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Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out tells of the pop star’s time from 2011 onwards when she was put into the band Little Mix on X-Factor.
All four of them were told they HAD to have social media accounts, and while it can be used for good, she soon discovered “everyone had an opinion on me” and she was bombarded with a ton of ‘hate mail’ but in the form of tweets, which have severely affected her, and how these comments have stuck with her, such as “You’re fat, and you look like a chipmunk”. But she shouldn’t let them.
This is the kind of thing kids come out with at school, and now they can do it anonymously. And kids can be complete bastards, because they are feral kids with shit parents and they need a good slap, but their parents won’t do this.
There are some weird fuckers out there. Katie Hopkins is a given, as we’ve seen on this documentary, but I’ve come across them, too, such as the one I’ve documented before who goes by the pseudonym of Robney McPlum. I’ve no idea why he’s doing this, or what he wants, but he’s dedicated ten years of his life to creating numerous social media accounts to contact me, I’ll just block them, and if he posts on my website, I’ll just delete them and block him. I’m not responding to that pathetic excuse for a human being.
Jesy Nelson also talks about the time she was told she should go on antidepressants, and refused them. I can’t see any positive to them. After my well-docmented experience with Mark Pollard, I tried them. After four days, I withdrew from them completely. I understand you need to give them a couple of weeks to bed in, and for your body to get used to them, but after four days, I was going for job interviews and the low point came at that point when I realised how much they were screwing with my body, following the next 15 minutes I spent on the toilet in Manchester Piccadilly Station, and they are toilets which (a) charge a fortune to be used, and (b) are even worse than the ones you’ll see in Trainspotting.
To me, the answer to overcoming this time was to find what made me happy. Put on a comedy programme or film that will make you laugh. Put on a song that you’ll enjoy. DO NOT rely on tablets to prop you up. They will NOT.
Two of the best examples I’ve come across with how to deal with cyberbullies are first with the example of Labour MP Stella Creasy. When she receives abuse, she simply responds with a picture of a flower, and then blocks them. Also, from the Maisie Williams Channel 4 one-off drama Cyberbully, she found the solution to dealing with the one she encountered was simply: close the laptop.
These bastards want a reaction. Do not give them a reaction.
Jesy also meets the parents of 16-year-old Sian Waterhouse, who took her own life following the bullying she received on social media, and how the bullies also created a fake account in her name – after she had died – pretending to *be* her. You have to be a sick bastard to behave like that.
In fact, I often wish the bullies would just make themselves disappear off the planet before they started their behaviour. No-one would miss them.
But then, these bullies are not right in the head. And as Jesy says about Katie Hopkins, and the same also goes for my long-term stalker – these individuals have children, and how would they feel it if THEY were subject to the same trolling? But, like I said, they’re not right in the head.
This documentary also takes in a workshop started up by a young woman called Hannah who was bullied from a young age, body image specialist Liz Richie, as well as Jesy’s boyfriend, Chris, and they look like a lovely couple, so more power to them.
When it comes to social media, it’s been around for around 13 years by now, and I agree that it should be regulated. After all this time, it’s mostly just a distraction and little else. It has some good points, such as how you can get advice from other people in the same way that forums used to do – but forums have now died off as a result. However, platforms like Facebook and Twitter haven’t got the staff to deal with it, and the best thing you can do in the meantime is report trolling to the police. Get it logged with them at the very least.
The time has definitely come that you should require photo ID to open a social media account. Beyond this, you get a “three strikes and you’re out” rule. If you fuck up, then your social media priviliges are revoked. However, these companies don’t have the manpower for this sort of thing, so they’ll just shove it under the carpet. In cases like that, perhaps they just shouldn’t be allowed to exist.
In addition to all the social media issues, being a pop star must be one of the oddest jobs to have. A lot of people will think it’s the dream job, but when I watched the Whitney Houston documentary Can I Be Me?, it made me think – you’re up on stage one night, belting out your hits to thousands of people, with them all focused on you… but the next morning, you’ll still be back at home, on your own, doing the washing up. That must be one hell of a comedown.
Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out is essential viewing in this age of social media, and since this documentary first aired on Thursday, it has been rightly praised and there’s also talk of showing it in schools. The programme is almost an hour long and I agree that it would be perfect to show it in schools. Get it seen by ALL children, because that’s where the bullies start, and where they should stop.
I hope this programme is the start of something good happening.
Jesy Nelson: Odd One Out is available now on the BBC iPlayer.
Score: 10/10
Director: Adam Goodall
Producers: Candace Davies, Adam Goodall
Participants:
Jesy Nelson
Jan Nelson
Jade Nelson
Perrie Edwards
Leigh-Anne Pinnock
Jade Thirlwall
Ann and Pud Waterhouse
The Diana Award
Chris Hughes
Heidi North
Aaron Carlo
James Silk
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.