Anti-bullying group wants MTV Canada's Bully Beatdown pulled http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2009/04/21/nb-bully-beatdown-ban.html
A national anti-bullying group wants MTV Canada's new show Bully Beatdown pulled from the air for sending the wrong message to bullies and their victims. The show, premiering on Tuesday night, is hosted by Jason (Mayhem) Miller, a mixed martial arts fighter. The show offers the chance for victims of bullying to see their antagonists tossed around by a professional fighter. The bullies are thrown in a ring with trained mixed martial artists for a chance to win $10,000. If they lose, they hand the cash over to the those they've bullied. Robert Frenette, 19, a Bathurst resident who is one of the founders of BullyingCanada.ca, said the program sends the wrong message to bullies and their victims. "As someone who was bullied, I don't think that would be a way to get back at them," Frenette said. "They need more positive messages and making sure that they have prevention as well. So I think it's something that they need to prevent and really need to re-evaluate." Frenette said he is contacting MTV Canada and some MPs with his concerns. He wants the show pulled from the air, he said. Jennifer Corelli, a spokeswoman for MTV Canada, said the show is aimed at males and females aged 12 to 34. They have received no feedback on the program, which airs on Tuesday night, she said. According to the show's website, Miller will ambush the bully in front of others and challenge them to a fight or "look like a coward." The site says it gives the victims the "satisfaction of seeing their bully face someone who can make him suffer for his past actions." The fight lasts two rounds, each three minutes long. The bully starts with $5,000 and loses $1,000 every time he "taps out" as Miller performs MMA grappling and submission holds. If the bully actually can force Miller to submit he gets $5,000. The second round sees if the bully can last through three minutes of kickboxing without getting knocked out. The bully will lose the $5,000 if he quits, gets knocked out or the referee calls the fight. All the money deducted from the bully in either round will go to the victim. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... Smart (TV) People on Ice! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
