2. “The kids at school thought it was weird that I
liked country music. They’d make fun of me.”
Taylor Swift
3. Taylor Lautner
“I was viewed as a little bit of outcast. I didn’t
have one group of friends who I hung out with
every single day”
4. Beyonce
“I’m like everyone else – I have days when I look
in the mirror and I’m like, Oh my god, I wish I
could change this or that. The more you mature,
you realize that those imperfections make you
more beautiful.”
5. Zac Efron
“I got made fun of constantly [in high school]. When you get
made fun of, when people point out your weaknesses, that’s
just another opportunity for you to rise above.”
6. “I’ve often felt unattractive or different looking. As I’ve
grown up, I’ve felt more comfortable in my own skin. It
may sound cliché, but when you feel beautiful and
strong on the inside, it shows on the outside.”
Angelina Jolie
7. “I never fit in, so I started pretending I was other people I
thought were cool and dress how they dressed, talk how
they talked, do whatever they were into.”
Corey Monteith
8. “In elementary school I was the
mean girl, I would kick girls out
of our group and make them go
play with the non-popular kids.”
“I became the freak, the weirdo
that everyone would stare at.”
“I used to get picked on a lot. But
now I can get my own back.”
Tyra Banks
9. “ I got beat up in the bathroom, beat up in the
hallways, shoved into lockers. You know, just
for being the new kid.”
Eminem
10. “Bullying happens more than you think. I
was bullied in school and it affected me so
much I decided to be home schooled.”
Demi Lovato
11. “ I was bullied until I
prevented a new
student from being
bullied. By standing up
for him, I learned to
stand up for myself.”
Jackie Chan
12. “I think every year I become happier because I am more
confident and more comfortable in my own skin.”
Zooey Deschanel
13. “I got beat up just
about every day…
I got kicked and
whatever”
Chris Rock
14. “In junior high, I had glasses and braces, my face
was broken out and I was chubby.”
Kelly Clarkson
15. “I’m still in my awkward phase! My voice has been
creaky since I was 13 and I can’t get it to stop. I
think everyone feels awkward.”
Ashton Kutcher
16. Jessica Simpson
“ I had girls egging my home, writing curse words on the
sidewalk in paint – just saying really nasty things about
me. I quit cheerleading because I didn’t know what I was
cheering for anymore.”
17. “ I had no really close friend, someone who
understands you. I was always the new kid with
the wrong shoes, the wrong accent. I didn’t have
the friend to share things with and confide in.”
Tom Cruise
18. “ I didn’t fit in at high school. I felt like a freak. It
took a long time for me to be OK with myself.”
Lady Gaga
20. Anti-Bullying
Anti-Bullying Legislation
Arkansas Anti-Bullying Policy for
Schools
California “Seth’s Law”
Colorado House Bill 1254
Massachusetts Bullying Law
Michigan –
“Matt’s Safe School Law”
New Jersey “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights”
Texas Anti-Bullying Bill
Virginia House Bill 1624
Washington Cyberbullying Law
Editor's Notes
TAYLOR SWIFT says just because you look perfect doesn't mean you feel perfect"Tied Together With a Smile" is about a girl I knew my freshman year. She was absolutely Miss Popular, a pageant girl, and she looked perfect every day! Always had the cutest outfits, always looked the best at prom. But sometimes when you get a little closer to people who look that perfect, you realize that they don't feel perfect. They feel like they're ugly. And that's what happened with this girl--I became closer friends with her, and one day she confessed that she was bulimic.Everybody looks in the mirror and is like, I wonder why her eyes are huge and mine are smaller. But I realized that if you're lucky enough to be different from everybody else, don't change. Seventeen
Taylor Lautner – Twilight
“I was viewed as a little bit of an outcast. I didn’t have one group of friends who I hung out with every single day. I would have friends on my football team, friends in drama, friends in video production, and I would hang out with different people. I know that wasn’t the normal thing to do in high school. The normal thing is to be part of a clique. But for me, I love hanging out with different people and just having fun.”
BEYONCE offers great "relationship" advice"You have to know exactly what you need out of a relationship. You should be finding out what makes you happy in life. I know it sounds preachy, but I'm happy that I knew that. I think everyone has her own body type and looks good at different weights - that's what's so beautiful.” Seventeen
Zac Efron
“I got made fun of constantly (in high school)! That's what built my character. That's what makes you who you are. When you get made fun of-when people point out your weaknesses-that's just another opportunity for you to rise above." Twist
Angelina Jolie
Corey Monteith – Glee
Corey started using drugs and alcohol and when his family gave him an ultimatum to get clean or they’d report him to the police Corey said, “I was done fighting myself. I finally said, “I’m gonna start looking at my life and figure out why I am doing this.” He quit using, got a job and surrounded himself with sober people and today is a star on Glee.
Tyra Banks
Tyra has identified herself as BOTH a bully and someone who was bullied. She was picked on for being tall and skinny in middle school. Then she went to another school where they thought she was pretty BECAUSE she was skinny. She says that beauty can be cultural as well.
Eminem – Marshall Mathers
EMINEM on judging people:
"...you gotta learn to judge people for the individuals that they are." Cosmo Girl
Demi Lovato
“At 12 years old, I was bullied in school. Girls were calling me fat, so I thought, “That’s the reason I don’t have any friends.” So I stopped eating. I became very weight-conscious, and I lost 30 lbs. I went down to 95 lbs.”
Jackie Chan – The (New) Karate Kid
Zooey Deschanel – New Girl
Plot of New Girl - After a bad break-up, Jess, an offbeat young woman, moves into an apartment loft with three single men. Although they find her behavior very unusual, the men support her
Zooey Deschanel was once asked if the character was written for her specifically, to which she replied that it was not, but "should have been"
Chris Rock – Everybody Hates Chris
Plot of Everybody Hates Chris - Motivated by his childhood experiences, Emmy Award-winner/actor/comedian Chris Rock narrates this very hilarious and touching story of a teenager growing up as the oldest of three children in Brooklyn, NY, in 1982. With his mom determined to see him in a good school, Chris reluctantly faces multiple bus transfers every day to attend Corleone Junior High in the fiercely Italian neighborhood, South Shore. Despite being an immediate target for bullies, Chris' innate charm and sharp wit enable him to make new friends.
Kelly Clarkson
The reporter asked Kelly if there was anything else that helped her feel more comfortable in her own skin. She said, ".....I was always involved and always doing stuff. I did sports, drama, choir and I was also in senior council. Exercise and staying active always makes me feel great."
Nobody has my eyes. Nobody has my nose. It's all mine. And that's what makes me different from everyone.“ -Twist
Ashton Kutcher
"I'm still in my awkward phase! My voice has been creaky since I was 13, and I still can't get it to stop. During my freshman year in high school, I weighted, like 103 pounds. I was the little kid in school. Then there was a period where I grew, like, six inches and put on 50 pounds in one year. I was growing so fast that I couldn't afford new pants. I was wearing unintentional high waters. And when I was a kid, my teeth were too big for my face. I think everybody feels awkward."
Jessica Simpson
"I didn't start feeling comfortable in my own skin until I was 20. Natural beauty is really happiness with who you are. If you like who you are on the inside, that'll come through on the outside." – Twist
"You're never going to look perfect to yourself even if you might look perfect to somebody else. The thing I've had to learn the most is to accept compliments and steer away from all the negativity. A lot of people can feel shy about what they really want to do, and it did take a while for me to say, 'You know what? I do want to do this.“ - Cosmopolitan
Tom Cruise
Tom was in 15 different schools in 12 years. Like many kids today, he had a reading disability so instead of putting him in with the "normal" kids they put him in remedial classes. A lot of our readers can understand that and how that makes you feel. Tom said he felt excluded and being small he was bullied a lot. "So many times the big bully comes up, pushes me. Your heart's pounding, you sweat, and you feel like you're going to vomit. I'm not the biggest guy, I never liked hitting someone, but I know if I don't hit that guy hard he's going to pick on me all year. I go, 'You better fight.' I just laid it down. I don't like bullies."
Lady Gaga
Led by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, the Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2011 to foster a more accepting society, where differences are embraced and individuality is celebrated. The Foundation is dedicated to creating a safe community that helps connect young people with the skills and opportunities they need to build a kinder, braver world.
We believe that everyone has the right to feel safe, to be empowered and to make a difference in the world. Together, we will move towards acceptance, bravery and love.
President Barack Obama
Many of the photos you have seen here were found at heyugly.org
Hey U.G.L.Y.- Unique Gifted Lovable You was founded in 2002 under the name, Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. We are dedicated to empowering youth be WHO THEY ARE instead of having to act how they think they need to be in order to fit in.
