9.10.2003

Wired News: Star Wars Kid Files Lawsuit: "Now his parents are claiming damages of $160,000 from the families of the four classmates who digitized and published the video. Ghyslain's parents claim their son was so humiliated, he is undergoing psychiatric care and may be marked for life by the experience.
Ghyslain's video was posted to the Kazaa file-sharing network in the spring.
The two-minute video shows an overweight teenager fighting a mock battle with a golf-ball retriever doubling as a lightsaber. The teenager twirls the 'lightsaber' ever more energetically while generating his own sound effects. It is obviously not for public consumption.
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.
Andy Baio of Waxy.org and Jish Mukerji of Jish.nu raised more than $4,300 from 421 separate donations.
'The outpouring of support has been staggering, far beyond what I ever expected,' wrote Baio on his site. 'Geeks like us need to stick together.'
A petition to get Ghyslain a part in the next Star Wars movie has been signed by more "

Ok who of us has not made a jackass of our selves at sometime??? I know when the first star wars movies came out everyone in my school was swinging away making sound effects. Ok yes the kid got teased and he has made out pretty well $$$ wise (besides the ipod there are several sites selling Star Wars Kid merchandise, with the kid getting a cut so.....) Or maybe I'm just bitter that no one ever made a movie of me swinging away acting like a jedi damn I was good...

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