Video Transcription
NUDES: What if I get hassled for photos I don’t want to send?
Hey P Rockers! It’s Archie and Caitlyn here. We are currently sitting at the dinner table because we’re about to have a conversation which can be pretty awkward. And as we all know too well, most awkward conversations generally happen at a dinner table.
Caitlyn: Absolutely, that is so true, actually.
So, we’re here to talk about nudes. “Sexting” is what the oldies call it, right? No offense, guys. We also know that these conversations around nudes are typically pretty negative, right? And we just want to flag from the get-go: at Project Rockit, we don’t think people are wrong or dirty or trashy for sending this stuff. We really don’t. We just think it’s way too risky because we essentially have no idea where this content is going to end up.
Sometimes, somebody might ask us to send them a picture or pressure us to send them this content. And we know that it can be awkward to say no.
Archie: It can be so awkward to say no.
So, for those that do feel like it’s too awkward to say no, or maybe you have said no and someone’s not letting up, we have come up with a recommendation: throwing a curveball.
Throwing a curveball is sending someone something really funny or really random that basically shuts down the situation—or, more importantly, makes them feel awkward for asking.
Caitlyn: Totally.
And our favorite curveball of all time, we like to call “The Naked Barbie.” And here is a clothed Barbie we prepared earlier.
So, this story came from a student in Western Australia who had a guy from her school pressuring her to send a nude, right? She constantly said no, but this guy wasn’t getting the hint. She had a spring of inspiration and went and dug up her old Barbie doll collection. Every time the guy asked her for a nude, she grabbed her phone, took off a layer of clothing from the Barbie, snapped a picture of that Barbie, and then texted him that photo.
And just as I hold up Barbie here, this guy ended up with seven photos of naked Barbies on his phone in the end. We saw the messages—he literally apologized because he was so embarrassed and just asked her not to tell anyone at school. Genius!
Archie: Genius.
So, guys, a curveball doesn’t even have to be sending someone a naked Barbie. We really mean it’s just sending someone a sassy GIF, a random meme—something that just says, “No deal.”
And let’s face it, sometimes we might have tried to say no. Maybe we’ve tried sending an amazing curveball, but somebody is still pressuring us to send them a photo. In that situation, we have three really easy hot tips that you can use.
Caitlyn: Right, so the very first hot tip is to report or block that person that’s pressuring you. Also, if you’re worried that they’re going to come up to you and ask you why you’ve blocked them, tell them that you were just bored of them blowing up your phone. It’s a really important first step that can make sure it just takes the pressure off you.
Archie: Totally.
Caitlyn: Our second hot tip is to just let somebody know what’s happening. Through speaking with students who have been in this situation, we know the worst part is feeling like you’re alone. So, we recommend speaking to maybe a mate. It could be a family member—somebody that you trust. Just tell somebody what’s going down, and maybe they can help you come up with an even better curveball. But it’s just really important to speak about it.
Archie: And hot tip number three is to consider taking it further. Maybe you have spoken to somebody that you trust, or you’ve spoken to a parent, or you’ve spoken to a teacher, right? And you still feel unsafe or really uncomfortable. It’s okay if you do need to take it to the authorities.
Caitlyn: Totally. You have every right, if you’re feeling unsafe or uncomfortable, to go to the police.
So, they are our three hot tips—and I’m sure three of many that are out there. But do find that support if you do feel unsafe or uncomfortable, because you really deserve it.
Thank you for joining us at the dinner table!
Archie: Right. Can we actually eat now, please?
Caitlyn: Yeah, I’ve been dying to taste this. Did you start cooking recently?
Video by Project Rockit
