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Yak Exclusive: Big Brother 13’s Shelly Speaks Out Against Bullying

As Anti-Bullying week comes to an end here at YakkityYaks, we want to be a reminder that ACTION leads to CHANGE. We hope we have gotten that across throughout the week as we have teamed up with past and present Reality TV Stars, our Forum members, and fans on Facebook and Twitter to bring an awareness to the anti-bully movement. Hopefully together, we can help put a stop to it, and help those currently stuck in the situation and in dire need of help or just someone to talk to. Just because the week is over, doesn’t mean the movement stars here. We encourage you to keep the momentum going and keep us updated on your own personal initiatives!

As one of our biggest supporters throughout this week, Big Brother’s Shelly Moore, has provided the Yak with her story as well. Shelly is probably fresh on the minds of many Big Brother fans after her time spent in the house this past summer, which housed “newbies” and alums of the game alike. Shelly is no stranger, as we previously reported, to cyber attacks after reports of threats to Shelly herself, her job and her family surfaced while she was in the house and may have lingered after. Dwelling on those experiences, among others, Shelly has joins our initiative with other reality personalities to share her story below.

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I have never been bullied. That is a statement I can no longer make. It saddens me, it infuriates me, and it enlightens me. All too often in this world, we have the mentality of, it is not happening to me, so it can’t be that bad. It took hate, threats, jeers, and pure ugliness through the Internet, by people who hide behind sometimes clever, occasionally mean, and usually just a spur of the moment screen names for me to realize there is a problem much bigger than any of us realize. The harsh reality of “no one listens until someone dies” became more than a headline to me. I had become a statistic, obviously not one of the horrific suicides consuming young, barely a decade old children, but someone at the other end of the gun. A gun being pointed at me by people who don’t know me, but think they do through the popular TV genre called – Reality TV.

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that reality TV for the most part is an edited, made for TV drama. Its sole purpose is to create entertainment, garner huge ratings and advertisers, and create water cooler talk so people, often known as fans, come back for more. It is one of the most popular forms of television today, consuming prime time slots on nearly every major network. And oh yeah, if you can’t get enough, there are marathons that play endlessly on certain channels, and even channels that play nothing but reality drama day in and day out. You can see hoarders, addicts, celebrities (that were made celebrities through reality tv), prison stays, crazy police encounters, survivors in nearly every climate and survivable condition, races, and my personal favorite…house guests. Each year a new twist on reality is spun of golden thread, given a name, a network, a crazy cast of characters and off they go. And right alongside the show comes a cast of bigger characters who evaluate, blog, analyze, argue, converse, and develop opinions that in many cases are extremely polarized. It is very rare with reality characters that you would hear the statement “he or she is alright.” Instead, the casts of these “reality shows” are either gods and goddesses or villains. There is not too much in between. You’re either a character or you’re not and to be a character you have to have the traits the audience wants to cheer or jeer. You can be classified as a god or goddess if you’re hot, entertaining, funny, charming, kind, social, look great in a bathing suit, and say and do all the things the “audience” wants you to say and do. Occasionally you can receive the highest ranking for gameplay, but it really depends on who or what or how you got there. It doesn’t matter if the entire game is set up for lies, deceit, and manipulation. If you ever once utter you hope to not play that way, get ready for the so-called fans to eat you alive. It is possible to be deemed a god or goddess and then fall from grace, just as it is possible to be a villain and have redemption. It just depends how many times you get to play the game or if the audience chooses to let you sneak by.

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Anti-Bully Week: My Personal Story

As you know, It’s anti-bully week and we here at YakkityYaks that have stories to tell are letting them rip! Along with Big Brother 13’s Shelly Moore, we here at The Yak are taking a headstrong stand against bullying and the life torment it creates. (Be sure to follow Shelly on Twitter HERE and follow us HERE.) It’s a hard, hard road on the other side of the bullying, and it’s time for those of us that have had this experience speak out and unite! We are NOT alone, and it does get better. Yes, the actions of others seem to stick with you forever, as you will learn with my own personal story below, but they don’t have to rule your life. You can overcome it, you can grow from it, and hey just maybe, we can make friends out of it. I think Shelly put it best when she compared the bullied to a piece of crumpled up paper. No matter how hard you try to straighten it out, even put a heavy book on it for years, the creases will never go away. It does “take a village” to protect our youth, and I for one am happy to be a part of that village. So, without further adieu, here is the story that I have, that since I was a kid, liked to always keep to myself… But today, for you, I will lay it all out there. Scary, but here we go.

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When I was a young, about 4th grade, I was transferred into a private school because of busing. The school district where I lived wanted to take me out of my local public school which was just right around the corner and transfer me to a school miles away. To combat that, my mother moved me to a local private school.

I was the new kid in a school where everyone had already grown up best friends. It was hard to adjust. I was also the kid that got into the private school because my dad did some construction work for them in exchange for part of my schooling there. The other kids, many of them, had parents that were loaded. Yep, the ‘ol rich kid/poor kid cliche. Well, I wouldn’t call us poor by any means, but by these kids standards, yeah, we were “without.” There were no uniforms at the school, so between me being the new kid and not wearing the designer outfits and shoes that most of the kids there had, I was pretty doomed socially from the start. I attended this school through the 8th grade.

I eventually made a few friends, not many, but the friends I did have were great ones. We met at what the majority of the students called “The Loser Table”… you know, where the “losers” sat to eat lunch. We were the misfits and at the very least, had others to share our woes with and boy, there were woes to be had.

All of us were taunted daily. Kids said the most ridiculous and mean things. I was chosen last for any games at P.E. even though I was pretty athletic and better at the games than most kids. In the changing room before P.E. they would make fun of me, my clothes, anything they could think of. I remember once being told that my bra was too high on my back… and they all would laugh. (So much for ever changing in the locker room again.) They used me to be mean to other people, singing that stupid K-I-S-S-I-N-G song if I would speak to a boy, only to have the boy get angry. (That felt great.) They called me a lesbian since I only hung out with my “loser” girlfriends. It was constant ridicule. I couldn’t even imagine how that would have felt if I actually were Gay and how kids today that are must feel.

When I would get invited back then to someone’s b-day party who wasn’t a part of the “loser table”, I would always believe it was sinister in some way. That maybe they wanted me to come just to be the entertainment. To poke fun at me. That never happened at the few I did go to, but now that I’m older, I realize I was invited probably because a parent made them invite everyone. Who knows. The ridicule made me paranoid of everyone’s motives.

High School changed EVERYTHING. I transferred to my local public High School where there were a lot more kids, kids that didn’t know me. I was a very, very pretty girl and had a lot of the boys attention. A LOT. The girls that tortured me daily were there, but at that point, they didn’t bother with me too much. Heck, I was getting more of the boys attention then they were at that point. I think they were actually a little jealous. That felt nice.

However, I wasn’t prepared for the attention I did get, and didn’t know what to do with it. For me, a girl with very low self-esteem at that point, attention was great. The problem became understanding that attention and what to do with it. Let’s just say, for a time, I had a hard time saying the word “no”, even when I wanted to. The one time I did actually say no, it didn’t matter, it wasn’t heard… or was heard and ignored, if you know what I mean. I won’t get into that here, but I’m guessing most will read between the lines on that one.

I did earn a nickname as a “tease” (which is better than some other nicknames that could have transpired, like slut or prude for instance.) I embraced the nickname. Damn right I was a tease! Now that I look back on it all, a tease keeps those boys on their toes now doesn’t it? You aren’t a prude, so they think they have a shot, but you aren’t a slut so they know they will have to put in some hard work to get it LOL! Looking back, I’m not real sure if that thought process was a good one or bad, but it did get me through it all.

The ridicule gave me self-doubt that followed me through-out my life, you know, the “creases in the paper” as mentioned above. Although I am much, much better today, a lot stronger, and a lot less caring of what others think, it still haunts me. There are days I still feel just not up to snuff. I don’t have many friends, mainly because I don’t let too many close. I like to call it self-preservation. However the friends I do have are great ones. I have encapsulated myself in my little world. There is safety within these walls, or is there? Yes, bullying affected me to my core and although the bullies are gone, I have carried their ridiculous words in my soul. It really sucks.

Needless to say, now that I am older and look back on all of it, it was a very hard time. I see pictures of myself back then and realize just how pretty I really was. (That sounds stuck up, doesn’t it?) Too bad I realized that a bit late. Self-esteem issues have plagued me all my life since then. It’s hard to let go of those, REALLY hard. You never really feel whole. There are times, even now, that I fall back into that hole and it doesn’t take much.

I learned a lot though. I try and treat others the way I would like to be treated. You know, what Grandma always said. I also overcame the “no” syndrome, able to not let people just walk all over me in the pursuit of acceptance. I have learned that what general “people” say really doesn’t matter. People that are strangers to me can think what they want. It’s their energy they are wasting. I have learned that It actually does get better. People who say that are right. It may not feel like it, but it truly does.

These people, these school mates, these assholes (for lack of a better (or worse) term) just don’t matter in the scheme of things. They are forced into your life now, but will be gone in a flash. I know, in this day and age, it’s hard. See, when I was a kid, home was my safe place, my sanctuary. Now, with Social Media, (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) the bullying can continue after school, on weekends, into the night… It’s hard to escape from. But again, those people will be gone in a FLASH. It seems like forever now, but it’s just a small snippet of your life. You CAN get through it. For all the rotten kids that talk smack, there are many, many more that you haven’t met yet that will be lost without you here. Plus, there are MILLIONS out there to talk to, have gone through it and can help. Hey, you always have a safe place to talk here at YakkityYaks. In fact, we are currently developing a place here just for that purpose, so stay tuned!

…And… let’s all hope Karma nails these jerky bullies to the wall. Yeah, I said it.

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If you too have a story you would like to share, you can contact us at JDMontgomery@yakkityyaks.com or webmaster@yakkityyaks.com. We would gladly get yours up here to share with everyone. We would also happily remove your name from the story if you would like. Just let us know in the e-mail. Also, you can come join us in the Forum HERE where we are all discussing Anti-Bully week!

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The FBI Meets with Shelly Moore over Death Threats

Shelly Moore’s family has now met with the FBI in regard to the death threads made to Shelly and her family over the phone and e-mail, received after last Thursday’s Big Brother double eviction. After reviewing the information Moore’s family put forth, the Feds have determined there was no “credible” threat to their well-being.

Many of the calls they had received specifically targeted Josie, Shelly’s young daughter and her employer had received threatening calls as well. This sparked our story HERE, and Executive Producer Alison Grodner to tweet to the fans of the show to stop the harrassment, pointing to our story, and saying “No matter how much you dislike an HG, this is wrong! True BB fans do not try to ruin lives. Please stop!”

The family and the authorities are still monitoring the threats to make sure they are safe.

Shelly may be the next evicted Houseguest from the show this evening, joining Jeff, Daniele and Brendon in the jury house. If so, the hate for her should die down I would imagine.

In the meantime, The Yak will be interviewing the next evicted Houseguest tomorrow, either Shelly or Adam, and we are taking your questions! If you would like to ask a question, come post yours HERE before 10pm Pacific tonight, 9/1/11.

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Some Big Brother Fans Go Off the Deep End

UPDATE 8/28/11: The Yak scoops TMZ, who has now picked up our story (conveniently leaving out the link to our article in Big Brother Executive Producer Alison Grodner’s tweet). Sources close to Shelly say that Shelly’s family have been receiving death threats from fans and threats against her 8 year old daughter. Shelly’s employer also says they have been receiving harassing phone calls demanding Shelly be fired immediately. Sources say Shelly’s family will be getting the FBI involved, as they are taking the threats very seriously.

The Yak states again, it’s ok to hate how Shelly plays the “GAME”, hate the things she might say or do in the BIG BROTHER HOUSE, but leave her and her family outside of the show alone. I know it’s a minority, but whether you want to pretend it isn’t happening or not, it is happening.

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I write this article in utter disgust. Absolute, total, UTTER DISGUST.

I, along with many people here, are huge fans of Big Brother, the reality show on CBS. Most recently, many fans lost the captain of their “team” on Big Brother, Jeff Schroeder. The blame of this loss is projected on Big Brother Houseguest, Shelly Moore, who turned on what was her alliance, and friends, Jeff and Jordan.

Jeff and Jordan have many, many fans. In fact, between the two of them, probably the largest fan base of any Houseguests on Big Brother. The only other Houseguest that comes close in un-official Big Brother 13 only polls, like the one on this page, is Daniele.

Recently in the news, we have been hearing about the violence between fans at Football and Baseball games, leading to some beatings, shootings and sadly, deaths, and we thought that was vile. Some Big Brother fans have taken it to whole new level, and the Yak couldn’t hold his tongue on this any longer. It’s sickening, not funny, and is literally psychopathic behavior.

**Click the pics in the article to make larger.**

[singlepic id=623 w=320 h=240 float=left]Today, a Facebook page has creeped up entitled “America Hates Shelly Moore.” Fair enough, the fans of Jeff and Jordan want to “vent” on Facebook, so be it. However, it has been taken to such a sick level that I am just in awe of the lunacy in people. I will not be posting the link to this Facebook Page here. If you want to see it, if you want to join it, look it up, or, go to Jokers where they are touting this hateful speech on their front page. **See Picture above**

[singlepic id=621 w=320 h=240 float=right]The hate speech has gone to a whole new level. People are posting phone numbers and e-mails to Shelly’s work, urging others to call to get her fired from her job. They are urging people to help get Josie, Shelly’s young daughter, kicked out from her school. They are posting Child Social Service numbers, and asking that everyone call them to report Shelly as a child molester to have her daughter taken from her, and they are wishing violence on her and their family. Why? Because she helped to evict someone they like on a Reality Game Show. It is a reality game show right? I mean, I am starting to think it isn’t anymore. I am beginning to think this is real life… like Shelly just killed these lunatics mother or child. It’s sick, and so wrong on so many levels, I just don’t understand it. Is Shelly the new Casey Anthony? This is crazy, sick and wrong.

[singlepic id=620 w=480 h=350 float=center]I am not a Shelly fan. I have not been a Shelly fan since day one. Her style of gameplay, her style of manipulation, the way she has gone about getting as far in the game as she has rubs me wrong. That’s an opinion. If you feel like you want to get her fired from her job, her child kicked from school, or you want her dead, then the Yak seriously suggests that you seek some mental help because it is truly, TRULY unhealthy. Even Jeff and Jordan would not only be very much against what you are doing, but they will HATE YOU for it. Know that.

This is giving Jeff and Jordan fans a really bad rap right now, and I really hope they will stand together, and “dislike” that page on Facebook, urge your BB friends to dislike that page as well, and try and keep the vitriol to a minimum as it is ONLY A GAME. IT IS NOT LIFE. Liking that page and posting hate there only incites these crazy people, giving them fodder to do more damage to a person, who at the end of the day, is a character/contestant we may not like on a reality show and will not affect us personally once the show is done. She will be forgotten along the likes of others we couldn’t stand. One should also ask that favorite site of theirs, if it is such, to take it off their front page, as promoting that hate is just wrong on any level.

Please, help to make it stop. We all love this show, and are avid, passionate fans. Don’t let that passion turn this ugly.

[Photo has been removed per TVGrapvine.com Request]UPDATE: An article on TVGrapevine is now endorsing this behavior as well, and jokers promoting their article. The article discussed the fight between Jordan and Shelly seen on the feeds after the eviction, and discussed how when a contestant on the show goes bad, that the internet viewers will use what they have at their disposable, the web, to fight back.

Second UPDATE: I would like to issue an apology to TVGrapevine. I received an e-mail from TVGrapevine this morning, defending themselves on their posting, saying that it was written by a member and not the views of the TVGrapevine team.  In fact, they now have, as of this morning, an article on their own front page denouncing the violent conversation about Shelly. Unfortunately, all the Big Brother sites do not have 100% control over what our members post in our forums. They now have a retraction at the bottom of the article discussed in the previous paragraph, stating “**** There is no where within this piece that says TVGrapevine or the writer supports the America Hates Shelly More Face Book Page. As a matter of fact the writer left out the URL on purpose the the terrible face book page.”

That said, they have also decided to attack us personally, YakkityYaks, and myself, touting “bad punctuation” of this article (in a badly punctuated article of their own) and that this article was written for self-promotion. They also say that we aren’t allowing comments on this post. Comments are open and free for anyone to put in their input. Them saying we are not allowing comments on this is an outright lie. Feel free below.

I would also like to apologize that the punctuation in this article is not perfect. The point of this article was not to write a dissertation of Reality Show Viewer’s psyche of the Id vs. the Idiot to be read over by Sigmund Freud, but to stop the insanity of wanting to do harm to a Reality Show Contestant and her family. If one chooses to read anything other than that into it, well, that’s ones own interpretation.

I am glad, however, to see that this article did incite some of the other sites to follow our lead in trying to put a stop to the Shelly Moore hate. Bravo to TVGrapevine for joining a very good cause since this article was written. This was my soul purpose. TVGrapevine has a Facebook Page Now: Stop the Shelly Moore Hate – I urge everyone to join it!

***Response to the comments below: This article is in NO WAY indemnifying Je/Jo fans! I said that Jeff and Jordan fans are getting a BAD RAP for this, (and they are) because the violent hate began after Jeff was evicted, and Shelly and Jordan got in a fight when the feeds came back up. This isn’t to say that it’s all Je/Jo Fans doing this. Let’s be clear about that.

In addition, regardless if Shelly hid a stuffed animal, had an argument with Jordan, doesn’t stop the conversation from Porsche about Rachel, leaves her child at home to go on a show, etc. etc. by no means should incite people to call Child Services on her family, try to get her fired, or promote any other violence to her or her family. If a person thinks that what she has done on a reality show deserves that, well then, this is who this article was written for.

You can dislike Shelly and the way she plays the game, the arguments with Jordan, and any other antics in the BB House all you want, just help to put a stop to the other madness going on. It’s just not right.

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The Storybook Wedding in the Big Brother House

It was a wedding to rival that of Luke and Laura (for those old enough to remember). A Page out of Prince William and Kate, complete with a designer dress and specialty made rings. Love was in the air tonight, and we Big Brother aficionados got a chance to indulge and completely immerse in it. The bride blushing, the groom like a Prince awaiting his Princess, gushing with pride. Yes, a fairytale to be treasured for Big Brother seasons to come. Surely it tops Mike “Uncle Jerry” Malin proposing to the love of his life season 2, and all love birds to come in future season. It was a site to behold, and behold we all did.

[singlepic id=586 w=200 h=140 float=left]We all held our breath as the bride readied herself in the Parlor on this August night, with onlookers adoring her every ruby red hair and lips. The Bridesmaids shined in their chosen gowns, but paled in comparison to the bride to be. We rushed in excitement to the live feeds, 10:30pm Pacific we were told to converge. The storybook wedding did get off to a bit of a late start, but we minded naught.

[singlepic id=599 w=200 h=140 float=right]Amidst a beautiful ambient bubble wand goddess, adorned in all white, she emerged. Rachel Reilly was a site to behold. The dress made of a shimmering pliant, yet resilient sheath, was crafted by hand by none other than the world renowned fashion designer Hefty, beating out top designers Glad and Ziploc. Putting the final touches on the gown was none other than the derrière bonded Shelly Moore, who also happens to be the world’s premier matriarch and knowledge of all circumstance. The Grooms attire, fit for a King, was also designed with great effort by Hefty to adhere to the gowns conception.

[singlepic id=591 w=200 h=140 float=left]The ring bearer, clad in Elf wear reminiscent of our childhood October celebrations, carefully and steadfast balanced the ring on the luxurious Ikea pillow made of a beautiful faux chenille. Those Swedes sure know how to rest their heads!

[singlepic id=600 w=200 h=140 float=right]Out of the house came the beautiful bridesmaids, all stunning in their own right. Posche Briggs, Jordan Lloyd and Kalia Booker, with naught a bite to be had, led the precession amidst thundering applause resembling music, making way for the bride to gracefully float to the groom. The bouquet was adorned with fresh plastic flowers, and a peacocks tail feather borrowed from the mystical fortune teller of the Parlor. Awaiting the elegant bride was the swelling groom, Brendon Villegas and his Best Man, Jeff Schroeder, all dressed up in his mid century blue blazer and top hat.

[singlepic id=596 w=200 h=140 float=left]The preacher, Rev. Lawon Exum, gleefully yet calmly awaited to give the last rights to the delighted couple. His presentation of the vows rang like a melody, enchanting the crowd gathered. Even the happy couple was heard singing his praise. Nothing like it has ever been heard, and could only be challenged by the great Rev. Jesse Jackson.

[singlepic id=601 w=200 h=140 float=right]The two wrote their own vows, the bride’s in limerick, ending with a beautiful rendition of her reality television trademark “No one comes between me and my man” as the goddess in white waved her bubble want magically in the air. The couple said their “I do’s” and marched their way down the aisle to a sea of gatherers awaiting their congratulations.

[singlepic id=606 w=200 h=140 float=left]The night that followed was simply fairy tail. The Bride’s bouquet was caught by Jordan, the garter by her soul mate Jeff, young lovers on a path to happiness. Nothing could have ended this magical evening better. [singlepic id=608 w=200 h=140 float=right]

Big Brother behind the walls of the castle were also cast under the bewitching spell of the evening, prompting them to provide the entire party with Dom Ralph’s Champaigne. All toasted to a wonderful evening of elegance and romance. We hope you didn’t miss this exquisite and once in a lifetime experience. If you have, the night was surely recorded, and can be found as a marvelous flashback to August 2, 2011 at approximately 10:30pm. We hope you don’t become one who cheats ones soul of this glorious event.[singlepic id=604 w=200 h=140 float=left]

[singlepic id=603 w=200 h=140 float=right]To the couple, the Yak would like to extend his cup and make a toast; May you both be happy with one another always, love one another always, respect one another always, and keep your parcels off the Twitter.

To see more pictures of this stunning evening, take a look at the slideshow below. To read more about it, and to see the Yaks reactions, come join us in the forum HERE.

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