This news article originally appeared in Body+Soul and has been republished with permission.
Things have gone too far
Here’s why the mockery, criticism and relentless interest in B-Girl Raygun’s infamous performance have gone on for far too long.
There comes a time when regardless of your opinion on something, or someone, you need to just stop. In the case of Rachel Gunn, or Raygun as she is better known, this time is now.
While I am sure an introduction into who Raygun is, isn’t at all necessary, for those who have been hibernating this winter, Raygun is Australia’s now infamous, B-Girl, who represented Australia in the sport at this year’s Paris Olympic Games, a performance which has been widely, publicly, and often extremely harshly, criticised.
Actually not just criticised, but mocked, meme-a-fied and turned into an SNL skit. Gunn has also been the victim of abuse, bullying and harassment online where criticism spread like wildfire, generating a torrent of violent messages sent directly to Gunn and even an anonymous petition demanding she apologise with over 50,000 signatures.
In addition, the break-dancer and academic has been at the centre of unsubstantiated conspiracy theories around whether she fairly earned or deserved her spot on the Olympic Team which, despite judges from the selection panel and statements – from official sporting bodies including AUSBreaking and the Australian breakdancing organisation – refuting the allegations, has not quashed the harmful gossip, rumours and vitriol directed toward Gunn.
Much of the furore was covered in an interview on The Project last night where Gunn spoke with host, Waleed Aly in her first interview since her performance in July.
In the interview, Gunn shared how many of the actions, words and rumours have significantly impacted her mental health which began almost immediately after her performance.
"I was quite nervous being out in public 'cos I just didn't know what was safe if anyone was gonna recognise me, [or] how they were gonna respond to seeing me. It was pretty nerve-wracking for a while there," she said.
This anxiety was so intense she contemplated not attending the Olympic Closing Ceremony, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that before her performance was always locked into her schedule.
Some of the responses have even left her feeling unsafe.
"There's been a portion of very angry and… awful responses, not only attacking me but attacking my husband, attacking my crew, attacking the breaking and street dance community in Australia, my family. The energy and vitriol that people had was pretty alarming," she said.
The overall impact on Gunn’s mental health and well-being has even stopped her from dancing, something she said before the Olympic games has been her “medicine.”
"I don’t think I'll be competing for a while," she said.
After watching the interview, my first thought was - if it wasn’t already obvious that the extreme response to Gunn’s performance would be hard for her to cope with - it was now.
Because regardless of your opinions about Gunn’s performance, this fact should not be ignored or diminished because it is serious and it has consequences says Dr Catriona Davis-McCabe, APS President.
“When our reputation is discredited or we are humiliated publicly, we can experience grief and alienation. This grief can be for loss of identity and place in the world or relationships that have been damaged. The sudden and unexpected upheaval of a person's reputation can have serious mental health consequences.”
This can be further exacerbated by cyberbullying- something Gunn has faced an immense amount of since the Games.
“Where this is compounded by the type of cyberbullying and trolling Raygun has reported experiencing, one’s mental health can be at serious risk,” says Dr Davis-McCabe.
“The effects of being bullied or trolled can stay with a person for many years afterwards, and in extreme bullying situations, people may have harmful or suicidal thoughts. Victims can also experience anxiety, social anxiety, depression and in severe cases post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).”
It may be easy for those who have never competed on the biggest stage in the world, who hide behind computers, typing away on their keyboards where they can't be identified, or reprimanded for their cruel, abusive, harmful words, but it is never okay. It is irresponsible and dangerous.
“It's important that we all consider the impact of our online behaviour on others, as there can be very real consequences for the humans at the receiving end, regardless of whether they are a famous person, a professional athlete, or an everyday person,” says Dr Davis- McCabe.
And these real consequences were shown to us last night when Gunn, a professional athlete who rightly qualified to represent our country appeared on national television and told us so, sharing how the actions of others have negatively impacted her entire life.
Enough is enough - it’s time to put the breaking drama to bed.