Ep 5. Bully Awareness Week

Mr. D is a Canadian sitcom focusing on the hilariously inept high school teacher, Gerry Duncan. In season 1, episode 5, titled "Bully Awareness Week," Gerry is faced with the seemingly daunting task of organizing the school's annual Bully Awareness Week. In typical Mr. D fashion, he finds a way to make the task much more complicated than it needs to be, even attempting to create a "Bully-off" competition in order to determine the school's biggest bully.

Throughout the episode, Gerry struggles to understand the gravity of the situation, often making light of bullying and minimizing its impact on students. This attitude is not received well by the school's guidance counselor, Trudy, who is a strong advocate for anti-bullying efforts and takes the week very seriously. Gerry's lack of understanding and sensitivity towards the issue leads to him unknowingly perpetuating it, and it's up to his colleagues and students to educate him on its seriousness.

As Gerry goes through the week, he tries various methods to engage students and raise awareness about bullying, including a puppet show, a school-wide assembly, and an anti-bullying rap video. However, each of these attempts is met with varying levels of failure, further highlighting Gerry's lack of understanding and connection to his students.

Meanwhile, a subplot unfolds involving Lisa Mason, a student who is being bullied by a group of girls. She turns to Gerry for help, but he is unaware of the situation and dismisses her concerns, leading her to take matters into her own hands. This storyline brings a serious tone to the episode and highlights the impact that bullying can have on a student's well-being.

As the week comes to a close, Gerry realizes the error of his ways and attempts to make things right by apologizing to Lisa and her bullies. He also receives a much-needed wake-up call from Trudy, who confronts him about his misguided attempts at raising awareness. Gerry ultimately learns a valuable lesson about the importance of sensitivity, empathy, and action when it comes to bullying.

Overall, "Bully Awareness Week" is a comical yet poignant episode that highlights the serious issue of bullying and the importance of taking it seriously. It shows the impact that teachers can have on their students, both positively and negatively, and emphasizes the need for a continued focus on anti-bullying efforts in schools.