to live into our 70's and you think your life peaked when you were 17? Ugh. Personally, I try to make every year of my life better than the last. It doesn't always work 'cause there are many things that happen in life that one has no control over, but that's my goal at least. I don't see in the point in fixating over things that one has no control over (like what's happened in the past)
How does the saying go,
"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."

This "grow a thicker skin" bit blows my mind. Everyone is in need and everyone deserves to be treated as though they are in need. So much the better if our skin were thinner, negating our bodies to the point that we realized that the person beside us was equally desperate and invisible.

I agree. But it's an ideal thought and this isn't an ideal world. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, IMO. Be "thin skinned" enough to believe in the Golden Rule, but be "thick skinned" enough to weather the ones that don't.

What happened to the Star Wars kid sucked, but he was partly responsible for it. The other kids were jerks, but were they really criminals? Do you really want to criminalize being mean? What about being insufficiently nice?


Lethal

 

[quigleybc]

The lawsuit, and moral implications aside...

I'm amazed by these spoofs.....

The undercover brother one in particular...that must have taken a ton of time and effort...it blows me away that people will go to those lengths...


I don't know what to think..I'm shocked I've never heard of this till now too...

The internet is so crazy....

 

[Timepass]

And the kid who killed himself because of taunting/hazing/bullying did so in part because they lacked perspective. They could be distraught because they don't have the "cool" clothes or the "cool" friends. They think their life sucks for largely superficial reasons because they lack the perspective to realize that being "popular" in 11th grade is pretty meaningless. The farther you get away from HS the more you realize how largely insignificant it was.

Everyone gets angry, or blue, or unhappy sometimes but you have to keep it in perspective. If everyone spent some time helping out those less fortunate than themselves (volunteering at an assisted living home, or being a Big Brother/Big Sister) then "needing" the cool clothes or cool cars would stop being such a priority, IMO.

This is a bit of a rant but I have some friends that think HS was the best years of their lives and, personally, I think that's a little depressing (we are pushing 30 BTW). I mean, we are probably going to live into our 70's and you think your life peaked when you were 17? Ugh. Personally, I try to make every year of my life better than the last. It doesn't always work 'cause there are many things that happen in life that one has no control over, but that's my goal at least. I don't see in the point in fixating over things that one has no control over (like what's happened in the past)
How does the saying go,
"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference."



I agree. But it's an ideal thought and this isn't an ideal world. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, IMO. Be "thin skinned" enough to believe in the Golden Rule, but be "thick skinned" enough to weather the ones that don't.

What happened to the Star Wars kid sucked, but he was partly responsible for it. The other kids were jerks, but were they really criminals? Do you really want to criminalize being mean? What about being insufficiently nice?


Lethal

Lethal you clearly dont understand the pain some kids go though and those who end there lives over it. If you have truelly seen that edge you would relieze what it truely takes to get push there. It is not a desision that those people come to lightly. It is gut wrenching and it is the feeling that all hope is lost. And when one loses all hope it is over for them. I am lucky that something stop me that day. (call it fate, call it God, call it what ever, I personally call it God but that is me). It was not something I came to lightly. It was something I had been thinking about for a long time.

It not clouthing that pushes them there. It not the lack of the "cool items" It is the lack of respect from their peers. It takes a long time to get beatten down to that level and most high school suiciuds you can damn well blame there peers and you can trace it down to being pick on endlessly. It normally going to be the ones who feel like they dont have any friends.

Oh yeah btw I grew up in the blessing of money among other gifts and I would give it up all gladly just to be happy. Heck I would still give it up gladly to be truelly happy instead of dealing with the war that still rages on with in me today.



And like many people here they dont understand what it like to face ending your own life. Those who truely do have a very different understanding of it and truely know what it takes to get pushed that far. Trust me when I tell you ending your own life is not a something you just decide "oh life sucks I going to kill myself" No it is internal torment in trying to deside that. Tearing yourself up over it. All hope is lost and with out hope you are as good as dead.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

The difference between your situation and that of this kid is about 100 million people. If those hits to the blogs were unique, there are over 70m from just those two sites. I'm sure there are at least 30m more. Anyway, he may have been able to let it slide in school, but when people everywhere think they have a funny new comment - that's another level. Do I support lawsuits for fat kids when classmates make fun of them? No. But this is something else - by posting it on the internet, it is much more vile.

I too was overweight in HS, and it was pure hell. CorvusCamenarum and I did find a way to survive. But some are not so lucky. I lost a friend to suicide because of the torment that he received because he was fat and Gay in HS.

When schools finally step up and stop bullying, then there will be no need for lawsuits. There are real long term ramifications to bullying.

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

You be surpised how long those scares from HS will last. Depends on how hard the guy was pushed.
I can rememeber back 10 years ago when I was harrassed and pick on to the point where I came to the point of nearly commetting suicide and ending my own life. Not just thing about but I mean I was really close to the edge and now over 10 years later it still a heavy weight I carry and something I dont go into detail talking about and subject matter that trips a lot of painful emotions.

You would think after 10 years I could let go of the hate for the guy who pushed me that far but no I still hate and I mean truelly hate him. Hate is a very cold emotion and I feel sorry for any one who has had experince of feelling it and know what it is truelly like to hate someone.

That kid had to be push pretty hard and his life had to be made a true living hell. People bash the kid of the stuff he doing but if you think about the living hell he still living though. One small mistake made years ago is going to haunt him for the rest of his life. He is never going to be able to truelly get away from this and it will effect him greatly for the rest of his life. The kids who did this to him though that the 30 sec of fun would be just take. No they ruined some else life and put a huge black mark in the "star wars" kid life and it going to be hell. and they deserive some type of really punishiment.

Amen. The net is changing things for those that are tormented. I graduated HS in '76; so the only scars I have are a yearbook that I had to doctor to block out hateful comments.

 

[irmongoose]

The sad thing is that people here accept and almost support the bullying, dismissing it as "human nature".

F*ck the norm. F*ck "human nature". Dare to change it for the better.

And the only way to hit back hard to bullying a**holes is to go all the way, perhaps even overtly, to make your point: I WILL NOT TAKE THIS SH*T.




irmongoose

 

[Timepass]

Amen. The net is changing things for those that are tormented. I graduated HS in '76; so the only scars I have are a yearbook that I had to doctor to block out hateful comments.

Yeah. it really does. Now I might be more willing to go agaist the "Star Wars" kid if the thing never made it on to the net and really was a relitivly thing contanted only in the HS. Distracts normally have solutions to those problems which is normally would be tranfering the SWK out to another school. Which in this case was not an opition.

Now the SWK was having fun for a few mins and made a minor mistake of leaving the tape there. But the line was crossed when it was put on the net with out his permision among everything else. Now that kids life is going to be really hard for the rest of it. Almost everything has something in there past that they regret and would never want the world to know. I know I carry secrets that I dont want any one to ever found out about me. 9 times out of 10 it is just give the person love and attention. Let them talk and let them control the flow of the convosation. Give them what they need which is attention. Be willing to bend over backwards to help them and dont expect thanks in return. Rememeber that they are in need and need you to carry them until they can get back on there feet and stand on there own.

The line was crossed when it got put on the net. Yeah at the time it was a minor joke but it got out of hand and now the kids who did it deserver to pay for it.

People seem to think they all expernce there own little hell and think oh it was no so bad. But then there are people like me who can gone though much worse and was that kid who was unpopular and not well like. I was the poor kid in from 6th though HS. Very few people in this world can understand that spot. I am amoung those few poor people who had to live though it. It now allows me a different view on the world from most people and I people know now when they are having trouble staying afloat that I am speaking from experinces and that I am not just saying here say. I am telling them what I been though and they know that I not kidding around. Other people know to turn to me for advice when there friends are stuggling because they again know that my advice is from experince and the help they can give would be better and would help instead of cause more walls to come up.