# What Is Society Coming To? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 19, 2010, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568 "2010-02-19T00:10:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/41 "2010-02-20T17:49:13Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > I don’t see a crazy man and his actions in the first don’t support the claim that he starts fights. He didn’t start this one. Who gives a shit what you see? He’s a [well known](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOkeafCVtTE) mentally [ill](http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/67yr-old-veteran-explains) Vietnam vet in the area who has a long history with the police. Sure, he didn’t start the first punch, but he started the bullshit with his racist comments on [shoe shining](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/17/national/main6217265.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/42 "2010-02-20T19:56:28Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > Hmm. Well the black guy is no young punk. When the white guy says “I’m 67 years old!” the black guy responds “I’m 50.” Lock em both up. They’re both old enough to know better. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/43 "2010-02-20T20:07:26Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Who gives a shit what you see? He’s a [well known](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOkeafCVtTE) mentally [ill](http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/67yr-old-veteran-explains) Vietnam vet in the area who has a long history with the police. Sure, he didn’t start the first punch, but he started the bullshit with his racist comments on [shoe shining](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/17/national/main6217265.shtml). It looks like the same guy in the Oakland A game tasing (sounds like him too)…maybe it is him. The second video is the aftermath interview with EBM, whom, as you assert, seems pretty mentally unstable. That last link, though…I have a problem with the way that CBS reported this by using the black woman whom filmed the fight video as their witness source as she is obviously biased (based on the fact that she was doing the majority of the taunting and baiting of the black guy to “whip his white ass”). She’s also the same person that picked up EBM’s bag and presumably stole from it. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/44 "2010-02-20T20:11:40Z")
> [@dropzone](#): > > Punk gets trashed by a crazy old motherfucker twice his size? There’s a lesson there and it has nothing to do with race. > > ETA: I used to wonder why I was never mugged. Wife said, "Nobody’s gonna fuck with someone who looks like Lenny from “Of Mice and Men.” I thought she meant my size, but it could be because, especially back then, I’m crazy and even now being old doesn’t mitigate it. As Africanboi said in his video commentary, the message is “don’t fuck with everybody”. He may well be bigger and crazier. That’s the lesson. Fortunately, judging from the video, it looks as if neither of them can fight worth shit. In this case, that was a good thing. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/45 "2010-02-20T20:15:24Z")
> [@OneChance](#): > > All I care about is, who is the girl in the purple tights? For the win! Did nobody else on the web notice this girl? Screw the loser MMA, what’s _her_ name?! Fuck the losers fighting for no reason, though Epic Beard Guy did lay down a thorough and deserved ass whipping. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/46 "2010-02-20T20:19:05Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Who gives a shit what you see? He’s a [well known](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOkeafCVtTE) mentally [ill](http://www.thisis50.com/profiles/blogs/67yr-old-veteran-explains) Vietnam vet in the area who has a long history with the police. Sure, he didn’t start the first punch, but he started the bullshit with his racist comments on [shoe shining](http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/17/national/main6217265.shtml). Yeah, but it’s a well known principle of the street that you leave crazy people alone. Especially crazy old people. So you kick a crazy old man’s ass. Where’s the honor in that? Epic Beard Guy walked away. At that point, Amber Lamps was free to trash talk all he wanted: “That’s right, _old fool_! You _better_ not come back here, neither!” ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/47 "2010-02-20T20:23:25Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Yea…if that guy’s 50 I’m Methuselah… Darker skin = less wrinkles and other collagen damage. We don’t all age at the same rate. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/48 "2010-02-20T20:27:11Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > Epic Beard Guy walked away. At that point, Amber Lamps was free to trash talk all he wanted: “That’s right, _old fool_! You _better_ not come back here, neither!” If he had either shut up, or made a last verbal parting shot, then it’s all good. But Dumb Camera Girl was egging him on, and The Stupid was strong in him. So he got what he got. I still maintain, a real fighter would have eaten them both alive with no effort at all. After the beat down, suddenly Amber and Camera said something about pressing charges, didn’t they? Not smart. Some full bore crazies out there would figure “I’m going to jail, I may as well make it worth the time” - and killed him. Africanboi: > [@](#): > > You can’t just fuck with everybody ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/49 "2010-02-20T20:30:06Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > Did nobody else on the web notice this girl? Screw the loser MMA, what’s _her_ name? She’s the one who gave EBM a 350-ml of Popov if he’d ask the next black guy to shine his shoes, to kick-start her career as a celebrity. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/50 "2010-02-20T20:38:01Z")
> [@SteveG1](#): > > If he had either shut up, or made a last verbal parting shot, then it’s all good. But Dumb Camera Girl was egging him on, and The Stupid was strong in him. So he got what he got. I still maintain, a real fighter would have eaten them both alive with no effort at all. > > After the beat down, suddenly Amber and Camera said something about pressing charges, didn’t they? Not smart. Some full bore crazies out there would figure “I’m going to jail, I may as well make it worth the time” - and killed him. > > Africanboi: Epic Beard Guy held his own pretty well for a 67 yo. Good physical condition for somebody pushing 70. Nobody that age should be street fighting, which is why he did the smart thing and walked away. As to his comments, well, once a belligerent jerk always a belligerent jerk. But Amber Lamps is hella fragile if he goes to pieces over an offer to shine somebody’s shoes. You hear worse stuff than that just walking down the street. Amber Lamps looks to be somebody with a history of substance abuse, and maybe mental problems of his own. Hence the pursuit of EBG when Amber Lamps had already won the battle by driving EBG to the front of the bus. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/51 "2010-02-20T20:46:16Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > But Amber Lamps is hella fragile if he goes to pieces over an offer to shine somebody’s shoes. You hear worse stuff than that just walking down the street. Amber Lamps looks to be somebody with a history of substance abuse, and maybe mental problems of his own. Hence the pursuit of EBG when Amber Lamps had already won the battle by driving EBG to the front of the bus. Or maybe, Amber is simply stupid and too full of himself? The expression used to be “he’s reached puberty and is smelling his nuts” or something like that. The old guy is just crazy. I’d say they each had their own brand of “fucked up”. I’ve heard people say things far worse and more outlandish to each other, and then laugh. Either one could have just shut up at any time. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/52 "2010-02-21T00:38:05Z")
> [@Belowjob2.0](#): > > Yeah, but it’s a well known principle of the street that you leave crazy people alone. Especially crazy old people. So you kick a crazy old man’s ass. Where’s the honor in that? > > Epic Beard Guy walked away. At that point, Amber Lamps was free to trash talk all he wanted: “That’s right, _old fool_! You _better_ not come back here, neither!” The video shows too pricks fighting on a bus. The video doesn’t show an old white guy valiantly fighting off a random attack from a black guy. By all accounts (including the video linked to in the OP where he’s talking about shoe shining at the beginning) he instigated the dispute, and has a history of doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Belowjob2.0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Belowjob2.0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belowjob2.0)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/53 "2010-02-21T01:16:46Z")
[I’m FIFTY! Fifty years old.](http://vodpod.com/watch/1871574-hulu-saturday-night-live-sally-omalley) ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/54 "2010-02-21T01:27:08Z")
> [@OneChance](#): > > All I care about is, who is the girl in the purple tights? [http://i45.tinypic.com/29w07e9.jpg](http://i45.tinypic.com/29w07e9.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/55 "2010-02-21T01:55:06Z")
Amber Lamps is the girl in the purple tights, for those who were wondering. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/56 "2010-02-21T03:20:30Z")
This has also spawned a magnificent series of online “epic fail” style motivational motifs… ---
**Author:** ![palacheck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a88e57/32.png) [@palacheck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/palacheck)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/57 "2010-02-21T08:39:57Z")
Wait! Did the black guy really do time for murder? Is he really in serious danger of facing life per the three strikes law? I would hate to see a guy go to prison for 10 years or life just because he threw a punch. The racism thing comes down to whether EBG said he was going to get his “boy” to shine his shoes, or if he asked the black guy to shine his shoes. I think maybe they misunderstood the context of boy to mean black man instead of buddy. Btw there is no Amber Lamps. They are making fun of his pronunciation at the end of the vid…Ambulance–Amba Lamps–Amber Lamps ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/58 "2010-02-21T14:08:32Z")
> [@palacheck](#): > > Wait! Did the black guy really do time for murder? Is he really in serious danger of facing life per the three strikes law? > > I would hate to see a guy go to prison for 10 years or life just because he threw a punch. > > The racism thing comes down to whether EBG said he was going to get his “boy” to shine his shoes, or if he asked the black guy to shine his shoes. I think maybe they misunderstood the context of boy to mean black man instead of buddy. > > Btw there is no Amber Lamps. They are making fun of his pronunciation at the end of the vid…Ambulance–Amba Lamps–Amber Lamps Sure there are amberlamps…you just have to bring dem! [http://www.byroncrawford.com/2010/02/bring-amber-lamps-artwork-inspired-by-epic-beard-man.html](http://www.byroncrawford.com/2010/02/bring-amber-lamps-artwork-inspired-by-epic-beard-man.html) ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/59 "2010-02-21T14:14:40Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > The video shows too pricks fighting on a bus. The video doesn’t show an old white guy valiantly fighting off a random attack from a black guy. By all accounts (including the video linked to in the OP where he’s talking about shoe shining at the beginning) he instigated the dispute, and has a history of doing so. There was nothing valiant or noteworthy at all, really, just two assholes having some sort of pissing contest. Now the web nerds are turning one of the assholes into some sort of folk hero. What’s up with that? Epic beard man? How about epic stupid man. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/60 "2010-02-21T14:31:37Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Sure there are amberlamps…you just have to bring dem! > > [http://www.byroncrawford.com/2010/02/bring-amber-lamps-artwork-inspired-by-epic-beard-man.html](http://www.byroncrawford.com/2010/02/bring-amber-lamps-artwork-inspired-by-epic-beard-man.html) “Amber Lamps…she’s too beautiful to care…” 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568.md?page=4)