“Geek Girl” On Netflix :: Bullies Shouldn’t Win
Watching “Geek Girl” on Netflix reminded me of the profound dangers and frustrations associated with bullying. Society often fails to hold bullies accountable, instead placing the burden on victims to rise above the abuse, which downplays the traumatic impact of bullying. In “Geek Girl,” the protagonist is a quirky, unique, intelligent, and funny girl who three classmates relentlessly bully. Despite the bullying being blatant, teachers and administrators overlook it, and the protagonist doesn’t share her struggles with her family, compounding her insecurities and anxieties during an already tumultuous time in her life.
As the story progresses, we meet another bully who manipulates someone into a pretend relationship and continues to harass him when he tries to end the farce and stand up for himself. A lesson from this situation highlights the crucial lesson that “no” should always mean “no” in all relationships, not just in the context of sex or between boys and girls. Respect and consent are essential in every interaction, especially in a world dominated by social media and influencers.
Driven by her insecurities, jealousy, and desire to get ahead, the bully sets her sites on our protagonist. The harmful behaviors begin subtly but quickly escalate until there is a breaking point. Eventually, the protagonist defends herself without guidance and causes a big mess. Ironically, she faces consequences for her actions. However, the fashionista bully faces no real consequences for her actions. While she lost one modeling gig, the assumption is that she takes her popularity to another designer, which does little to modify such behavior.
We return to school, where the original bullies create a skit to mock and traumatize the protagonist that the entire school watches and laughs at. We see the protagonist again stand up for herself without guidance, so instead of using her words or appropriate actions to demand respect, she retaliates childishly. In this instance, we observe the bullies receive minimal repercussions. As a result, we witness a mumbled, disingenuous apology after leaving the principal’s office, which does little to change their behavior.
This narrative, all too common in movies, television shows, and even cartoons, perpetuates the idea that bullies often emerge unscathed. It’s high time for this narrative to change. We must advocate for a society that holds bullies accountable, regardless of their intelligence, talent, attractiveness, or charisma. They should not be allowed to lead teams, squads, or groups if they mistreat others. The notion that ‘nice guys finish last ‘needs to be debunked. We can only bring about real change and foster a culture of kindness and respect by rewarding admirable, respectful, and equitable behaviors.
When child bullies are left unchecked, they turn into adult bullies, and the cycle repeats perpetually. Here’s to hoping for a better world where we hold bullies accountable while teaching and rewarding respect and kindness as fundamental values.
