BUMFIGHTS | An Empire Of Dirt (Documentary) 

Whatever you do, don't be like the creators of this series. Be cool, kind and conscientious.

The producer who went on Dr. Phil would be making a great point about Phil's own exploitation of the vulnerable (especially with regards to Turn-About Ranch) if he wasn't... y'know... the freakin' producer of Bumfights. Like yeah, The Worst Person You Know Made A Great Point, but he's still the worst person you know.

Jesus Christ That's about the extent of my response.

Fantastic work as always. Had to pause the video a few times to process things. If I've learned anything in my time on this planet, it's that 75% of any personal problem can solved with a meal, a nap, and a shower. That last 25% is always the toughest part and different for everyone, but one thing that does unite us is that a full belly, a rested mind, and a clean body will be an enormous help. And if you think about the average homeless person, who have maybe been denied access to those three things for a very long time, yeah, anyone would be struggling. Maybe it's just me, but I can't tell you how many stressful, troubling moments in my life were exacerbated because I wasn't sleeping much, or eating very well or at all, or taking care of my body. The idea of being deprived of all three is harrowing. Prolonged access to a bed, food, and a bath is all that separates what some would coldly call "undesirables". And that shouldn't scare you, it should embolden you to see that we're not all that different.

I feel like giving you a big hug, telling you it's going to be ok, and giving you some ice cream... watching all of this trash, you really took one for the team

Good on you for taking the high road and not re-exploiting them dude.

Tom Green confronted the brat on his show, it was episode 46 of the Tom Green Show.

I was around when it came out. I refused to watch, buy or download anything from them. Stuff like that never sat easy with me. The same went with 2 girls.

I remember when I was 15 and super into the whole Jackass/prank video thing. I saw the first Bumfight as a bootleg my friend had. And I remember thinking that it was wrong and bleak in what it says about people. I was a 15 year old edgelord who used ableist and homophobic slurs like they were going out of style (which thankfully they were). And yet Bumfights was a step too far. It was sickening.

RIP Rufus ❤

I had never heard of Bumfights. I don't know why these films aren't illegal like kiddie P and snuf films. Thank you once again for your incredible content.

maybe my mom was right to only let me watch PBS and TVO Kids when I was a child.

I really appreciate that you bring a moral compass to your videos. There are plenty of people who just go over things, have a laugh about it, and then roll credits (and tell you to smash the subscribe button) and I like to hear and think about the implications from someone who also clearly wants to think more about their subject.

I never watched Bumfights but back in the day, plenty of my friends did. The whole idea is just repugnant. This was an excellent video, despite the depressing subject matter. I wish more people applied such empathy, nuance and understanding to homeless people.

i really like Hobo With A Shotgun. its a cheesy bad taste b movie splatter film with nothing but ernest love and respect for the unhoused (and sex workers). it even features a scene that is a direct "fuck you" to bumfights. and a nice speech to a lynch mob out for "hobos" about how their homes are our streets and parks and how they (the mob) are making them look real filthy idk this made me feel pretty shit and i wanted to say something wth good vibes

The Producers of these horrorshows had progeny, and their spawn *definitely grew up to be Crypto Bros* Also, gnashing hatred intensifying. Mission accomplished.

Please take a look at agarrando pueblo, an actual satire of this type of explotation made back in the mid 70s when this type of content was rampant in South America to be sold in Europe, it's available in RU-vid with English subtitles. Also the documentary Peace park by Montreal filmmaker Dave Boots, which shows actual collaboration between homeless people and skaters to improve their conditions.

Faces of Death x Backyard Wrestling + BMX XXX to the power of Evil

The crocodile hunter bit is kinda hilarious

Brilliant upload! "Bumfights" is basically the polar opposite to "Dark Days", an amazing documentary I can highly recommend.

Good upload. Was eventually made aware of Bumfights while being in the space of early internet "fail" compilations, but never really gave it attention because the concept sounded weird and I had no money. This video itself showcases that it well exceeds my previous ideas of its callousness. The U.S. has so much work to be done when it comes to doing something well about homelessness, all while there are people reveling in the poor conditions from their positions removed.

As a non-american, all I can think after watching your doc is "are you guys ok???" I know dehumanization is a trend everywhere, but the US seem to have a special brand of callousness

Super interesting topic, really excited about this upload, thank you so much! The only ever good things that this series lead to were a) the creators Dr. Phil appearence and b) that scene in "Hobo with a shotgun".

So i grew up in the jackass era andni would have loved this. Im 34 now and i was honeless in a tent to my addictions for 2yrs. (Sober now) so watch this really hits different.

that "emo wannabe" "producer" is the definition of a sociopath whit a splash of psychopath in there....

This is predation against a vulnerable group of people for profit.

I remember one segment of a guy robbing some random woman. I was so disgusted with that. I wondered if it counted as an aiding and abetting felony. Since it was being filmed.

This channel is insanely tight

Absolutely was not expecting you to cover bum fights. Everyone should search the dr Phil episode.

Ryen McPherson and every other enablers would watch something like "Man Bites Dog" and 100% believe it was a real documentary.

I remember when these came out in the early 00s when I was in high school

Boy oh boy, this video essay shocked me to my core... Really amazing writing, I/F/O

Ohhh *those* kinds of "Bums". I thought...well, never mind what I thought. As you were. Continue depressing me, I/F/O.

Terrific video

Biggest difference this and cky/jackass was the boys (and occasionally girls) were doing idiot shit to themselves and other people in their crew. Not vulnerable members of society. Then again, if you clicked through a liveleak link or some other video site and watched some heinous and disturbing shit in full,but didn't report it, its hard to justify any sort of finger wagging and trying to have a moral high ground.

5 minutes in and I had to stop. Never heard about any of this. And now I don’t want to know any more.

First learned about that from Count Dankula... What a cesspit this show and no one stepping in was, plain human cruelty

This is a really great albeit depressing video. It's so sad that these ever existed but I'm hopeful that we're past the point as a society of allowing and consuming it so freely. A fantastic piece, I hope it didn't take too much of your soul to go through all the films

God I remember being about 8-11 years old watching numb fights with my mums abusive boyfriend at the time and laughing so hard at it :/ it’s dark as fuck looking back at it

I remember this coming out when I was a child, I didn't watch it then. And I'm disappointed that a great, and highly educational, channel like yours has showcased it now. Sometimes it's better to let bad things stay dead then resurect them.

Good to see the homeless guys recovered and moved on.

great work! I'm curious, have you seen Harmony Korine's old provocateur videos where he'd try to instigate fights on the streets of NYC? that's a piece of lost media i've been trying to get my hands on for ages

Super good doc

Ty Beeson: one sick puppy! (Who raised this sadist?)

Thank god we live in an age with fewer homelessness and mental health issues and where people are less likely to let themselves be exploited.

Oh... I'll catch the next I/F/O :(

Have you read Rufus' memoir and if so would you recommend it? I can only imagine it would be depressingly insightful and hopefully the proceeds of the book go to people who deserve the money.

Wow. Hope you’re alright after writing that, bloody horrifying. Brilliant piece though, very tactful considering the topic

Damn amazing documentary! Ill admit i was one of those kids at 16 years old when bum fights came out and being a little edgelord skater it just got rolled up with cky and backyard wrestling and watched with mates. Glad that part is 20 years behind me. I do wonder if a lot of this shock/hateful broadcasting is what lead to the torture prn/french extremity cinema.

Class traitors filmmaking, great essay

hard to watch (due to subject matter) but very interesting and well edited

You clicked on Bumfights. Noice.

I remember when this came out. I admit I watched the first video, but I couldn't dig it; the whole thing was nauseating.

FUCK what the fuck FUCK no other words

when i see these pos producers i know that my parents have raised me right

Ah the 90s

4:10 oh look it's sneako

Ya really cool dudes.

needs timestamps and chapters

Worldstaaaaar

Just literally treating homeless people like pets for entertainment.

6:20

I remember watching this shi back in the day, poor form.

We loved Bumfights so much in college we wore out the dvd and had to buy a 2nd copy. The show was way ahead of its time, pure brilliance. The bum hunter especially lmao

Unsheltered? Just say homeless my dude

Big fucking yikes.

Why am I laughing at all these clips? Finding it genuinely humorous.

No other word in the English language today is as odious as “Unhoused” animals are animals 🤷‍♀️

there are a ton of documentaries on RU-vid with the title "Empire of Dirt" so it's a bit overused imo.

This was a terrible documentary. Please dont make anymore documentaries cause wow dude. Not made well at all

You should check out felony fights boy

AH da Bling Bling

Bumfights showed gang brawls boy, don't get it twisted

1:10 muh-lig-nent? m-align-ant ALIGN MALIGNANT jfc when you write your name on the dotted line do you SIGn it, too?

A lot of homeless people are inconvenient obstacles because they constantly deny help and most choose to be in that situation.. they are finally making it a law in a lot of states where if you deny help multiple times it's a crime..