Posted on 07/31/2002 7:11:54 AM PDT by fight_truth_decay
The CBS Evening News on June 25th aired a shocking story about "shock videos." Correspondent Vince Gonzalez explained how a video on "bumfights" is selling thousands of copies around the world by showing homeless people performing dangerous stunts. One is shown with his hair on fire, another is shown getting pelted with rocks. They pummel one another in front of the camera. The producer found street people, the mentally ill, and those on drugs willing to perform these stunts for a few bucks. The police are investigating to see whether crimes were committed.
The producer told CBS News that he doesn’t take advantage of the homeless, and is just trying to spread awareness of the homeless problem. He promised to provide some of his profits to homeless shelters. That claim is about as believable as the professed concern of CBS News about the homeless victims. The network showed excerpts of the video, supposedly to demonstrate how harmful and objectionable it is.
The video’s Web site highlights the fact that it features drunken bums beating each other silly. The Web site also features comments from every network program that has run a story about the shocking nature of the "Bumfights" video. MSNBC called it "raw." CNN called it "grisly." Fox News called it "scary." All of this publicity helped sell videos. Appropriately enough, the name of the production company is "Indecline."
The major media have made this possible. They have pioneered what is called "reality programming" that is aired on prime time on the networks. Over at NBC, there’s a show called "Dog Eat Dog." Here’s how NBC describes it: "Reality unleashed! The producers of the hit NBC reality series ‘Fear Factor’ and ‘Weakest Link’ have joined forces to bring you "Dog Eat Dog," hosted by Baywatch’s Brooke Burns. Each week, six sexy and savvy players play upon each other's strengths and weaknesses in the battle to claim the big cash prize. The players must use their knowledge of each other to gain the upper-hand and emerge as ‘top dog.’"
When we took a look at the program, a contestant was playing "Strip tease miniature golf," in which he lost an article of clothes every time he missed a putt. Private parts were obscured. One story asked, "Will showing some skin be a ratings win?" One critic noted that the host, Brooke Burns, obviously wasn't chosen for her performance skills: "Everything she says comes out stilted, like it's being read from cue cards, which it probably is." The New York Post said she might be the first television personality in history to host a game show in a corset.
CBS News, which professes concern about the homeless being exploited on television, is part of the network that gave us "Survivor," a "reality-TV" show about contestants competing for $1 million on a desert island while performing physical stunts. The survivors hold a "tribal council" where they cast a secret-ballot vote that determines who gets kicked off the island. Bumfights is only one step removed from this. But CBS News won’t be criticizing their own shock videos
Oh come on now! The liberals have exploited the homeless for years. Might as well let someone make some real money off of them.
Howard Stern, CBS'radio poster boy promoted it endlessly on his show this past spring....
I'm still waiting for the reality series "Fraternity Pledge". Imagine what sort of hijinks they'd dream up for that one.
I ceased to be shocked after I found out wrestling could pull forty bucks for pay per view. Except for the time I walked into the day room at my fire station and saw my crew watching a Jerry Springer entitled "I'm in love with my dog."
You would be suprised how the bums in these areas treat each other. Some don't live to drink again.
LOL. Probably not too far removed from the truth. Ratings is the name of the game...
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