“Bums”-we see them everyday – Downtown Crossing, Harvard Square, Central Square, Kenmore Square. How do people see the homeless?
Unfortunately, many people view them as an irritating group of social parasites constantly pestering others. You can see the discomfort on many people’s faces when they are in their presence. We have all overheard discussions on how disgusting, drunk, lazy, and filthy they are.
Some people take the “repulsive characteristics” the homeless have and reshape them to serve as a form of entertainment. What incoherent nonsense will come out of their mouths? Which types of bizarre behavior will they perform next? For the past year, I have been overhearing conversations throughout the city about an independent video called, “Bumfights”. The buzz going around caught my curiosity – what was the appeal with this video? At first, I assumed it was a spin off of MTV’s “Jackass” – nothing more than a group of risk takers voluntarily performing random acts of stupidity. Looking further into it, I discovered the true nature of “Bumfights” and the role it plays in perpetuating a blatantly hateful and condescending view of the homeless.
If you go to ww.bumfights.com you can get a glimpse at the marketing strategy used for promotion. The fast-selling 57 minute long video features gruesome footage of homeless men in street fights, along with fights among what appear to be high school- and college-age youths. Some of the footage was filmed in Las Vegas, and other scenes were shot in California. The producers (Ryan McPherson, Zachary Bubeck, Daniel Tanner and Michael Slyman) manipulated a large number of homeless individuals to carry out various acts, ridiculing and demoralizing each participant. Among the cast of characters are Rufus the Stunt Bum and the Bum Hunter Steve Urban. These characters are crafted to take the very serious issues many homeless people experience and create a form of entertainment that puts drug addiction, mental illness, and alcoholism as a laughing matter.
From the perspective inside a luxurious SUV, Rufus the Stunt Bum is first seen walking down the street, when he is approached by the producers and asked if he would be willing to “help make a video.” He agrees and in the next segment Rufus is shown in numerous scenes engaged in self injurious behavior with members of the production team by his side encouraging him each step of the way. From getting pushed down a flight of stairs in a shopping carriage to diving into a dumpster, Rufus is fully exploited to get the “quality footage” needed for the creation of the video. Between acts, Rufus speaks in a confused and illogical manner in what seems to be a promotion of “Bumfights.”
Emotionally painful is an understatement in describing the feelings I experienced sitting through this documented violation of human rights. Each segment fueled my anger towards the cruel and ignorant creators. It made my stomach turn to see this group take full advantage of the homeless, bribing them with alcohol, money, and other offers (including sex) to perform self destructing acts for the producers’ own entertainment pleasure and financial benefit.
“Bumfights” has sold over 300,000 copies, with videos selling at twenty dollars a piece. I remain shocked and puzzled over the vast quantity of videos distributed, and the existence of a large fan base. When I overheard conversations about “Bumfights”, people were laughing and expressing to one another the great humor and quality the video offers. How can people find entertainment value in such inhumane subject matter? Do people really view the homeless as an inferior group subject to constant ridicule?
It is easy for people to look at the homeless and apply labels such as indolent, ambitionless drunks, or the many other demeaning terms often used. Beneath outward appearances are real people who each have a history. Many have dark histories – victims of abuse, survivors of war, and those afflicted with mental illness. As a result of deinstitutionalization, many people who urgently need proper health care now live on the streets. Drug addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness are problems that are often looked at with skepticism. Many people claim these problems can be attributed to the weakness of the individual who willingly makes a choice to ruin their lives through substance abuse or lack of emotional control. Often times the complex interplay between biological factors and social environment is overlooked or ignored as possible roots to these problems. It is also important to note that not all homeless people suffer from mental illness. A large number of people simply cannot find affordable housing. Assessing the homeless with the generalized portrait news and entertainment sources present is limiting in ascertaining the true identity of these individuals.
My initial question still remains unanswered – what is so appealing about this video? Although the HRWG views “Bumfights” as a malicious attack against the less fortunate, there remain over 300,000 copies in circulation and a large fan base who find it greatly amusing. Has the media succeeded in creating a large sector of the public devoid of emotion and compassion? With the popularity of senseless violence and reality based television, it is not surprising this video has had such great success. Within the framework of modern cultural phenomenon, it is clear that “Bumfights” reaches a new low in our society, where the violation of human rights has become a source of entertainment.
By Bryan Gangemi