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Mostly Cloudy Fighting back against cyberbullying
The Internet has changed the way we communicate with each other. It has, in most instances, made our lives better, by making most things more convenient and easier to access. What it has also done however is made people think that their words have no repercussions. Anonymity has become a tool that people use to attack others for a myriad of reasons. For one Elmont resident, the Internet caused her to start a movement.
Stacy Pierre-Louis went out on Jan. 21 with a purpose. She wanted to do something special so when the clock turned midnight and she officially became 23 years old, it would be memorable. Stacy went to the Lord and Taylor on Franklin Avenue in Garden City and got makeup done by professional makeup artist Theresa Francine, a Freeport resident. Stacy went in without any makeup on. She was a blank canvas for Theresa.
When the makeup was complete Stacy looked like a different person, well made up, and worthy of magazine cover. To show off her work, as she has numerous times before, Theresa posted a picture on her Instagram page, comparing Stacy before and after. The post immediately went viral, with many applauding the job Theresa had done. Soon however, people started posting negative comments about how Stacy looked without makeup on. At first, Theresa would delete the comments.
“A lot of people felt that it was deceitful and makeup is deceiving,” said Stacy, who graduated from Elmont High School in 2011. “The comments were harsh.”
As more and more people began to post inappropriate responses on the photo, Theresa realized that she couldn’t keep up with it. The photo was also being shared by other people, which prevented Theresa from managing the comments.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Theresa said of the viral photo. “I was like ‘I think that this is viral, there’s nothing I can do.’”
The difference between Stacy with makeup and without was stark. That was the intention however, as Theresa employed a technique called contouring, which alters the natural look of someone’s face. By shadowing and highlighting other features on the face, the makeup artist is able to change how someone normally looks. While some people feel this is deception, Stacy, Theresa, and millions of other people view makeup as an artistic expression.
“It was surprising because I never expected to get that kind of a reaction,” Stacy said. “I was surprised but I didn’t let me affect that much but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt a little bit.”
Following the backlash online, Stacy decided to voice her frustration with cyberbullying and what should be done to stop it. She posted a video on facebook calling out people who hid behind a computer and said hateful things.
“For those of you who do not know me, as entitled to your opinions as you are,” Stacy said. “Know that you did not hurt me, know that your words did not affect me.”
In the video, Stacy wore the same shirt as she did in the viral photo and was not wearing any makeup. Stacy encouraged girls to post photos of themselves without makeup and use the hashtag “beauty over bullying.”
“This video is for girls who may be going through a similar situation like me and feel like they are victims of cyberbullying,” Stacy said.
The response has been great, she said. People have posted over 100 photos with the hashtag on Instagram since Stacy released the video on Jan. 23.
“I learned that social media is powerful and that cyberbullying can affect everyone,” Stacy said. “It’s not just the typical stereotypes, people are actually affected by it. Personally I learned more about myself, I learned that I have a voice and I can use it, I can take a stand and I can create a conversation and have a positive outcome.”
