''Bumfights'' is a video series produced by
Indecline Films. The debut release titled ''Bumfights Vol. 1: A Cause for Concern'' features primarily high school fights caught on tape and
homeless
Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are:
* living on the streets, also kn ...
men (most notably
Rufus Hannah and Donnie Brennan) in the
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...
,
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
,
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, and
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
metropolitan areas attempting amateur
stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat or an act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually on television, theaters, or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Before computer generated imagery spec ...
s in a style inspired by the popular MTV series ''
Jackass''. It was produced by Ryen McPherson, with friends Zachary Bubeck, Daniel J. Tanner, and Michael Slyman, as Indecline Films. Contrary to its title, the video does not depict homeless men actually fighting, but instead a compilation of
street fights
Street fighting is hand-to-hand combat in public places, between individuals or groups of people. The venue is usually a public place (e.g. a street) and the fight sometimes results in serious injury or occasionally even death. Some street fig ...
caught on tape and homeless men performing in skits and stunts.
The video series immediately garnered criticism. 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 shortly before a lawsuit was due to go to trial.
Reception
By June 2002, 250,000 copies were reported sold for $22 each, according to ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...
'' magazine.
Community complaints led to the police investigating if any laws were broken by producers.
Advocacy groups were critical of the film.
Production history
The videos were originally produced in the early 2000s. The notorious videos had gained such popularity, that by 2002, there were large volumes of sales and merchandise. Around that time, the four original founders sold the business to two Las Vegas businessmen, who went by the pseudonyms Ty Beeson and Ray Leticia for $1.5 million USD. Beeson and Leticia released the three follow videos, volumes 2 - 4, including footage that was provided as part of their purchase of the business.
''Indecline: Vol. 1—"It's Worse Than You Think"''
Ryen McPherson moved on to produce a similar
reality
Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, r ...
video called ''Indecline: Vol. 1—It's Worse Than You Think''. Though controversial for its fight footage and acts of elaborate
graffiti art
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
, 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 in November 2008.
''Bumfights'' videos
* ''Bumfights Vol. 1: A Cause for Concern'' (2002)
* ''Bumfights Vol. 2: Bumlife'' (2003)
* ''Bumfights Vol. 3: The Felony Footage'' (2004)
* ''Bumfights Vol. 4: Return of Ruckus'' (2006)
Appearance on ''Dr. Phil''
Phil McGraw
Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author best known for hosting the talk show '' Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased rene ...
, host of the talk show
''Dr. Phil'' invited one of the creators of ''Bumfights'', Ty Beeson, on to the show on December 12, 2006. Beeson attended the interview dressed in a Dr. Phil costume, nearly identical to Dr. Phil himself. After playing some snippets from the ''Bumfights'' videos to the audience, Dr. Phil stated that he was disgusted and kicked the ''Bumfights'' representative off even before the interview started, with security removing Beeson from the stage. While briefly onstage, Beeson critiqued what he perceived as Dr. Phil's hypocrisy; being outraged over their exploitation of the poor while he himself exploited people in duress for entertainment on his show. Dr. Phil revealed in the next segment he himself had been homeless.
McPherson and Slyman later claimed that the man who appeared on the show was not Beeson, but in fact someone impersonating him, organized by the real Beeson and Leticia.
References
External links
*
*{{IMDb title, 1020763, Bumfights: A Video Too Far
Film series introduced in 2002
American film series
American exploitation films
Homelessness in popular culture
Film controversies in Canada
Obscenity controversies in film