Two media projects tackle problem of violence/abuse from different angles

If you peruse the latest in entertainment, popular culture and media news, you may find some information about two very intriguing projects, both of which deal with contemporary instances of violent behavior.

The first is "Man Down," R&B recording artist Rihanna's latest video, which premiered on BET Tuesday. It has, as its main "character," a young woman who takes revenge on her sexual abuser by shooting him in the head.

The second is "Beautiful Boy," an independent film opening in theaters today. It was directed by Shawn Ku and stars Maria Bello and Michael Sheen (no relation to Charlie "Bi-Winning" Sheen) as the parents of a young man who took his own life after going on a shooting spree at college (much like the two kids at Columbine High School). As an exploration of the subject of school shootings, this film is unique in that it deals with the subsequent struggles of the perpetrator's parents.

In numerous ways, these two projects are considerably different. One is very popular, the other is more on the fringe of popular media; one is primarily a music medium, the other is a feature-length film; one has aroused the concerns of parents, the other is likely to elicit empathy from parents. But both are relevant to two very pressing issues in our culture: media influence and violence (both in the case of Rihanna's video, the latter in the case of "Beautiful Boy").

I'm interested to know what people think. Does Rihanna's video go too far in dealing with a controversial issue? As for Beautiful Boy, should we be doing more to address the experience of parents -- of both victims and perpetrators -- when dealing with bullying and violence in the schools?

My information comes from two online articles -- one from the Associated Press and one from Reuter's.

Click here for the article on "Man Down."

Click here for the article on "Beautiful Boy."

"Beautiful Boy" Trailer

DFC bullying ad

I've been meaning to post this for some time, and just recently found out that it was on Youtube. Prevention Educator Lisa Barrett, Paul Figlow of Figlow Productions, and middle school students from various parts of Genesee County filmed this several months ago.

Bath salts banned in New York State

New York State Health Commissioner Nirav Shah has ordered a ban on the sale of a drug marketed as bath salts in New York State, according to an article from Associated Press (AP). Please note: All information contained in this post comes from that article, which was published online at 4:30 a.m. ET on Monday, May 24.

This follows Sen. Charles E. Schumer's call for a ban a few months ago (see Feb. 2 post, "Sen. Schumer seeks to ban drug marketed as bath salts"). According to the AP article, Schumer "is seeking a nationwide ban."

Hundreds of people have been hospitalized as a result of using this drug. Among the symptoms from which users suffer are chest pains, elevated blood pressure, hallucinations and suicidal behavior.

Click here for the AP article.

Bart Dentino speaks to business community about workplace bullying

This picture was published along with the article "Dentino: Other-oriented leadership discourages bullying in the workplace" on The Dialy News on Saturday, May 14, around 12:15 a.m.

Bart Dentino, a well-known local musician and speaker, gave a presentation to Coalition partners from the business sector last week. He presented research on other-oriented styles of leadership, which foster positive and productive workplace environments. One of its many benefits is that it helps to discourage a phenomenon that occurs all too often: bullying in the workplace.

Click here to read the full article.

Law Enforcement Recognition Dinner

This photo was taken by Mark Gutman and published this morning along with the Daily News article, "Law Day honorees applauded as justice seekers," by Scott DeSmit.

The Law Enforcement Recognition Dinner was put on by Kiwanis in honor of those who dedicate themselves to the pursuit of justice -- especially for youth -- in Genesee County.

Members of GCASA's prevention staff presented the Kathy Seymour Volunteer Service Award to Sarah Palermo, a frequent speaker at the Victim Impact Panels.

Pictured, from left: Ronald Meides, Genesee County Sheriff’s Deputy; Emily Clark, village of Le Roy Patrolman; Paul Caffo, city police Detective; and Leo Hunter, state police Investigator.

Click here for the full article.

GCASA Art Show, Wednesday, 4/27/11, 5:00 - 7:30 PM

Filmmaker behind 'Super Size Me' tackles product placement

Just a quick update on what's going on in the media world: Morgan Spurlock, writer-director-star of the 2004 documentary "Super Size Me," has just made a documentary called "The Greatest Movie Ever Sold."

Spurlock's latest documentary tackles the subject of product placement in movies and is entirely and intentionally (all in good humor, it seems) funded by -- you guessed it -- product placement.

Click here for the full article.