The Bus Uncle
The Bus Uncle (Chinese: 巴士阿叔) is a video clip viewed and debated by many in Hong Kong beginning in early May 2006. In the video clip, an unidentified middle-aged man, commonly referred to as "Uncle Bus", "Grumpy Man" or "Bus Judge", scolds a teenager for nearly six minutes during a bus ride in Hong Kong. The episode was captured by another passenger on a mobile phone and uploaded to YouTube, a popular free website hosting video clips. The title "Bus Uncle" was coined by some internet forum-goers in reference to the man doing the scolding.
Soon after premiering on YouTube, the video clip turned into an internet meme, and numerous parodies followed. The young man in the video clip revealed himself subsqeuently in a local radio programme. The original video clip enjoyed over 2 million views and 5 million hitpoints on YouTube, becoming the site's most popular video on May 28, 2006. Its copious use of profanity and rhetorical outbursts has also gained attention from the mainstream and international media.
The incident
The incident took place on Route 68x Kowloon Motor Bus heading towards Yuen Long. The video clip begins with the middle-aged protagonist reacting furiously after the young man sitting behind him had tapped his shoulder asking him to lower his voice while talking on the phone. When the young man, who seldom talks back during the long quarrel, expresses reluctance to carry on the discussion, the middle-aged man exclaims, "Not resolved! Not resolved! Not resolved! … I face pressure. You face pressure. Why did you provoke me?", which have become popular catchphrases in Hong Kong. He also uses excessive profanity to insult the young man, but does not express any regret when the young man asks him to "keep my mother out of this argument."
But despite the profanity-filled exchange and "Bus Uncle" asking if the teenager is a "good fighter", there is nothing to suggest the incident was on the verge of escalating into a physical altercation.
On May 23 2006, a man called Elvis, roughly 25 years old (previously mistaken as Alvin or Elvin) called a radio talk show on Commercial Radio, claiming to be the young man who was involved in the argument. [1] (Cantonese)
Two days later, the man who recorded the clip called the radio station as well, and identified himself as "Jon". He claimed that there was a second part yet to be posted online, where Elvis "fought back" by making fun of the man with his friend on the phone. He also stated that the reason he recorded the clip was that if the shouting older man hit the young man, he could provide the police with evidence.
Legal issues
Some local newspapers pointed out that the behavior of the "Bus Uncle" contravenes the general code of conduct of bus passengers, which constitutes a criminal offence, according to Section 46(1)(n)(ii)[1] and 57(1)[2] of Cap 374D of the Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations[3], with a maximum penalty of HKD$3000 and a 6-month imprisonment.
His behavior probably also constitutes an offence under Section 17B(2) of the Public Order Ordinance (the section titled "Disorder in public places"), with a maximum penalty of HKD$5000 and 12-months imprisonment.[4]. It is possible that his behavior also constitutes Criminal Intimidation, which is an offence under Section 24 of the Crimes Ordinance, with a maximum penalty of HKD$2000 and 5 years imprisonment.[5]
The latter two offences would be the more likely charges he would face (compared to the breach of the Regulation) if he were actually arrested by the police.
Social influences and popular culture
The famous quotes of Uncle Bus are now frequently used and mimicked among Hong Kong teenagers during conversations. The new catchphrases also appear on internet forums, posters and radio programmes. Parodies of the video clip have been created, including modified video clips, musical remix, artificial pictures and movie posters. On television, a TVB sports reporter was heard using the phrases, while an ATV sitcom episode also imitated the video in an argument scene. On May 28, 2006, this incident was mentioned in the 6 O'Clock News on TVB, highlighting the success of YouTube. It was also mentioned on Cable TV news[2]. On May 29, 2006, the hosts of Scoop on TVB also quoted The Bus Uncle's words, including "Not resolved!" and "I face pressure. You face pressure."
Although many have found the video humorous and entertaining, others have warned that it hints at a more alarming and sinister prognosis of life in stress-filled Hong Kong.
To Kit, a Hong Kong-based columnist, has made a commentary about the incident on Commercial Radio. He described the behavior of Uncle Bus as "a noise raping", and said that the incident was the manifestation of the underlying social tension in society, as well as the mindset of a common Chinese person. He criticised Elvis' speechlessness as being too weak, likewise a stereotype of youths in present-day Hong Kong. In addition, he noted that the incident implied that harmony in the neighborhood was somehow hindered.
Lee Sing, director of the Hong Kong Mood Centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, points to the Bus Uncle video as warning that the city's high stress working environment is spawing a metropolis full of "Bus Uncles". Dr Lee estimates that one out of every 50 grumpy Hong Kongers is a "ticking time bomb" when it comes to rage and violence.
"People get yelled at by their boss or...fight with their spouse but cannot yell back so they feel stress, anxiety and depression", said Lee. "The whole Bus Uncle phenomenon shows that society has reached a tipping point."
The video clip, having been subtitled in English, has penetrated Western media and reported in numerous prominent international newspapers such as the Associated Press, New York Times, and The Guardian in late May.
Notes
- ^ Section 46
- ^ Section 57
- ^ Road Traffic (Public Service Vehicles) Regulations
- ^ Section 17B of the Public Order Ordinance
- ^ See Section 24 for the definition of the offence and Section 27 for the penalties.
References
- "Video of Grumpy Man an Internet Hit", New York Times, May 26 2006
- "Grumpy man on a bus becomes star of the internet" The Guardian, May 26 2006
- "Grumpy Man Is Internet Hit", CBS News, May 25 2006
- "Video of Grumpy Man an Internet Hit" Newsvine, May 25 2006
- "Hot! Bus Uncle Revealed!" (大熱! 巴士阿叔效應), Apple Daily, May 19 2006 (Traditional Chinese)
- Bus Uncle, EastSouthWestNorth, May 24 2006
- 240萬人次看巴士短片 青年現身 大叔痛罵︰你有壓力 我都有壓力, A22, Society (社會要聞), 尤弘毅, Hong Kong Economic Times, May 24 2006
- 潮爆「巴士判官」 搞笑版登場, A22, Society (社會要聞), 尤弘毅, Hong Kong Economic Times, May 24 2006
- "The Cameraman of Bus Uncle Revealed: 'If someone fights, I can give this evidence to the Police' " (巴士阿叔短片攝影師現身:「倘有人動武, 有證據交警方」), Ming Pao, May 26 2006 (Traditional Chinese)
- "City full of 'bus uncles' just waiting to explode: experts", South China Morning Post, May 28, 2006,
- "Video of Grumpy Hong Kong man scolding fellow bus rider becomes Internet hit", Yahoo.ca's Odd News, May 25, 2005
See also
External links
- Video Clip: "The Bus Uncle" with English Subtitle
- Music: Uncle Bus "Diu" Rap Remix (Original Song: Dr. Dre's "Bang Bang")
- Music: Uncle Bus "Bamboo Fight" Remix (Original Song: Dr. Dre's "What's the Difference")
- Music: Hotel California in Uncle Bus and Crazy Frog Remix (Featuring William Hung)
- EastSouthWestNorth Comprehensive collection of fallout and cultural references
- The Bus Uncle, transcript (全城熱播‧巴士阿叔內容之詳盡分析) (Traditional Chinese)
- "Wikia Hong Kong" 香港網絡大典 (Traditional Chinese)
- 「巴士判官」的啟示．一(Traditional Chinese)
- 「巴士判官」的啟示．二(Traditional Chinese)
- 「巴士判官」的啟示．三(Traditional Chinese)
- "The 'Bus Youngster' Interviewed with Hong Kong Economic Times"「巴士少年接受經濟日報訪問!」 (Traditional Chinese)