Since 1985, the Back to the Future movie series has entertained audiences with a mix of science fiction, comedy, nostalgia, and even old-school westerns. To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first film, Michael J. Fox appeared on Good Morning America to discuss his book Future Boy, what he thinks makes time-travel movies so ironically timeless, and the series’ overall relatable message.
"It's about bullies," Fox said to GMA. "It's about standing up to bullies. We live in a really bullying culture right now. And I think there's something about that. There's something about seeing the little guy stick up to bullies that people love."
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Throughout the Back to the Future series, Fox’s character Marty McFly has to contend with his father’s high school bully, Biff Tannen, who not only bullied Marty’s father in high school but continues to bully him in adulthood. Tannen and his ancestor, Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen, are the main antagonists of the film series, constantly intimidating, mocking, and threatening others. Fortunately, in the films, Tannen tends to get his just desserts (and usually a mouthful of manure) in the end. Fox is right that we love seeing the little guy win over bullies.
Fox is also right that we live in a “really bully culture” right now, and it’s not just impacting children. A survey from the American Osteopathic Association found that nearly one-third of Americans experienced bullying as an adult. This bullying is defined as personal attacks or insults from employers, coworkers, family members, or social media. Much like with young students, consistent bullying can impact a person’s self-esteem to the point that it could contribute to mental health problems, such as depression, and physical issues, such as sleep disruption. In some cases, bullying becomes unrecognized by both the bullies and the bullied.
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“People need to realize when it gets personal, that's bullying. If they're talking about appearance, your intelligence, your sanity, you're crazy, whatever. That's bullying,” said Bill Eddy, therapist and author of Our New World of Adult Bullies: How to Spot Them – How to Stop Them. “So, you think you're arguing about an issue like at work, you know, should we do it this way or that way? And they're saying, 'Well, you're being ridiculous! You're being stupid! You don't know what you're talking about! Where did you get your experience?' All these personal attacks are to dominate you.”
Suppose you notice that a person is bullying you. In that case, even if that’s not their intention, it’s still important to be assertive with them to let them know that their behavior is impacting your work, your relationship with them, or you in general.
“The first step in addressing adult bullying is directly naming the behavior clearly. Holding firm boundaries and assertive communication are key,” licensed social worker Kai Korpak tells GOOD. “You can respond by calmly stating, ‘That comment feels inappropriate’ or ‘I’m not comfortable being spoken to that way.’ Above all, understand that being targeted by bullying isn’t a reflection of your worth, it's about someone else’s abuse of power.”
Along with that, there's also value in investing in yourself to become "bully-proof" by setting boundaries and improving your sense of self-worth. "The best offense is a well structured defense, in that, the more we build ourselves up and show ourselves respect, set boundaries, and engage in self love, the more we can learn to mitigate and manage bullying," therapist Joseph Toews tells GOOD.
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Being bullied can come in different forms, and there are other strategies to combat it, too. Depending on your situation, you may want to document every bullying interaction to approach HR or another authority at work if it’s a constant issue. You may also want to ally yourself with others who are being bullied similarly for support and to form a plan to address the bullying together. If you’re running out of ideas, reaching out to mediators or other such professionals could help you find options.
Life is too short and there’s not enough time in the world to let the Biff Tannens in the world impact your happiness and health.
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