Recent insult (Kinda, lol)

Originalirish

I work at a middle school and today one of my students told me that another teacher here thinks I look like Peter Griffin from Family Guy. I mean, yeah, I'm a bigger guy but I'm not THAT big. I did recently had a shaving accident and have to grow my beard back...but do I really look THAT bad? 😳
Wowza, lol
Middle schoolers (Insert facepalm here)

achetocuddle

That's funny and weird. You don't look like Peter Griffin. Wonder if the student was yanking your chain?

1_teddybear

One sad thing that is on the curriculum these days is that cruelty usually has no consequences. When I was a kid, if a kid was so cruel to an adult, even a teacher, the adult was free to respond in a way to let the child know that was inappropriate and would not be tolerated. Today, with identity politics, well I feel for you. I think there is a reason why many guys are walking away from being educators. I for one am glad you are still at it.

MrAdmirer

I went to the theater to see a symphony production of David Bowie's Blackstar album and while waiting for theater to open for seating, this kid came up to me, he looked like he might have been in college, and was convinced that I was Greg Gaffin of Bad Religion. He thought I was actually lying to keep a low profile. I assured him many times I was not him, but fell short of showing him my ID....lol

carrieanne

I’m sorry you had to hear something that made you feel bad about yourself, that’s the worst feeling. I have a family member who says things about me that are so-Off- and it is very troubling to me. I’ve chosen (for now) to mostly ignore. She wouldn’t get it anyway.

The kid who told you has a lot to learn about how not to hurt someone or say something inappropriate. He could’ve exaggerated what the other teacher meant or changed the wording. If the teacher said “a little like Peter Griffin except not the size”, etc but the student left that out.
Also, the other teacher possibly saw one little thing about you that is similar to that character, think of how caricatures are drawn with huge exaggeration.
My advice, visualize funny caricatures of them in your mind, have a laugh and move on.
I accept that others don’t see me the way I see myself, but oh well.

mimtheplantmom

no you don’t have the chin lol and definitely not as big as peter. i’d just laugh it off and move on with life. there’s much more to be worried about in this life than appearances 💜 you honestly look like a super fun guy to be around and a great cuddler 🥰

CharlieBear

What a punk. I suppose what I would want to know is what would you do if you saw a man-sized chicken?

cuddlefaery

Firstly, sympathies, middle schoolers are the worst 💖😂

But they also are just lacking in a lot of social skills and it doesn't help when they have poor role models in person and and online. Personally, I would have turned it into a teachable moment.

"Oh? Why do you say that? What exactly about me looks like him?"

Put them on the spot and make them analyse what they just said. Then break down their response with them. If it's about weight, we'd discuss how harmful caricatures of weight in media harm real life people, and use examples of people they know and care about. If it's about some facial feature, we'd discuss diversity of looks and how making fun of people's insecurities can be really damaging.

But above all? We'd talk about when other people have said similar things about the kid, because it's a learned behavior and defense mechanism usually. Almost all bullies were bullied at some point until they decided they would turn the tables. We have to use empathy and social-emotional skills to break the cycle, and even if it was just an offhand careless comment, awareness of how words hurt is the first step.

Originalirish

@achetocuddle I feel that, the student in question is def a frequent flyer of the discipline program, so I can usually tell when he's messing with me, this time he seemed fairly genuine, lol. I'm not like hurt or anything, but I for sure wanted some other takes on it haha

BoomerSpooner

@Originalirish I will put this in perspective. Nothing is as scathing as a high school female. They wouldn’t reach for a comparison with a cartoon character—they would dissect your soul with precision using their well honed verbal scalpel.

So it could have been worse. Much worse…

Originalirish

@1_teddybear I agree. At least at my school we are devoted to teaching empathy Etc. but so many of the student body have such horrible home lives that they just don't get it. We will continue to teach it, but with current societal norms it def is difficult, just gotta keep loving on them and I think well see a change
@MrAdmirer That sounds like ya could have had a bit of fun, lol Would love to be mistaken for a celeb
@carrieanne Im not too hurt, I just thought it may be funny to post about and allso a little bit to see if I actually looked like that to others. Ive struggled with my weight, I actually dont eat much at all and even have a doc apoinment to discus options to see whats up.
@mimtheplantmom Thank you, I appreciate that a ton!
@cuddlefaery Absolutely! We actually talked at length. I've been working with him for quite some time and part of his behaviors include cussing out other students/teachers, and saying the most horrible things to people in general. Its an ongoing issue for sure. I believe he is capable of greatness, he just needs to learn some self control, empathy, and be loved on as much as possible.

carrieanne

@FunCartel
I went to HS in KC. Now I wonder if you did also. It can be brutal and lifetime good or painful memories. Maybe you’re just joking around about HS girls.

Originalirish

@FunCartel This was a fella, but Having been on the receiving end of said tongue lashings before while holding a group of 5 girls in mid fight apart from each other wile they try to remove each others hair whilst scratching and kicking each other around my body...I agree lol
That said, I've also taken punches to the jaw from male students taller than myself so...methinks its teenagers in general lol

BoomerSpooner

@carrieanne Yes I went to HS in KC. I am not joking around about HS girls. Boys insult by calling names (big deal). Girls find your weakness and press the buttons for fun. It was that way then and after being the tennis parent for my girls tennis and helping with her soccer team it is even more so now because they do it on social media…to each other. I could give you several examples.

@Originalirish Simply put, outside of being white and having glasses, you don't look like Peter Griffin.

I guess I don't see the problem with how Peter Griffin looks. Since my husband and son both have "butt chins" like him, I could be biased though lol

carrieanne

@FunCartel lets not condemn them all. Girls weren’t like that when I was there but im from a different generation and I only speak for my own experience. And mine was far different than my daughter’s. I’m just sorry it affected you like that.
Mine wasn’t great but for very different reasons. Mainly too shy to talk to any boy ever.
Hope I’m not veering off topic too much. OP inadvertently leads us to our own experiences.

BoomerSpooner

@carrieanne I never said they were all like that. I am just saying girls in high school when motivated to be mean are far more intellectually insidious than boys when they are motivated to be mean (mass shooters aside as that is a tiny sampling). Boys will have a fistfight, call names and move on. Girls put a bit more imagination into their brand of mean and can maintain it. And yes this is all observational and anecdotal—from my high school years and my daughter’s. But that is what I have seen, observed and been told by the moms.

Can’t tell you how shocked I was by most of the moms in my neighborhood and at the school who said they thought boys were more fun to raise than girls. I have one of each as a single parent and I enjoyed raising my daughter much more than I did my son. And I get along great with my son. I wonder if it’s a gender thing.

BoomerSpooner

So @Originalirish did you have a retort for him when he said that? I guess you know as an educator that kids can just be plain mean for no reason other than the fun of seeing someone get upset. But to their defense kids are often ignored when they do have something to say so you might just be the target of derision because they feel powerless at home.

TxTom

I would probably interpret any comparison between a cartoon character and myself as a compliment, especially if it was Brainy Smurf.

jimboslice5014

So I want to stress something. Middle schoolers are at the age where their bodies are changing and will say stupid things . Your job as a teacher is not to think much about it . I work with kids too and the one thing is not to take stuff personality.

The kid could have insecurities of his/her own and want to take it out on their teacher . For the all the people saying the kid is a punk clearly have not worked in a school setting!

tedthebear

My niece once told me I look like mega mind. So every time I was around her I played AC/DC on my phone and slurred my words. Sometimes going along with a joke and giving someone else a laugh is the better route to take. I do t think people try to be mean when they make offensive remarks, they are just not good at being funny.

Tigerlilly32

lol I love Peter from FG. I wouldn’t take it to heart ♥️

embrace_comfort

Why is looking Peter Griffin a bad thing?

pmvines

RobbieA

@Originalirish I understand, when I was younger I was told all the time I looked like Chris Griffin from FG. I had the same haircut and build. But I didn't take it personally. Also told Mikey from Recess. I learned to ignore those people that try to bring others down.

Exogenous

I would consider that a compliment your getting to worked up over that mate XD