National Coalition for the Homeless

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VIDEO EXPLOITATION OF HOMELESS PEOPLE:

“Bum Videos”

The release of “Bum Fights” in 2001 has led to a proliferation of bum videos. To our knowledge, six different videos have been produced in the past six years: “Bum Fights,” “Bum Fights II,” “Bum Fights III: The Felony Footage,” “Bum Hunts,” “Bum Show.com,” and “Bag Lady Beatings.“ In these videos, homeless people are coerced to perform degrading and dangerous stunts for minimal rewards while filmmakers turn large profits.

Craig Walton, a professor of ethics and policy studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, said, “even if the homeless aren’t forced to perform, it’s inaccurate to describe people without adequate shelter, food or clothing as having choices.”

Dehumanizing videos such as these solely add to the trends of violence and mistreatment of people who suffer from homelessness. According to the May 13, 2004 issue of the Las Vegas Sun, Jeanne Corcoran, production manager for the Nevada Film Office, called the producers of these videos “cockroaches (who) only come out at night. None of us in the government sanction support this type of exploitation.”

In addition, Sgt. Eric Fricker, of Las Vegas, who is supervisor of two Metro Police officers that work specifically with homeless people, said he was trying to “educate the homeless and talking to advocates in order to stop future filmmakers.”

The first video released in 2001, “Bum Fights,” was banned in several other countries. It has been condemned on the floor of the United States House of Representatives. The filmmakers of the video, Ty Beeson and Ray Laticia, initially faced seven felony and four misdemeanor charges for the production of the video. The final court verdict required them to serve sentences of 250 hours of community service and three years probation. Yet “Bum Fights 2” was still released in 2003, followed by “Bum Fights III” in 2004.

Bum Fights III: The Felony Footage

The release of “Bum Fights III: The Felony Footage” is the third installment of the Bum Fights DVD series and its release in 2004 portrays the most degrading, sickening, and offensive material to date about the country’s homeless. Homeless men, women, and children are coerced into performing dangerous stunts for money and drugs; reinforcing negative stereotypes about homeless people and homelessness. The footage portrays homeless people as drug addicts, alcoholics, bums, and worst of all worthless. The filmmakers continually mock and demoralize homeless people by filming some of the following scenes:

A homeless man named “Bling Bling” smokes crack in various crowded public places, including a casino and alongside a river, others are shown using illegal substances on a sidewalk and in public bathrooms.
“Bling Bling,” is later “rehabbed” when chained to a light post he endures taunts, teasing, and torture, with money and crack dangled just out of his reach. As he goes through withdrawal from his drug addiction the filmmakers inch the plate of goods closer and closer to him. “Bling Bling” is finally rewarded with drugs after he bungee jumps off a tower into a swimming pool.
A homeless man (Donnie) receives a spanking on his birthday from a prostitute and another homeless man named Rufus. These two individuals severely spank this man repeatedly with sex whips on the buttocks, genital region, and across the forehead. Donnie is gagged throughout this act and grimaces in pain.
A homeless man is antagonized as he runs pushing a shopping cart in a marathon, asking for donations from the crowd along the way.
Several individuals continuously attack a homeless man, targeting his face. The victim screams in pain.
Numerous fights caught on amateur film are shown throughout the movie. The majority of these fights depict brutal beatings of a single individual by two or more people.
Many homeless individuals are shown vandalizing property, such acts as kicking garbage cans and defecating in public.
Rufus, one of the homeless men featured, shouts profanities at Bruce Helgland, the district attorney of San Diego, who is trying to shut down Bum Fights.
Rufus is later shown receiving a dyed Mohawk, a shaved eyebrow and reveals a painful tattoo scripted across his stomach that reads “Bum Life.”
A homeless man runs into a big piece of glass and is later shown bleeding.
A homeless man punches another man in the face and then repeatedly kicks him, even after his victim has fallen to the ground.
A trap was set to lure homeless men by putting a $20 bill on top of a slippery painted pole. These men step on each other’s backs and heads in attempt to climb up the pole and retrieve the money.
Homeless men and women are pretending to have sex on the sidewalk in a scene the filmmakers dub “Bum Luving.”
A homeless woman is being interviewed but is quickly called a “shitty interview” because she expresses her appreciation for homeless people.
Several individuals beat a single homeless person and the victim pleas for the attackers to stop.

Stop Selling Hate

Even more disconcerting are major corporate retailers that deem it acceptable to sell such videos, depicting homeless people taking part in dehumanizing acts of self-mutilation and violence for small rewards of money, alcohol, or drugs. Please do research in your own community to see if any small bookstores or large retailers are selling any of these videos.

These small and large retailers depend on their public image, yet find it acceptable to traffic violent and dehumanizing films and videos. They are taking advantage of a vulnerable, minority population to make a profit. The first video, “Bum Fights” grossed over six million dollars in its first year, and those recently produced continue to bring in profit at the “expense of the homeless people who are exploited and aren’t paid one cent,” said Michael Stoops, acting executive director for the National Coalition for the Homeless. Years ago, these films were relegated to the adult video world, less reputable stores, or some dark corner of the internet – not the brightly-lit shelves of retail stores.

NCH considers the sale of these films as approval of this illegal behavior, and possibly encouraging the further development of these exploitative films. It perpetuates the rise of hate speech and hate crimes/violence directed against homeless people in the United States. NCH will continue to monitor these videos.

If you discover the distribution of such items in your community, take personal action by contacting your local retailer. Demand the following:

Immediately stop selling these videotapes or DVDs, and destroy the current inventory.
Turn over the profits from the sale of these violent videotapes to an agency of their choosing that serves homeless people.

Please also send a copy of your letter, email or fax to:

Michael Stoops
Acting Executive Director
National Coalition for the Homeless
2201 P St., NW
Washington, DC 20037-1033
Phone: (202) 462-4822 x19
Fax: (202) 462-4823
Email: mstoops@nationalhomeless.org