Vegas a hotbed for controversial homeless videos

By Timothy Pratt (contact)

Thursday, May 13, 2004 | 11:02 a.m.

Nearly two years after videos of homeless people fighting in Las Vegas set off a national debate about free speech and treatment of the homeless, Las Vegas is once again set to become the epicenter of the issue.

Two new videos produced and at least partially taped in Las Vegas feature, variously, homeless men and women beating each other up, so-called "bag ladies" lifting up their shirts and having sex behind garbage cans -- or what one of the video's producers called "outrageous, wild and humorous activities carried out against Las Vegas homeless (people), tourists and locals."

That video, "Bag Lady Beatings," was released for sale on the Internet April 23. The other, "Bumfights III," the third installment in a series that has drawn worldwide publicity, a lawsuit and sales in the hundreds of thousands, will be out in about three weeks.

But some people are not laughing.

"These videos are degrading and encourage violence against the homeless," said Michael Stoops, community organizing director for the National Coalition for the Homeless, a Washington-based nonprofit organization.

That group has mounted a letter-writing campaign to major retailers nationwide protesting the sales of the first two "Bumfights" videos, along with two other videos that were not produced in Las Vegas but do depict violence against the homeless. "Bumfights" started on the Internet in 2002 but expanded to retail chains last year. "Bag Lady Beatings" is available only on the Internet.

Ty Beeson, one of the "Bumfights" series producers, said he sells 125 videos daily at $20 apiece over the Internet alone. He didn't have figures for the wholesale business he does with retail chains.

Locally, some officials are also not amused with the money-making, homeless-bashing trend.

Jeanne Corcoran, production manager for the Nevada Film Office, called the people making these videos "cockroaches (who) only come out at night."

"None of us in government sanction or support this type of exploitation," she said. Her office, which offers information to up to 600 filmmaking crews each year, is part of the state Commission of Economic Development. It has no licensing or enforcement powers.

Corcoran said Las Vegas in particular "invites ... this type of thing.

"It's somewhat of an occupational hazard being one of the most glamorous, publicized, popular places on the planet ... If some lowlife slaps the name of Las Vegas on a production like this, they think they'll capitalize on it," she said.

Mark Parillo, president of Las Vegas Wild Inc., the company behind "Bag Lady Beatings," said, "Las Vegas inspires this kind of thing.

"It's a wild town, a ruckus town," he said.

Stoops, of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said "the fact that (these videos) are filmed anywhere is disturbing -- but I guess I'm not suprised that this would happen here.

"You can be wild and crazy and do things (in Las Vegas) you can't do in most other American cities," he said.

The coalition's letter asks the retail chains to: "immediately stop selling ... and destroy the current inventory" of"Bumfights" I and II and two other videos; "turn over the profits from the sale of these violent videotapes to an agency ... that serves homeless people"; and "pledge to never purchase these violent exploitative films that depict homeless people as props in a voyeuristic display of depravity."

Calls to the corporate offices of Tower Records, Amazon.com and Target Corporation seeking comment on the letter were not returned. Virgin Mega Stores officials declined to comment. Borders said it didn't sell the products, though the coalition sent the letter to that company as well.

And Lisa Hawks, spokeswoman for Best Buy Corporation, which sells a video called "Bum Hunts" online, said her Minnesota-based company doesn't "promote or encourage any behavior that is presented in these videos.

"However," she added, "we do believe in the freedom of expression." Best Buy will take the coalition's letter "into consideration," Hawks said.

Meanwhile, Sgt. Eric Fricker, supervisor of two Metro Police officers who work with the homeless, said he was trying to "educate the homeless and talking to advocates" in order to stop future filmmakers.

"We're letting them know there's other ways to make a buck or obtain services ... these people (the filmmakers) are preying on the mentally ill and those with addictions."

Parillo said he paid up to $50 to the homeless people who appeared in his video -- though "basically it depended on what kind of scene, since most flashers would do it for free."

Parillo also said that if his video sells well, he "could hire some (homeless people) to work in a warehouse processing orders."

He also said all the homeless people in his film signed forms giving permission to have their images appear in a commercial video or DVD.

"Most people shun them and we kind of welcomed them," he said.

But Stoops said that even though homeless people may willingly participate in such projects, they encourage what his organization calls hate crimes against the homeless.

Beeson, of "Bumfights," said "I'd be a fool to say (the videos) couldn't encourage violence ... there could be people who take it too far."

At the same time, he said, there may be a lot of objectionable products on the shelves of the stores that the National Coalition for the Homeless has targeted.

"You can walk through these stores and find exploitation of young girls in videos like 'Girls Gone Wild,' or video games for 12-year-olds where you can execute somebody.

"If you're a child rights person or anti-porn, you'll be offended by these things," he said. "Basically, I don't think you can draw a line in the sand and stop this -- it's not illegal in any way."

Fricker said Metro had investigated "Bumfights" but found no laws were broken in making the videos. The producers are currently the subject of a civil lawsuit, but Beeson said that suit is still in pre-trial negotiations, or what he called "normal lawyering crap."

Corcoran said the films pose a "balancing act between individual rights of freedom of expression and the public good of protecting the defenseless."

Meanwhile, she said, these videos made in Las Vegas will bring "the type of publicity we have fought for years. ... Every city would be outraged to be depicted in this light."