Bumfights

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Bumfights is a film series created by Indecline Films. The videos feature homeless men in the San Diego and Las Vegas metropolitan areas fighting and attempting amateur stunts in exchange for money, alcohol, and other incentives. The first video, Bumfights: A Cause for Concern, was produced by Ryen McPherson, with friends Zachary Bubeck, Daniel J. Tanner, and Michael Slyman, as Indecline Films. Shortly after sales began to escalate, Indecline Films sold the rights to two investors,[1] who went on to produce three sequels.

The videos immediately gained criticism from mainstream organizations. The US-based National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has stated that the Bumfights videos disseminate hate against the homeless and dehumanize them.[2] In April 2006, the four original filmmakers agreed not to produce any more "Bumfights" videos or distribute videos already made, and to pay three homeless men depicted in the videos, under a settlement announced as a lawsuit was to go to trial.[3]

Contents

[edit] Bumfights videos

  • Bumfights: A Cause for Concern (2002)
  • Bumfights 2: Bumlife (2003)
  • Bumfights 3: The Felony Footage (2004)
  • Bumfights 4: Return Of Rukus (2006)

[edit] Controversies

The videos have proven to be highly controversial. They have been banned in a number of countries including England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Canada, and most traditional retail outlets have refused their sale.[citation needed] The popular internet auction site eBay routinely cancels listings which contain copies of the video, citing their policy which prohibits the sale of materials which promote or glorify violence.[citation needed] In the state of California, both felony and misdemeanor charges were filed against the producers, as well as civil lawsuits; in 2005,[citation needed] the producers were sentenced to six months in prison for having failed to complete the community service to which they had previously been sentenced.[citation needed] The filmmakers maintain that the production of the video was a mutually beneficial arrangement and that the homeless people depicted freely chose to participate.[citation needed]

The films have likewise been blamed for inspiring a number of violent teenage attacks on the homeless, both in the United States[4] and other countries[citation needed]. A group of suburban Nevada teenagers, who took on the moniker "311 Boyz", also faced criminal charges, including attempted murder, after filming several violent exploits inspired by Bumfights. The suspects attempted to make a profitable video by instigating fights around their neighborhoods, in some instances imposing on unwilling participants.

[edit] End of distribution

The courts involved in the lawsuits surrounding the Bumfights producers enforced the barring of further installments being produced, and stopped sales of videos already made.[citation needed] As a result, Bumfights videos were rendered available through illegal means only.

[edit] Indecline

Ryen McPherson, who sold the rights to Bumfights after only the first installment, moved on to produce a similar reality video called Indecline: Volume One - It's Worse Than You Think. [5] Though controversial for its fight footage and acts of elaborate graffiti art, legal troubles did not hinder the sales of this video, although the website went offline in June 2008. The indecline web site went back online on November 2008. [1]

Indecline also acted as a record label for a few underground acts, most notably the abstract hip-hop duo Ninth Cloud. [6]

[edit] Popular culture

  • In 2005, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, had a segment featuring Bumvertising, in which they made a comparison to Bumfights, showing a video clip of two bums fighting. The episode of the Daily Show was titled 'Face For Rent'.
  • In one episode of the 2003 remake of Dragnet, the case investigated is strongly based on the Bumfights videos (called "Bum Wars" in the episode).
  • In the episode of American Dad, Threat Levels, Stan begins a Bumfights Federation for himself, staging Bumfights on his own street, in a wrestling ring and giving the competitors professional wrestling-style personas and nicknames.
  • A Scottish version of Bumfights titled "Jaikie Japes" was initially released on the independent label Beefheart Films, but has now been deleted due to threats of civil actions.
  • The December 12, 2006 episode of Dr. Phil featured Bumfights producer Ty Beeson. Dr. Phil McGraw had stopped the tape and requested that the producer leave the set (though he was taken off the set by uniformed Paramount Studios security guards), stating he refused to "publicize" the subject because he claimed the short video was despicable. Debate, however, has arisen as to why the segment, which featured clips from the videos, was not edited from the show if Dr. Phil truly wished to deny the videos publicity.[7]
  • In the show Arrested Development, George Sr. forces his sons to fight on camera and sells the videos, calling the series Boyfights.
  • The episode Return of the Kane of Veronica Mars features the character Logan Echolls staging Bumfights.
  • In episode 2 of the TV series Nathan Barley, Nathan finds a web site parody of Bum Fights called Tramp Racing

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Ryen McPherson Q&A Part 2 [Bumfights / Indecline / King of the Jews ] - Polly Staffle - Movie & DVD Reviews
  2. ^ National Coalition for the Homeless
  3. ^ SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Metro - Homeless men in 'Bumfights' get settlements over video
  4. ^ "Killer cites 'Bumfights' as influence". http://www.sptimes.com/2006/09/30/State/Killer_cites__Bumfigh.shtml. Retrieved on 2008-08-21. 
  5. ^ Default PLESK Page
  6. ^ MySpace.com - (n1nth)cloud - Denver (soon to be mountains of utah), Colorado - Indie / Hip Hop / Electronica - www.myspace.com/ninthcloud
  7. ^ "'Bumfights' creator no match for Dr. Phil". http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2006/12/16/Bumfights_creator_no_match_for_Dr_Phil/UPI-14371166291605/. Retrieved on 2007-11-12. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumfights"
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