# That star wars kid filing a law suit **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 27, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269 "2003-07-27T16:22:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ScilaX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@ScilaX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ScilaX)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/1 "2003-07-27T16:22:51Z")
He’s been around a while now, and personally i think he rocks 😃 In case you don’t know who i’m talking about, take a look [here](http://www.jedimaster.net) . Unfortunately, his parents arent too happy with the kids from school who originally put his “home video” on the net, so they’re gonna sue them for i dunno how much, theres more on it [here](http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59757,00.html) . It’s pretty pathetic IMO, he should milk it for as much money as he can get - hell he’s already got an iPod out of it! What does anyone else think? ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/2 "2003-07-27T16:33:30Z")
I think you’re right. He shouldn’t be sueing. It’s stupid! He should just get over it and move on! ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/3 "2003-07-27T17:25:18Z")
See also [MPSIMS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=200288). ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/4 "2003-07-27T18:53:44Z")
I don’t feel sorry for this kid one bit, since he’s milked this for a new shiny iPod. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/5 "2003-07-27T21:20:09Z")
Did he “milk an iPod”, or did some people just take it upon themselves to raise the money to get it for him? Man, I drool at the opportunity to get some pictures of your kids being jackasses so I can put them on the Internet. After all, you don’t feel bad for him so you must approve. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/6 "2003-07-27T21:26:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Airman Doors, USAF \* > \*\*Did he “milk an iPod”, or did some people just take it upon themselves to raise the money to get it for him? > > Man, I drool at the opportunity to get some pictures of your kids being jackasses so I can put them on the Internet. After all, you don’t feel bad for him so you must approve. \*\* From the reports I read, they were given to him by people who felt bad for the spectacle that was made of him. The kid has been on a psych ward because of the stress this caused for him. I think his parents and the lawyer came up with the figure, but as this kid has been made into an international laughingstock, I think he does deserve compensation. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/7 "2003-07-27T21:33:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ScilaX \* > \*\*He’s been around a while now, and personally i think he rocks 😃 > > In case you don’t know who i’m talking about, take a look [here](http://www.jedimaster.net) . > > Unfortunately, his parents arent too happy with the kids from school who originally put his “home video” on the net, so they’re gonna sue them for i dunno how much, theres more on it [here](http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,59757,00.html) . > > It’s pretty pathetic IMO, he should milk it for as much money as he can get - hell he’s already got an iPod out of it! > > What does anyone else think? \*\* From your own link at Wired: > [@](#): > > Ghyslain was so teased about the video, he dropped out of school and finished the semester at a children’s psychiatric ward, according to a lawsuit filed in the Raza’s hometown of Trois-Rivières, Quebec. > > According to the suit, “Ghyslain had to endure, and still endures today, harassment and derision from his high-school mates and the public at large.” He “will be under psychiatric care for an indefinite amount of time.” > > The suit suggests that the ordeal may cause Ghyslain to be labeled as “mentally ill,” and the stigma could make it difficult for him to enroll in school or get a job, and may force him to change his name. > [@](#): > > Ghyslain’s story was reported by media outlets internationally. Angered at the cruel remarks made about Ghyslain online, a pair of webloggers raised money to buy the teenager an Apple iPod. I don’t think the kid is milking anything. He’s trying to survive in the midst of being made a spectacle. He’s fifteen, and is not attractive to the public at large. A **private** video he made was taken by others without his knowledge or permission and was sent to Kazaa. Yes, I am sure there are some that will say being picked on isn’t bad and he just needs a tougher skin. No. Harassment of that level is unendurable. Unless you have been the target of it or have been close to someone who was the target of it, I wonder if you can understand what it is like to be tormented at the hands of a student body. He deserves compensation. His dignity will not be restored through any means, and his privacy will not return for quite awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Crivens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Crivens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crivens)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/8 "2003-07-27T21:41:37Z")
**Mockingbird** , you honestly believe that one can regain ones dignity through money? Personally, I think the kid has moves. He wouldn’t be a laughing stock if he was more “attractive to the public at large” (read “not so overweight”). I watched the original video and thought it was quite boring. I switched it off about halfway through. The remixs were much more interesting, but got quite repetative. However I talk as someone who finds Jackass boring and repetative. YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/9 "2003-07-27T21:52:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crivens \* > \*\ ***Mockingbird** , you honestly believe that one can regain ones dignity through money? > > Personally, I think the kid has moves. > He wouldn’t be a laughing stock if he was more “attractive to the public at large” (read “not so overweight”). > > I watched the original video and thought it was quite boring. I switched it off about halfway through. The remixs were much more interesting, but got quite repetative. > > However I talk as someone who finds Jackass boring and repetative. YMMV. \*\* He won’t regain his dignity at this point through anything but time. The kid suffered because of this. It was done at his expense and has caused him pain. You think an iPod and gift certificates wash that away? A judgement in his favour won’t do more, except to be able to pay for his hospitalization and other ramifications from this. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-star-wars-kid-filing-a-law-suit/191269/10 "2003-07-27T22:43:39Z")
Topic already being covered in MPSIMS. Closing this thread.