# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![magellan01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@magellan01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/magellan01)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/81 "2010-03-02T04:33:26Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > I’m with you **Freudian Slit**. There is a little too much glee in this thread. And it stinks of racial scorekeeping. Well, speaking for myself, I would have been every bit as pleased with the turn of events if the races were flipped and some 67-year-old black guy taught some younger punk white guy a lesson after he came over and swung at the 67-year-old—while he was sitting down, no less! Righteous justice either way. ---
**Author:** ![Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d9b06d/32.png) [@Ichini\_Sanshigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichini_Sanshigo)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/82 "2010-03-02T12:58:23Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Well, speaking for myself, I would have been every bit as pleased with the turn of events if the races were flipped and some 67-year-old black guy taught some younger punk white guy a lesson after he came over and swung at the 67-year-old—while he was sitting down, no less! > > Righteous justice either way. Ageist! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/83 "2010-03-02T17:29:55Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Well, speaking for myself, I would have been every bit as pleased with the turn of events if the races were flipped and some 67-year-old black guy taught some younger punk white guy a lesson after he came over and swung at the 67-year-old—while he was sitting down, no less! > > Righteous justice either way. I just don’t see what the lesson that’s being taught here is. It’s not OK to hit someone if they can hit back? Great lesson. I’m just not seeing why seeing someone get hit–no matter who it was–is cause for celebration. I don’t think either of those guys were in the right, but why be happy at either of them getting hurt? I’m just not that gung ho on violence, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/84 "2010-03-02T17:33:46Z")
Why do you hate America? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/85 "2010-03-02T17:36:01Z")
That damned American pie you speak so highly of gave me the runs! And Mom beat me like a red headed step child. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/86 "2010-03-02T17:42:33Z")
This situation is perhaps the one time where an image macro has clarified the situation for me. I saw a Yo Dawg/EBG image macro that went like this: Xhibit [happy, eager face]: “Yo dawg, I herd u liek mudkips” EBG [frontin’ stance]: “I’M GONNA FUCK YOUR SHIT UP!” Xhibit puts on pensive face It works so well in my gut that I believe that even if Amber Lamps guy were really friendly initially EBG would still have looked for a fight. Then again you can’t assume that Amber Lamps was since you can only extrapolate from Amber Lamps guys on-screen bellicosity. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/87 "2010-03-02T18:05:48Z")
> [@magellan01](#): > > Well, speaking for myself, I would have been every bit as pleased with the turn of events if the races were flipped and some 67-year-old black guy taught some younger punk white guy a lesson after he came over and swung at the 67-year-old—while he was sitting down, no less! > > Righteous justice either way. I’ll say it again: The black guy is **50 years old**. He is not some young punk. I will also say there is a limit to how much verbal abuse anybody should be expected to take peacefully from some racist jackass. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/88 "2010-03-02T18:19:08Z")
In the white trunks, we have mentally unstable. In the black trunks, we have under the influence of alcohol. Ain’t public transit the cat’s ass. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/89 "2010-03-02T18:44:06Z")
I will take another wild guess and say that if the black guy was a regular on the bus he probably deserves more blame than if he just had to take the bus that one day. Why? Because I think the reason the Amber Lamps girl didn’t get fazed when this happened is that EBG is a regular on the bus and always does crazy stuff like that. So if you knew him you’d know he’s mentally unstable and you shouldn’t listen to his insults. Not that this excuses either EBG (just cause you’re crazy doesn’t mean you can’t be polite) or the black guy in any case (if you regularly step up when someone’s mildly insulting you it’s not too good either), but I’d be slightly more forgiving of the black guy if he didn’t know this guy was crazy. But I’ve ridden the bus regularly with crazy people and it’s weird how much people both get used to them and treat them increasingly poorly at the same time. Just my 2 cents, I may be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/90 "2010-03-02T22:53:53Z")
> [@spoke-](#): > > What “kid?” The guy who got beaten up was 50 years old himself. Old enough to know better. > [@](#): > > Also, there was **no** punch to Beard Guy’s face. He is just lying about that, yet several posters seem to have convinced themselves it’s true. Watch again. The black guy sort of half-punches, half-shoves Beard Guy in the _torso_, and Beard Guy goes off. It was an assault. He threw the first punch. maybe he just has lousy aim and should give up fighting (or whatever he calls that nonsense). I don’t care if he punched him in the face or kicked him in the nuts. He took the first shot. > [@](#): > > I’m with you **Freudian Slit**. There is a little too much glee in this thread. And it stinks of racial scorekeeping. Racial? I am more than willing to say they are both a couple of assholes. But Amber Lamps does not get a pass for the color of his skin. That would be racism too. He should feel lucky he didn’t get worse; there are some far tougher and meaner people wandering around. If some stranger attacked me, I’d fuck him up, whether he connected or not, and I’m not tough. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/91 "2010-03-02T23:16:47Z")
I popped in on /b/ right when the meme was born. It was a sight to behold. Anyhow, did the guy say “Amber Lamps?” I’ve heard “Am-BOO-lance” and “Am-BUH-lance”, with “lance” pronounced like the name “Lance”, in AAVE. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/92 "2010-03-03T05:13:35Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I popped in on /b/ right when the meme was born. It was a sight to behold. > > Anyhow, did the guy say “Amber Lamps?” I’ve heard “Am-BOO-lance” and “Am-BUH-lance”, with “lance” pronounced like the name “Lance”, in AAVE. This is another thing that makes me think this thread has gone all racial: all the focus on the black guy’s pronunciation of “ambulance.” Ha ha ha, doesn’t the black “punk” talk funny? Ho ho ho, isn’t it great he got his ass kicked? I’m pretty sure if this was a fight between two black guys or between two white guys on the bus it would not have generated so much interest, nor a point-and-laugh thread on the Dope. (These comments are not directed at you, **elmwood** , but at earlier posts.) ---
**Author:** ![Lunchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Lunchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunchy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/93 "2010-03-03T13:08:13Z")
EBM is a litter ill, sure. However, his story is MUCH more consistent than the black guys. If you listen to be beginning of the video, you will hear that it sounds like the black guy initiated the convo. Then if you watch the interview with the camera woman, she goes from admitting the black guy overheard EBM while using ebonics, to collaborating with the black guy’s story not using ebonics. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/94 "2010-03-03T13:12:49Z")
OK, watched it again, I saw the black guy kind of move towards the white one, and then the ass beating commenced. I’m not really seeing that as him throwing a punch, though. Commence the eye rolls. ---
**Author:** ![Lunchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Lunchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunchy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/95 "2010-03-03T13:19:29Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > OK, watched it again, I saw the black guy kind of move towards the white one, and then the ass beating commenced. I’m not really seeing that as him throwing a punch, though. Commence the eye rolls. Your joking or I read that wrong? How small is your monitor? Are you watching the video from a cell phone? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/96 "2010-03-03T13:54:05Z")
I’m watching it on a laptop. It just didn’t look like a punch to me. All I saw was the black guy moving forward and the white guy then grabbing at him. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/97 "2010-03-03T13:59:45Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > OK, watched it again, I saw the black guy kind of move towards the white one, and then the ass beating commenced. I’m not really seeing that as him throwing a punch, though. Commence the eye rolls. In a [later radio interview](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I1r3dhMUO4), the smaller fellow says that he himself is 50, that he threw the first punch, and that he was under the influence of alcohol. ---
**Author:** ![Lunchy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Lunchy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunchy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/98 "2010-03-03T14:01:06Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > I’m watching it on a laptop. It just didn’t look like a punch to me. All I saw was the black guy moving forward and the white guy then grabbing at him. Ahh, maybe my monitor is too big, and causing some sort of optical illusion. Could of swore I seen him get punched in the upper torso region, maybe the slight impact I seen was yet again another illusion manufactured by my monitor. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/99 "2010-03-03T16:09:48Z")
How come every time they interview Epic Beard Man he goes off on some crazy ass tangent? In one of the videos he was screaming about one thing or the other, then started crying about his mommy. What the hell? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568/100 "2010-03-03T16:19:37Z")
_looks around_ _He’s crazy._ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-society-coming-to/529568.md?page=6)