Emily Osment & Kay Panabaker in Cyberbully
Emily Osment & Kay Panabaker star in the TV movie, Cyberbully on July 17 at 8 PM on ABC Family channel. We got to talk to them about the movie and about their own advice for dealing with the sometimes dangerous online world.
Q: What is Cyberbully about?
Emily: In a way it's ripped from the headlines and while it's not based on a true story it easily could be. It centers around my character, Taylor, and her journey through high school. She struggles at home and is extremely insecure, and for some reason, the girls at school say she is the girl to pick on. She is targeted for absolutely no reason. She's picked on at school and picked on online which is why it's called Cyberbully and that is a huge topic right now. It's about her downward spiral, and Kay plays my best friend and I bring her and my family into it. My character is completely tormented and it's very sad. It's about the way to handle cyberbullying and maybe not the way to handle it and has a good moral that we ask for it basically, because we put ourselves out there.
Kay: That's exactly the comment I've been making because you put yourself out there, and people think having such instant access to you they can say whatever they want, and a lot of the times it's positive, and people want to talk to you, but there are those other people that want to make you feel bad to make themselves feel better. Is their advice genuinely the one you should be listening to? My mom always taught me that you need to present yourself privately as you would publicly, so if you wouldn't say the things you are saying online to that person's face, don't say them. And if you can't help yourself, remove yourself from the temptation and take yourself offline. If you can't handle it well like this movie says, take yourself offline and deal with the bullying not online.
Q: Does any of the stuff you read online about yourself affect your confidence?
Emily: I have a very good sense of who I am and I have people who I trust and will tell me something isn't right. Like my mom will say don't wear that dress, so I change, and I trust that. But I wouldn't ask my Twitter followers if this dress makes my butt look big. I would ask people that I know so I don't let it affect me personally. I could find a million things to bully about anyone but I choose not to.
Q: What books do you recommend?
Kay: Ender's Game, Uglies, Stargirl, Thirteen Reasons Why, and The Hunger Games.
Emily: Anything by Sarah Dessen who just came out with two new books, anything by Avi, Ender's Game, of course Stargirl, a book called Loser that is great. Harry Potter is great.
Q: Is there anything you are insecure about?
Kay: Insecurities never go away and even when you know you are at your best, you will still doubt yourself. A lot of people deal with that by calling attention to it but I personally believe that they are your insecurities and you are allowed to deal with them how you want. I don't feel the need to let people in on that struggle with myself and about that growth. Because then there will be those people that just want to make you feel insecure and I don't want to invite that.
Emily: And I like my big butt so whatever.
Q: Have you had any embarrassing moments?
Kay: I make a fool of myself on a daily basis. I trip whenever I wear high heels. It's funny I just went to Vegas to celebrate my 21st birthday and all of my boyfriend's guy friends came. I warned them I was wearing shoes that were impossible to walk in but went really well with my dress, and I had to walk by myself and one of the guy friends was behind me and saw me nearly wipe out. He just started laughing because he played the movie in his head where I actually did fall down and it was a tragic mess. I am not graceful in heels so that's why I wear wedges because they are much more sturdy.
Are you going to watch Cyberbully? I hope nothing like that ever happens to any of you, dear STACKERS!
— Interview by Gerri Miller
Photos courtesy of Disney Channel
I've seen the commercial for that
Yeah Emily!!!! Harry Potter does rock!
Comment #1 | Posted by: percy and harry fan on July 15, 2011 at 05:48 PM
Awesome Kay likes the same books as me
Comment #2 | Posted by: willatreewillatree on July 15, 2011 at 09:36 PM
i've never been tormented on the internet, but i'm pretty sure that might happen, so i hope i'm safe!
Comment #3 | Posted by: Isabel on July 15, 2011 at 10:43 PM
Cool!
Comment #4 | Posted by: ashi1 on July 16, 2011 at 02:57 AM
OMG! I love it!!
Comment #5 | Posted by: emeraldchatty10 on July 16, 2011 at 07:38 AM
Cyberbullying could really happen! I really want to watch this movie
Comment #6 | Posted by: ladygurl123 on July 16, 2011 at 11:45 AM
I am so watching that. plus HUNGER GAMES IS A GREAT BOOK.
I'm a little picky about thirteen reasons why. buts its just me because i follow strict rules. other than some stuff... ITS AWESOME!!!
Comment #7 | Posted by: SilverFairy1 on July 16, 2011 at 12:04 PM
I see that comercial and it's awesome looking, can't wait to see it!
Comment #8 | Posted by: Twinktoes87 on July 16, 2011 at 12:15 PM
I think that would seem like a good movie. U gutys like the same books as me!
Comment #9 | Posted by: Mia on July 16, 2011 at 01:28 PM
did you actullay talk to these people so you could know these awnsers?
Comment #10 | Posted by: rosie on July 16, 2011 at 03:51 PM
OMG wow this STINKS yeah i wanna see but this crosses the line
Comment #11 | Posted by: kittykat on July 16, 2011 at 03:54 PM
looks like a pretty good movie.
Comment #12 | Posted by: leiaorgana56 on July 16, 2011 at 05:05 PM
emily i have a good sense of you. you everyone.
And i no u got made fun of in your new movie cyberbully. And even thow u got made fun of. you still turn out to be a good
Comment #13 | Posted by: s on July 16, 2011 at 07:59 PM
my mom said hi
Comment #14 | Posted by: s on July 16, 2011 at 08:29 PM
That's so awesome! I'll probably watch it!!!:)
Comment #15 | Posted by: periwinklecandy6 on July 16, 2011 at 09:02 PM
Hi! The movie sounds great, hope I could watch it tomorrow. : )
Comment #16 | Posted by: StarMagic on July 16, 2011 at 10:02 PM
I'm so going to watch it! AWESOME!:)
Comment #17 | Posted by: periwinklecandy6 on July 17, 2011 at 09:46 AM
I think this movie is good for us all to watch because it is something that could happen to any of us so I will watch it!!!
Comment #18 | Posted by: geniuspanda1 on July 17, 2011 at 10:24 AM
hi how is your morning. i hope it goes well today
Comment #19 | Posted by: s on July 17, 2011 at 11:09 AM
who is the author
Comment #20 | Posted by: s on July 17, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Can't wait to watch it tonight on ABC Family ! : ) Exited .
Comment #21 | Posted by: Taffy on July 17, 2011 at 11:59 AM
I agree that Ender's Game, Thirteen Reasons Why, and The Hunger Games are really good books.I can't wait to see Cyberbully because I am hoping i can learn how to deal with problems like Kay is going to have in the movie.
Comment #22 | Posted by: Yul5 on July 17, 2011 at 12:12 PM
it looks cool
Comment #23 | Posted by: thalia grace on July 17, 2011 at 02:38 PM
loser is great
Comment #24 | Posted by: mglikesfrogs on July 17, 2011 at 05:00 PM
hmmmmi think it sounds likie a good movie
Comment #25 | Posted by: Maddieladdie on July 17, 2011 at 07:02 PM