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neighborhood news update
05-15-2008 Update: Belltown crime videos inspire YouTube parody Seattle P-I Addicted to Crackheads 05-14-2008 - 6:00 PM Was watching Katie Couric the other day, and she said something that made me smile. According to her ... sometimes reality is more entertaining than television. I know what you're thinking. Makes no sense, right? But I was eager to find out for myself. And, thanks to the miracle of the Internet, and a perceptive young Belltownie armed with her Phillips FunCam Camcorder, I had a great opportunity to test that theory by eyeballing some cracklin'-good crackporn. Nope, I'm not kidding. Read on! When Belltown was first settled in the 1980's, the Californians who arrived at this unspoilt place were surprised to find that it was in fact slightly spoilt by the people living here. Hoboes, they called them, and tramps; in the kinder 90's they called them "the homeless," and in the unkinder 2000's, "crackheads." Well, the Californians built their 20-story concrete beach homes here. And nowadays, those lucky enough to live on the lower floors of these mighty bunkers are able to lean over their verandas and look amongst the dumpsters to study and learn from indigenous Belltowners in their natural environs. I have always envied them their ability to enjoy reality without having to leave their homes. 
Now there's good news. 26-year-old [name withheld] lives at Concept One, a concrete condominium super-fortress down on Second. She's spent thousands of hours the last two months chronicling on rugged digital videotape the behaviors and often beguiling misadventures of Belltown's native peoples. "I am shooting and posting videos to shed light on what really happens [in my Belltown]," she explains. She's dumped her findings onto YouTube as a way of giving back to the community.
Excellent! Last night I settled into my lounger with my laptop and a diet soda and readied myself to be entertained by real crackheads, not the television ones.
"Crackhead and Crackdealer Fight." Everybody loves a good crackfight. And they carried on for a time with heated words before shambling off as only crackheads can.
"Hooker Pissing???? #2." A two-parter. A woman in men's clothing - hookers these days! –– takes a half-hearted tinkle. The most popular video in the series.
"Crackheads Playing Football." Our videographer provides a running commentary - "Crackheads can't catch! OMG! LOL!" - as she struggles to both aim and focus her camcorder simultaneously.
"Random Crackheads." Vivid portrayals. Realistic.
Well, you know what they say about reality: that it can be more entertaining than television. And oh, the things I've seen. I've seen crackheads of every shape and nature. I've seen them fight and tinkle and carry on like there was no tomorrow. Hey, Katie Couric? Like everyone else on television, you are completely full of crap.
by William Hodge
Note: the videos in question have been removed from YouTube by the videographer, but there are plenty of others of a similar nature. For example:
"Belltown crackheads smoking crack in alley"
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A message from the publisher of the Messenger: "I've been contributing to the online discourse over this matter, and not everybody's happy with my input. Let me
just say that, though I am a white male over six feet tall with an ugly scowl, I can sympathize with the Belltown peeper. I wouldn't want to be a young female
trying to drive my car into the garage at Concept One Apartments with all those sketchy types around.
But she was far from tactful. She was even cruel. Why was the woman a "hooker"? Why call two street people throwing a football "crackheads"? Why the mocking tone
of her commentary throughout? These people are pathetic, with few choices in life, and as far as I could tell mean no harm to anyone. Maybe the neighborhood could
come up with solutions to this problem that don't convey a basic lack of kindness.
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Part 1 of the Peeper saga: 05-13-2008neighborhood news update Belltown Peeper Makes YouTube Crack Porn "Private" |
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