Culture Anti-bullying advocate speaks out against new Tik-Tok trend where pictures of her face are shown to frighten children - READER BEWARE, YOU'RE IN FOR A SCARE!

Anti-bulling activist Lizzie Velasquez - who was once branded the 'world's ugliest woman' - pleads with parents to stop insensitive TikTok prank in which her face is used to scare kids

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8613325/Lizzie-Velasquez-condemns-TikTok-prank-face-used-scare-children.html

Anti-bullying activist Lizzie Velasquez has begged parents to stop insensitive TikTok prank in which they are showing their children pictures of her face to scare them, stressing that 'being kind to one another starts at home.'
The 31-year-old from Austin, Texas, who was cruelly branded the 'world's ugliest woman' when she was just a teenager, condemned the new TikTok trend that has turned her and others who look different into the butt of cruel jokes.
'TikTok I need your help,' Velasquez began. 'This trend where you are pretending to FaceTime someone who is disabled or is a baby or there’s some crazy mugshot and you’re showing it to someone to get their reaction and say, "Oh hey, talk to this person," just to get a quick laugh — this is not a joke.'

The motivational speaker was born with Marfanoid–progeroid–lipodystrophy syndrome, an extremely rare congenital condition that stops her from gaining body fat, among other symptoms.
Velasquez explained that in one of the videos, a mother showed her young son her photo and said it was his teacher for the new school year to scare him.

'If you are an adult who has a young human in your life, please do not teach them that being scared of someone who doesn't look like them is okay,' she said.
'Please. Everything that these kids need to know about having empathy and being kind to one another starts at home.
'This is not okay,' she added. 'This is a trend that needs to stop because we are human and we have feelings, so just please keep that in mind.'
Velasquez's video has been viewed more than 10 million times across her social media platforms and received thousands of supportive comments.

'Thank you for speaking up!! This behavior is so normalized in society and we must change that and teach everyone to be empathetic,' one TikTok user wrote.
'I already shared this! I'm so sorry I did this with my daughter too. I deleted it right away,' another commented. 'I feel bad and will spread the word.'

'I knew this was wrong but just brushed it off because everyone was laughing,' someone else admitted. 'But now I know where I stand and stand with you!'

In addition to her TikTok plea, she also posted one of the videos in which a mom used a picture of her face to frighten her young son.
'I knew this was coming. When I saw this trend start I knew it was coming,' she wrote on Instagram. 'Some have been cute and funny but then it starts to cross the line. Showing your kids a photo of someone who looks different in hopes of them having a scared reaction is vile.
'I’ve seen this trend be done with people who are disabled and I’ve seen this trend be done with BABIES who have Down Syndrome,' she continued.
'They don’t have the platform to speak on this but I do and I know I have an army of positive people right next to me. I will say this over and over and over. The people you put in photos or videos are human beings!!
'We have feelings and we have something we work on every day called self-confidence. Please PLEASE don’t teach your children that it’s funny to be afraid of someone who doesn’t look like them,' she added.
'When adults are upset their kids are being bullied, this is the perfect example that teaching kindness and acceptance starts AT HOME. Just be kind to one another. We need it now more than ever!!'

Velasquez has battled bullying her entire life, and when she was 17 years old, she came across a video of herself on YouTube that described her as being the 'world's ugliest woman.'

Her experiences led her to become an anti-bullying activist and a motivational speaker. She has more than 860,000 YouTuber subscribers and hundreds of thousands of followers across her social media pages.

In 2014, she used her platform to condemn online bullies after her face was used in a hurtful internet meme that cast her as a woman waiting for a date that would never show up.
'It's very late as a type this but I do so as a reminder that the innocent people that are being put in these memes are probably up just as late scrolling through Facebook and feeling something that I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy,' she wrote.
'No matter what we look like or what size we are, at the end of the day we are all human. I ask you to keep that in mind the next time you see a viral meme of a random stranger.'

 

[MasterCylinder]

We have countless photos of disgusting people on here that would make far better prank photos than this.

The poor woman.

 

[Super-Chevy454]

sounds shitty but that first image scared me half to death.

Indeed, but then I remember that movie based on a true story.

 

[Fugax]

Honestly sad to be dealt that hand, but you can't expect people to not be terrified of an inherently uncanny facial makeup. It's just how it goes. But taunting as a way to deal with the disgust isn't ok, imo.

Few months ago on YouTube, I saw the thumbnail of a video of a kid who got some oil poured on his face or something. It was meant to be empowering but... you know the rest. There are gore videos less unnerving than that face. Still sticks with me.

 

[Battlecruiser3000ad]

She must not know much about bullying if she thinks this will stop kids making fun of her monstrous appearance.
It's up to her to learn to cope with it, she will not ever change human nature.

 

[MistressCaridad]

Real talk, this poor woman has a physical disorder. She can't help the way she looks and it's cruel to go after someone who never did anything to anyone else and didn't ask to look that way.

I'd much rather shit on a typical Tumblr land whale with normal physical features than I would for this poor woman. She seems like a decent person. And that is what makes a difference no matter what you look like.

Agree. In everything I’ve seen about Lizzie she comes across as a nice lady and even though yeah, her face might be unsettling at first glance, it is kind of an asshole move to purposely try to upset people using her picture.

That said, Russhole Greer would be a good alternative, because Russhole is just as ugly and disturbing in his attitude as he is in his fucked up face.

 

[Haramburger]

It wasn't that long ago that we'd burn these people as devilspawn or have convenient "accidents" where the law would look the other way on their ghoulish demise. We're a pretty accepting society at this point for people with enormous disabilities like this, but I suggest you not push it. We could always slide back to our previous stance if you don't like your current status. Consider your risks.

 

[Johan Schmidt]

It wasn't that long ago that we'd burn these people as devilspawn or have convenient "accidents" where the law would look the other way on their ghoulish demise. We're a pretty accepting society at this point for people with enormous disabilities like this, but I suggest you not push it. We could always slide back to our previous stance if you don't like your current status. Consider your risks.

I mean, that's a tad extreme. There's probably a gradient between 'plz no bully' and 'toss the uggo down a well'.

 

[Scarlett Johansson]

So like.....her parents gave birth normally but she ended up like this because of a genetic defect? That's awful. She seems like a decent person.

Kids are assholes

 

[Meat Target]

Agree. In everything I’ve seen about Lizzie she comes across as a nice lady and even though yeah, her face might be unsettling at first glance, it is kind of an asshole move to purposely try to upset people using her picture.

That said, Russhole Greer would be a good alternative, because Russhole is just as ugly and disturbing in his attitude as he is in his fucked up face.

Lizzie can't help that she was dealt a bad hand. There are uggos far more deserving of mockery.

 

[MistressCaridad]

Lizzie can't help that she was dealt a bad hand. There are uggos far more deserving of mockery.
View attachment 1511897

Yeah. I mean... it takes literally no effort (or at least for most normal people it does) to, y’know, not be a fucking cunt to people who have some sort of physical disability. She’s not even actually really reeeeeeeeeing about it, she’s just expressing that it gets to her (like it would a lot of people).

 

[The Lizard Queen]

Frankly, I've always felt the best way to deal with bullying based on some trait is to own it.
This is pretty much exactly what she did. Instead of hiding and falling into depression, she made the title of "world's ugliest woman" her own, and went on the talk show circuit. It's probably a real money maker.
Although she could stand to do a little less whining.

 

[Meat Target]

Frankly, I've always felt the best way to deal with bullying based on some trait is to own it.
This is pretty much exactly what she did. Instead of hiding and falling into depression, she made the title of "world's ugliest woman" her own, and went on the talk show circuit. It's probably a real money maker.
Although she could stand to do a little less whining.

As much as I've come to hate Game of Soy, this saying is trustworthy:

 

[NoSpiceLife]

Kids are stupid assholes. What else is new?

Except a lot of these users, that are doing it, are adults, who should know better.

 

[Sizzlin]

I bet she has a bunch of HAES inactivists screeching at her for her thin privilege.

I was just wondering if she's ugly enough to be protected by HAES. Probably not, though.

It wasn't that long ago that we'd burn these people as devilspawn or have convenient "accidents" where the law would look the other way on their ghoulish demise. We're a pretty accepting society at this point for people with enormous disabilities like this, but I suggest you not push it. We could always slide back to our previous stance if you don't like your current status. Consider your risks.

I think they still burn the albino ones alive somewhere in Africa. Have you guys seen those? Jesus fuck they're ugly.

 

[Haramburger]

I think they still burn the albino ones alive somewhere in Africa. Have you guys seen those? Jesus fuck they're ugly.
View attachment 1512134

In person yes, I've bumped into a few because they wisely flee to a more civilized part of the world that doesn't kill them as part of a bad omen.

I mean, that's a tad extreme. There's probably a gradient between 'plz no bully' and 'toss the uggo down a well'.

You're right, and I'm not advocating an immediate genocide. I just expect a little more humility from people that exaggerate about being chased down the street with torches and pitchforks, because that's what the other hemisphere literally does. LGBT finally got widespread acceptance, they've continued to complain & I don't think they're prepared for the slow backlash that's cooking in response.

 

[Cast Iron Pan]

sounds shitty but that first image scared me half to death.

As far as facial deformities go hers is not even that extreme either. I'm more disgusted by photos of someone with rainbow-colored hair or by any transvestite.

I'd rather spend time with OP's lady than with people like this:

Spoiler: horror do not click

 

[Snekposter]

As much as I've come to hate Game of Soy, this saying is trustworthy:
View attachment 1511922

I read an interview with Peter Dinklage a while back when GoT was first around, and he seemed like he had that attitude IRL. I get the feeling playing Tyrion was really cathartic for the guy, which is why he's the only character who stays interesting and fun.

 

[Atatata]

That's unfortunate.

That being said, she can probably get some really good movie gigs.

 

[Basil II]

I'm honestly not really horrified by her, atleast the monster is on the outside.

 

[Johan Schmidt]

I never really got the 'own the things that people use to mock you' thing. I've never actually see it work in real life; people just mock them even more. There's no 'Oh shit he's owning it!' moment. Generally if people are willing to casually mock you for something like an illness they don't care what you think regardless.