Our
view
Homeless
face exploitation
The producers of the infamous online video,
“Bumfights,” which invoked a large amount
of controversy this summer, are currently
facing felony charges in San Diego County
for allegedly offering transients money,
alcohol and housing to physically assault
each other and to perform other outrageous
stunts on film.
The “Bumfights” video, if you haven’t already
heard, depicts obviously intoxicated “bums”
not only beating each other up but also
doing things similar to what can be seen
on the MTV show “Jackass,” which is probably
where the producers originally got the idea
for the film.
One videotape shows a homeless man ripping
out his own tooth with a pair of pliers.
Another shows someone smashing a candy machine
with a sledgehammer.
The most disturbing thing about “Bumfights,”
and the reason for the massive amount of
criticism, controversy and felony charges
against the four young producers, is the
fact that they exploited the needs of the
transients.
Although shows like “Jackass” may not necessarily
be considered in good taste by all, they
at least involve people who are performing
because they want to be on film and they
want to shock people, not because they need
the money.
On the contrary, the transients in “Bumfights”
are desperate for money, a place to stay
and perhaps alcohol. The producers preyed
on people who were vulnerable to exploitation
and they exploited them. They promised to
provide them with basic needs for dangerous,
disgusting actions in return.
What may be even more disturbing, but sadly
unsurprising, is the fact that many people
bought this video as a form of entertainment.
According to the Christian Science Monitor’s
Web site, more than 250,000 copies of the
hour-long movie have sold since it debuted
in April. The producers have become millionaires.
The four producers, Zachary Bubeck, 24,
Daniel J. Tanner, 21, Ryan Edward McPherson,
19, and Michael J. Slyman, 21, profited
from the exploitation of other human beings.
Although this sort of exploitation is unfortunately
not an uncommon occurrence in our world,
it should definitely not be rewarded. These
producers should not only pay the consequences
of their crime by being charged with felonies,
but they should also be forced to give their
profits to the people they exploited to
get it.
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