2.19.10 - 5:20PM
- by
Nick Douglas

Epic Beard Man -- Why It's the Fastest Public Fight Meme Yet

topic:
Videos
MemeTracker
Busted!

[UPDATE: Is Epic Beard Man a liar? See our new post!]

On February 16, 2010, two guys got in a fight on a bus in Oakland. Another passenger caught it on video. Results: One bloody nose, and instant internet history.

The video, shown after the break, is officially titled AC TRANSIT BUS FIGHT I AM A MOTHERF***ER (named for the words on the fight winner's shirt), but the meme has also spread under the names "Amber Lamps" (for the loser's slurred request for an amulance) and "Epic Beard Man" (out of support for the winner).

Fight videos attract crowds. A San Francisco bus fight last October earned nearly a million views on YouTube (and a couple million for copies). A 2007 fight on the NYC subway got 441 thousand views. Fifty-five thousand views for this train fight, nearly 800 thousand for this one. Even a camcorder pointed at TV footage of a fight in India racked up 73 thousand views.

But in three days, the Oakland bus fight has logged over two million views, again not counting hundreds of thousands of views for the multiple exact copies on other accounts (a stupefying if sometimes useful YouTube phenomenon) and followups. It also inspired video remixes, mashups, YouTube replies, spinoffs (there's a cult around a hipster girl silently watching the fight), and surprisingly impressive drawings like the one above. Why all the attention over just another public fight?

Very NSFW language.

1. People love a fight. We've seen how popular the genre is. Conflict is fun. The most-seen nature video of all time is an animal fight: Battle at Kruger, the 36th-most-ever-watched YouTube video. And here was a fight with aggression from both sides.

2. Race is a prickly subject. Not for 4chan, where the fight first got popular. The two men argued about whether the white one was being racist toward the black one. The black guy made the first violent move, but the white guy blew him away with at least nine punches. On 4chan, the party line was that an innocent white guy had beaten an uppity black guy (but in far crasser terms). In some cases, 4chan really is just a slimy, disgusting place. The site's viewers threw around racial slurs. The 4chan-influenced meme-documenting site Encyclopedia Dramatica only slightly watered down the racism, so their coverage of Epic Beard Man is NSFW.

3. Watching this fight is cathartic for everyone, but especially for those of us who've been trapped on a bus or train with argumentative or violent people. The guy who shot last year's San Francisco bus fight said it best: "Just another day on MUNI." Public transit passengers feel helpless and unprotected from the public outbursts they see each day on buses and trains. Everyone wants to see that anger boil over and resolve. Even if that just means that someone gets a bloody nose.

For more history and analysis, as well as more videos of the guys in the fight and the lady who recorded it, as well as video and photo remixes and commentary, see Know Your Meme's definitive page on the Epic Beard Man viral video.

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2.21.10

By Dave

Highest Rank

One minor little observation that is probably obvious to most: Both of these men are disgusting and pathetic. Adults yelling threats of violence and then resorting to physical violence is disgusting. How can anyone prefer man with NO beard over man WITH beard, or vice versa? In grade school boys fight. By middle school and high school a few are still doing it, but most poeple grow up and move on. Yelling and screaming about violence on a city bus and then actually resorting to it is nothing but disgusting.

2.22.10

By Fallacy_Detector

Neutral

If you think people don't fight after middle school. I would suggest you spend a single night sober in any bar in the world and watch the bouncers throw guys out all night long.

I am a bouncer and martial artist for about 12 years, I have small guys swing at me all the time, more often than big guys. (I'm 6'0 210lbs, very small for a bouncer).

In general the issue here is not white v black, old v young... It's guys who THINK they are tough running into people who are ACTUALLY tough and not realizing they are outmatched.

With people so against conflict nowadays it builds a group of people who expect people to back down from them who have never been put in thier place, not by parents nor society. They run into people that are not afraid and who don't put up with thier crap and usually the EBM scene is played out.

I would directly insult you and your stance on things but I know you wouldn't fight back. LOL

2.22.10

By D

Neutral

One observation that is obvious to anyone that sees this video: Both of these men are disgusting and pathetic. Adults yelling threats of violence at each other on a bus and resorting to physical violence? Boys fight sometimes in grade school. By middle school and high school, most mature and move on. A few remain violent. Unfortunately but inevitably most of them end up in jail. Somehow I suppose you can favor man with beard over man with no beard, or vice versa. Bothe are disgusting and need to live AWAY from other people.

2.21.10

By Kappy

Neutral

This man is simply known as Mr. North Beach" during the nineties my friends and I had many conversations with him, sure he was out there, but did not seem aggressive or violent at anytime. Mr. North Beach RULES

3.02.10

By James B

Neutral

A woman by the name of MarieMargrave posted this on sfgate.com: "This clown Tom has been terrorizing people in North Beach for years. He routinely roams around screaming racist/homophobic remarks and everyone in his vicinity. He was also arrested for randomly punching someone in the face in Washington Square Park a few years ago."

2.22.10

By HeavyHitter

Neutral

It is cathartic. It is impossible to avoid the racism in anyone's first reaction to the film. It's the classic domination fantasy, which always sells well in Hollywood. "Make my day, punk." And then you realize that it must be instilled in every child that all races are equal, otherwise this scene will be repeated endless times. That was a scene of ugly violence, and we must be better than that as a matter of something bigger than race: survival and prosperity. Whatever advantages each race has to offer make no diference. Is our survival instinct strong enough to survive?

2.22.10

By tyre

Neutral

when is Ana Kasparian going to apologize to ebm?

2.22.10

By Todd

Neutral

Why did the loser pick u his bag when it was over?

2.22.10

By Steven

Neutral

Aw, he left his bag :(

2.22.10

By Takindown

Neutral

Well that just goes to show that when you mess with a Nam vet there gonnea hurt you lol, that black guy should have just just his mouth not gotten in the white guys face and just left it alone , dumb arse balck guy needed to be taught a lesson in "mind your elders". dont mess with old people folks thats just mean and rude, this is a prime example of what happens when you dont know the situation and you assume that just because there "old" means they cant defend themselves,especially when his shirt reads what it read....Good job Awesome white beard guy.

2.22.10

By monkeybrother9

Neutral

Thats what the black guy gets for trying to start a fight

2.22.10

By Spence

Highest Rank

I love when people defend the girl filming this video about the "Pinky" thing. They say "that was a reference to The Next Friday." That's a stretch, first, but even if it is a reference to that, so what? Does that mean I can walk around quoting obscure, yet offensive lines from books, movies and songs and then act appalled if someone is offended? What if I start quoting Uncle Tom's Cabin or Huck Finn? I can just do that, in a heated, potentially violent situation and I have done nothing wrong? And let's just drop the Pinky thing, she said "beat his white a$$" in a very determined, excited, and angry tone.

2.22.10

By just me

Neutral

Ok here is how I see it. I really hate to see anyone using violence against anyone else, HOWEVER, if you throw the first punch and you get your ass handed to you I think it is your fault entirely. The old guy was threatened and as such had a right to defend himself. He stopped once he felt he was out of danger. Maybe the younger guy should just watch who he starts talking smak to and keep his hands to himself. The punk is just emberassed that he got whipped by a 67 year old man. Anyone who defends him and his actions is an idiot imo. Personally I would like to see more of those little punks get their asses whipped for harassing and robbing and asaulting whomever they feel like. They might think twice before doing it again. He isn't a victim although he tries to put that out there he is just a punk ass loser who got his ass whipped by a 67 year old man. He deserves it and I think it is hillarious! Enough said...

2.22.10

By Just me

Neutral

Ok I would like to say sorry for the hillarious line. A persons pain should never be mocked. The whole situation should just never have happened. The prejudice thing works both ways though and I think people should think before they speak. Including me aparently lol!

2.22.10

By pacox516

Neutral

well he deserved it and he cant press charges xD

2.22.10

By Just me

Neutral

Ok one last thing, and I mean it, I said I was sorry about the "hillarious" comment and I am but I am NOT sorry that he got his butt kicked. He deserved it for hitting an old man. Whatever happened to respecting ones elders? I also think the old guys shirt is hillarious and should have served as a warning... Ok this is me shutting up now.

2.24.10

By blackandwhite_cookie

Neutral

The thing is everyone is looking at this as a race thing, making it oh well since he's white and hit a black guy he's at fault, but then others say well the black guy started it. The thing is i'm sure they were both being a bit prejudice against each other, each said things to anger the other and it escalted way to far, the black guy should have never made it physical in the first place, what because you have a problem with someone violence will solve it? And the white guy shouldn't have hit him either, especially that many times, if anything he should have just gotten off the bus. As for everyone on the bus they shouldn't have been encouraging them. They were both at fault.

2.22.10

By thisguy

Neutral

i love how even after the black guy got completely wrecked, to the point where he's just sitting on the ground with a busted face, holding his head and bleeding, when the old guy is walking away, he's like "....i'll F%#& you up" LOL XD

2.22.10

By Pat. T

Neutral

To be honest, from reading the comments i can see that despite Philly D's view on it people have the usual divided opinions, naturally.

What it looked like to me here was a very threatening black guy with an elderly white man who would not take being threatened. So when they mouthed off to each other, i can imagine the old guy moved away to ease it up a bit. Though his talking provoked the black guy and how the black guy may have hit him first might not be that clear, he was in some ways justified for slamming him back. Cause really, take away race, or swicth em around or whatever. Angry strong old guy vs young man who's tryin it.

It seems this video, and the speculation it has spawned have brought up yet again the thorny subject of racism *sigh* In my personal opinion, i think the black guy got BAX'D and he deserved it. All who disagree, well, you can believe what you want.