The Strange Name Movie Page #3

that type of reaction.

Well, he's gotta be

6'5, 225 pounds,

and perfectly built.

Somehow, you had to live up

to some of that, all right?

And so I always tried

to take care of myself,

and maybe stay in shape,

or stay well-read,

or be interesting.

Not be disappointing

when people meet Studley.

- [Narrator] At worst,

a name like Studley

might set up unrealistic

expectations.

But in a world all but overrun

with bullies and dimwits,

your name can make you

the object of contempt,

derision, or worse.

- My name is Richard,

and the last name is Gay.

That's spelled G-A-Y.

You know, when I was a kid,

being gay, homosexual,

wasn't as accepted

as it is today.

Living with that name

today is different

than it was when I was a kid.

You know, I'd get taunted and

sometimes physically accosted.

You know, I can remember

females, you know,

kinda whacking me around

a little bit here and there.

So I received a lot of

ridicule from other kids.

- Most kids can't

handle being bullied.

It would be a very

rare child who could do it,

mostly because they generally

identify with the thing

they're being bullied about.

So they don't have

any perspective on it.

- [Richard] You're gay.

He's gay, or

something like that.

I'm not gay.

I'm straight.

I was bullied because

of my last name,

and it just didn't make

me feel good at all.

It made me feel bad.

All the other kids keep

telling me that I'm gay.

My mother used to say,

"Well, tell them

that you are gay.

"Tell 'em that you're

a very happy person."

I'd say, "Okay, Ma."

- So if a child

is being bullied,

it can really impact

the way they view themselves.

It could impact their

level of motivation,

and compounded over time,

it could really lead

to other issues.

- [Richard] At some

points in my life,

I did try to overcompensate

my masculine

traits, so to speak.

My bravado.

I am an alcoholic.

I'm in recovery.

I've been sober for

a long time now.

People talk about, you know,

what their childhood was like

and feeling different.

And putting alcohol in

your system is a way

to relieve those fears and

make you feel like you fit in.

- If they start

making fun of you,

you can just say I don't

have to take it personally

'cause it's not who I am.

Try to witness the name and

not identify with the name.

- You know, having

the last name Gay

has definitely

affected who I am.

- [Narrator] Being mocked

because of your name

can do a number on

your self-esteem.

For some,

an effective strategy

is to roll with the punches

and counterattack with humor.

- So my name is Nardizzi,

and it's not quite as unique

as some of these names,

but I had issues with

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