MULTIMEDIA-ENGLISH
What's going on...
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4:36
Video page URL
https://multimedia-english.com/videos/esl/whats-going-on-3680
Description

Why can't we just accept that people are different without jumping at their necks? We'll only be able to live in peace when we respect and accept all those who are different from us, in their way of life, in their way of thinking, of dressing, of loving or of believing. As long as they don't hurt you, why must you hurt them? And you, are you hurting someone in some way just becuse you don't like them to be different?


This is what Jonah, the creator of this video, wrote about it:


To all my friends and supporters,
I made this video 4 months ago just before school was about to start. I was 13. It was a very emotionally dark time in my life. I made the video at 4:00am in the morning; I hadn't been sleeping at night for a long time, too many things going on in my head. I was dreading going back to school and I had not come out to my family yet. Only my closest friends knew. I didn't know how to say what I needed to say. All I could think about were all the bad things that had been happening at school last year, every year for that matter. I just couldn't bare to go through that anymore. I was done being fake happy, pretending hateful words didn't hurt, done hiding it from my family.
So this video was made for my friends that had moved on to High School who were worried for me, to say to them that I was going to take a stand, and to the haters at my middle school that I'm not going anywhere. I am who I am. I posted the video here and told people were to find it. That was it.
My friends were moved by the video and thought I did something important. I was encouraged to upload it to my Facebook page so more people could see it. Maybe it could help someone else going through the same thing. So I linked it Dec. 1st. My Parents saw it for the first time Dec, 2nd.
Then..... all this happened.
I never expected in a million years that it would have such a wonderful impact on so many people. I am truly humbled and truly thankful for all the love, encouragement and support from people all over the world. It's been incredibly overwhelming. I don't know what to say. Thank you so, so much!
Lastly, yes you have seen me happy in a couple short videos replies I posted; I would think that would be a good thing, and yes I do have friends, my High School friends, and I have made friends because when I came out they realized that they had hurt me and that they fealt sorry. The video is real, and true.
In the last few months everything eventually came out in the open, I felt a huge weight off my shoulders; I'm happy, I'm accepted for who I am, I'm more confident and feel stronger every day.
Thank you all, Love and peace to all who are hurting.
Jonah Mowry

Transcript

Hi, I'm Johan. I look happy, right? Well, IM NOT. What all you see is the fake me... But I'm the real Jonah Mowry. I've done things... things I'm NOT proud of. I've cut... a lot. I have scars.

Suicide was an option... many times. The first time I cut myself was in the SECOND GRADE. I get bullied everyday... This started in 1st GRADE... and I'm starting Eighth Grade next month. I'm not ready... I have one close friend left. The rest are starting high school. I'm scared to go back.

A lot of people hate me. I don't know why... But I guess I do, cuz I kinda hate me too.

Gay. Fag. Dick. Douche. Homo. Asshole... And the list goes on and on.

I can't do this anymore!!!

I'm tired of being torn down and building myself up to only be torn down AGAIN.

But... I'm not going anywhere... Because I'm STRONGER than that... and... I have a million reasons to be HERE.

Explanations

RIGHT?= (coll.) This is the equivalent to a question tag, very normal in conversation, but much more normal in America. A question tag changes form depending on the sentence, but this tag is good for all situations.
- You're Richard, are you? = You're Richard, right?
- She can't come, can she? = She can't come, right?
- You like her, don't you? = You like her, right?
- Let's go, shall we? = Let's go, right?


FAKE= Not authentic, nor the original, false, a copy.

PROUD= If you feel proud of something, you feel good about something that you have done, or about what you are, or about how good somebody you love is. You can feel proud of your work, proud of your qualities or proud of your son, for example.

I'VE CUT= I have cut myself to hurt me or to kill me.
The "myself" is implicit here, but a few sentences later he says explicitly "The first time I cut myself..."

SCARS= The marks that are left on your skin when a wound or a cut heals up.


SUICIDE WAS AN OPTION= I thought about suicide, it was a possibility.


SECOND GRADE= In America you start compulsory school at 6 years old when you're in first grade, so when you're in second grade you're 7 years old, and 14 years old for 8th grade. The first 6 years is called Primary School, the next 4 years it is Middle School or Junior High School (grades 6-8) and then you move on to High School and when you are 18 you can go to College (= University).

BULLIED= If they bully you, they harass you or abuse you (treat you badly), either physically or psychologically or both, usually because you are different and weaker. We mostly use this verb for school behaviour, but it can also be used in any situation and any age. Students or people who bully you are called "bullies".

I GET BULLIED= I am bullied.
In colloquial English it is very common to build a passive sentence using GET instead of the verb "to be":
- He was hit by the ball = He got hit by the ball.
- This wall is painted every year = This wall gets painted every year.


CLOSE FRIEND= A very good friend of yours.

SCARED = /skeə*d/ Afraid.
If you're scared to do something, you're afraid of doing it.

I GUESS= (coll.) I suppose.
I don't know why... but I guess I do= But I suppose I know (here DO is a proverb, a substitute for another verb mentioned earlier)

CUZ= (coll. AmE, spelled COZ in BrE. Other spellings: cus, cos, or the standard spelling: 'cause) Because.

KINDA= (coll.) Kind of = more or less.
This word or phrase is used so often (especially in AmE) that very often, like in this case, it means nothing.

FAG= (coll., rude, insult) Homosexual.

DICK= (vulgar, a bit rude, insult) Stupid; a disgusting person.

DOUCHE= /du:ʃ/ (coll., insult) very stupid (also "douchebag", which is even more emphatic)

HOMO= Similar to "fag", though not so strong.

ASSHOLE= (vulgar, very rude, insult, in BrE "arsehole") Stupid; a disgusting person.

GOES ON= Continues.

I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE= I can't continue living through this, I can't take it anymore, this is too much for me.

TORN DOWN= (tear-tore-torn) Completely destroyed.