Two Arizona teens have been critically injured as a result of a catastrophic car accident while filming what was intended to be a car stunt for the YouTube video-sharing website. The 16-year-old driver of the car remains in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The teens were trying to capture a video of the car with all four wheels off the ground. They failed to get any of the incident on tape before the crash.
This incident is the latest in a string of more-shocking-than-the-last calamities befalling "film" makers angling to get their 15 minutes of YouTube fame. Is this growing trend a signal that the anything-goes culture of "Broadcast[ing] Yourself" needs some rules?
The latest Arizona stunt follows the savage 30-minute beating doled out to a Florida cheerleader two weeks ago that went on to become one of the most-watched clips on YouTube.com. As a result of the straight-to-video stunt, the teen suffered a concussion, bruising, and damage to her left eye and ear. The girl has just spoken out for the first time since the incident. To see what she said, and to see the story behind the woman in the clip above, read more.
In her first interview since the incident, Lindsay says, "Your No. 1 friend is your family. Don't trust anybody." A sad lesson to learn for the sake of a video clip.
But it's not just stunts and attacks making it to the Tube. The woman in the clip above is Tricia Walsh Smith, who is currently being divorced by Philip Smith. Tricia put a retaliation video on YouTube airing her husband's dirty laundry by announcing that they never had sex and that she found his stash of Viagra, porn, and condoms.
Given these stories, do you think the forum has been pushed too far? How did we move from posting silly videos of our cats sleeping, to all out assaults? Is this a sign that we can't handle this kind of unregulated freedom of expression, or are these incidents just isolated bad apples? Do you YouTube? Are you in favor of a few rules?
Temperley London
Ally Capellino
APC
Sigh, it's not YouTube that's out of control; it's people. When I read about stories like these I have to shake my head at the idiocy of some people. Where do they come from???
That being said, I am in favour with some rules on YouTube. Don't they have some already like no graphic material, violence etc.?
1People are going to do stupid things whether there is YouTube or not. If YouTube wants to have stricter regulations then they should go for it, but the government should keep their nose out of YouTube business.
Who knows, maybe all these instances will make people more aware of the lack of integrity, morals and values, and begin to be more active in making a change for the better.
2you are definitely right gigill, it's people... not you tube! just like it's the people who USE myspace, not just myspace.
3I go to youtube to watch Robin Scorpio and Patrick Drake scenes cos I can't stomach the rest of the General Hospital spoilers and to find out what the latest music back home is. It's not Youtube that's to blame, it's the whole one minute celebrity culture that's so prevalent in our culture. Media outlets are hyping these videos, putting them on CNN, on blogs, in newspapers, on talk shows, so people are getting more outrageous as they try to get famous quickly. If these people were ignored by all these outlets, I don't think the problem would be as bad, but if you know that if you hit someone and tomorrow you will be on Dr. Phil well, we all know just how many stupid teenagers are out there today. Youtube should take funky videos down and have people to monitor these things. What about the 2 year old forced to smoke pot???
4I agree w/ gigill. YouTube can try to sensor it and put more regulations but it's the PEOPLE. People are crazy and hungry for fame that they are willing to do anything nowadays. It's sad and pathetic all around.
5right cine. which might be where the office of homeland attitude adjustment comes in. AGAIN.
6"How did we move from posting silly videos of our cats sleeping, to all out assaults?"
I was thinking the same thing Citizen a few weeks ago with the whole beatings of that girl by 8 people.
It's because the networks took off all their shows from you tube, that's the problem.
Just kidding. To be perfectly honest, I feel no sympathy for people who make stupid judgments and who try desperately to be paid attention to. If they get hurt or killed I do feel sympathy toward their family and friends, but it was their own stupidity that led them there and that's where the finger of blame should be pointed.
Obviously since Youtube is a company (owned by Google?) I don't think there needs to be laws to govern it, but perhaps some company oversight and policy could be used... like policies about deleting videos that show unlawful acts? I don't know.
7I agree, it's people, not YouTube. Sure it could be monitored so that when people see a crime being committed it can be reported, that might actually help society - imagine that - helping society!! what a concept
8i am thankful for youtube sometimes. For instance, they have provided me with video I would likely never find or see again:
1. Flashbeagle
2. Sheena Easton "My Baby Takes the Morning Train"
3. That video of Patches the horse riding around in the cadillac convertible.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teHfyby_veU
9gigill, I have seen some graphic material with clothes on. Fracking 13 year olds simulating sex acts, it made me so sad.
10Right, nyaradzom2001. The pot-baby is another recent crazy (and sad!) example of this phenomenon! And there is such a fine line between the media and news examining these kind of events, and giving them the exact kind of attention the people were out to get in the first place. I let the Florida beating pass when it happened for that very reason--but the with the mounting recent cases just like it, I thought it was important to give it a look.
11I honestly haven't used YouTube in over 6 months. I just don't understand what's wrong with people nowadays.
12"Fracking 13 year olds simulating sex acts, it made me so sad."
I have no idea why Earth 13 year olds are interested in sex. I just do not get it.
13cause their hormones are way more active than ours were, for about a million hypothesized reasons, and they're exposed to stimulating things at a way earlier age than we were. tv, movies, clothes, etc.
14In the instance of the baby being forced to smoke pot, didn't this get the police to intervene? I mean if these idiots are forcing their babies to get high, they are doing it off camera as well or at the very least around their children, so maybe this is where good comes out of a horrible act.
15cine you have to see the video because the girls are clearly around 13 and the guys are much older and they are egging each other, they could probably teach grown women a thing or two. The police arrested the men who forced the baby to inhale cine but dude a 2 year old???? It's molestation s far as I'm concerned, if a drug can make a grown person act a fool what about a 2 year old. The world is full of stupid people I tell you, who should not be allowed to procreate.
16I wonder if the child was put into foster care and tested for other drugs?
17That's a good point cine, maybe authorities can now have an easier way to catch these criminals???
18I completely agree with gigill...it's not YouTube's fault as much as the fault of poor judgment on the teens part: I mean, you're 16 years old for heavens sake! You're capable of making better judgments than that!!! I was 16 once...and I knew better than to think I was a professional stunt driver.
Plus, YouTube's just the latest trend to pick on. These same things been happening for DECADES with different mediums: radio shows, TV, movies, video games, etc.
19I'm totally not surprised this has happened, and I really can't feel bad for anyone who has tried to make some stupid video and got hurt as a result. It's because we live in a society where everyone just wants to be famous for 15 seconds...and that's pretty pathetic.
20Maybe we should just chalk it up to a "girls will be girls and commit felonious assault on camera" phase.
21I don't think Youtube should be regulated. I think Youtobe is a very valuable tool of reflection that tells us what areas of our society are really F'd up. Instead of getting rid of the tool which shows us what's wrong with no interpretation needed. Why don't we deal with what's wrong.
22cine and syako that's exactly what I was saying - it's a way for the authorities to get involved in criminal acts.
23lol ok that came out wrong - not that the authorities would be commiting the criminal acts lol - oh you know what I meant i hope lol
24It's not just the people who make these videos that are a problem- but all the people watching them too! If these things weren't so popular, if they didn't have so many views, more and more people wouldn't do all this stuff. So the best thing to do is to not watch this kind of filth on YouTube or other media.
25Gotcha Kim!
26lol ty cine.
27Please God don't allow the government or corporations to come in and censor Youtube!!!
I'm sure the parents of the pot baby have given the baby pot on many other occasions and because they thought they were so cool they decided to tape it and show everyone how cool they are.
As long as the authorities arrest dummies who post their criminal behavior on line and the media reports that said idiots were prosecuted, then I think that would reduce the amount of idiots posting their crimes online. Other than than, no need to censor.
28People, in the general sense, are always going to look for more creative ways to get themselves killed. We sensor youtube, they'll find another way to film themselves doing something stupid, and the envelope is pushed elswhere. America's Funniest Home Videos has made a fortune on the less graphic calamaties.
29I agree with the first commenter. People are the ones who are out of control here. I have never heard of that video with the girl being beaten up until now. This is just horrible.
30Yea like that Chris Crocker guy and his Britney video, can we say Silence of the Lambs anyone?!?! Freaks...
31Very nice site!
32Very nice site!
33Very nice site!
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