raw and uncut suffering(6.27.05)

There is nothing wrong with making money. No sirree.
However, making money on the suffering of others that
can do irreversible harm to our community is problematic.
I just had the chance to look at a video that is being distributed
by Fall Thru Entertainment. It is a video series
which features the self-explanatory titles “Ghetto Fights”
and “Wildest Street Brawls.”
These videos in simple terms show common fights that
occur everyday around the world but mainly in urban areas.
The level of violence is not only real, but often over the
edge and outright disgusting. New DVDs in the series
hit the market on May 31, 2005, “Ghetto Fights 2”
nd “Wildest Street Brawls 3” and both deliver more of
the horrors of the streets showcasing pimp beatings,
gang warfare and backyard brawls caught on tape.
To make it worse, it is rumored that hip-hop artist
50 Cent is interested in purchasing the rights to the
video series. He and fellow rapper Ice-T have cameo
appearances on some of the videos. I would expect
this type of behavior from 50 Cent who suggests in his lyrics
that money is the most important thing to him—next to being
shot a slew of times and women. I just wonder how much
thought is given to thinking about what benefits the public
and the community versus one’s pockets.
Moreover, it is not an issue of whether or not it is acceptable
for this type of material to be sold, but if it is a good thing to
promote. I cannot discern any productive value from viewing
people fighting, without payment or a championship belt
on the line. I cannot see looking at human suffering in such
a raw and uncut form as being equivalent to entertainment.
Why not look at videos of beheadings in Iraq, or gassing
of Holocaust victims, if this passes muster as
entertainment?–torrance stephens