NOTE: All timestamps are in the future because WE are in the future. The care takers of Midnight Ridazz.com reserves the right to remove, edit, move or delete anything for any reason. None of the opinions expressed on these boards represent the Midnight Ridazz nor can anyone purport to speak on behalf of Midnight Ridazz.
I give credit to Jarod Leto for realizing what an interesting community this is and for stepping up and making us a central part of the vid.
As for the naysaying I think it mostly stems around the fact that it felt to many that a talent hungry production company just kind of snuck up and paid some people in the community to recruit the rest of the community without really bein up front about it. It all kind of feels KGB or something. Like does this person really like 30seconds to Mars or is he/she ring paid to promote this.
We all know A lot of hollywood shit is for little or no pay. And Everyone knows what attention whores we all are and this is a yet another opportunity to exploit that. Fuck it we are what we are. But we are also a unique talent and backdrop. No production company could afford this if we really were to be paid what we deserve as even extras let alone costume and bicycle rental.
What I feel should have been the strategy......
Jarod Leto himself could have got on here and put in a word about what he wants to do. Just be right up front. "I like what you guys are doing. I want to base my next video on a ride. I promise to respect your unique and loving community and make sure you are represented in the best light sincerely Jarod" I mean, I'm really bad with actors. This guy could be a superstar and perhaps is too high level to engage in a forum like this. I digress.
Next move: Hire everyone from this community for the production itself. Has the guy seen all the videos and films that guys like studiodrome and bicililler lee have done? Studiodrome has shown at sundance for cries sake.
We have every role covered, directors, editors, actors, location scouts, costume designers, production coordinators, messengers... Pay everyone at least a lil somethin' and feed us with beer, vegan food, beer and smoke us out too.
There you have it.
Well that's not all.... Come ride with us more Jarod and help us bring attention to the general public about cycling infrastructure.
While it does give Jared Letho some cred that he has actually been on some rides, as with many things in this world a little direct, (and when possible) face-to-face interaction goes a long way towards mitigating misunderstandings.
I realize that he's a "celebrity" and such things may not be easy, but in my opinion he should get out there on more rides, come on the forum and interact with the population of Ridazz if he wants to use our "unique" talents. When Studiodrome put out a call for extras, people were happy to do it because he know that he's one of us.
Yes, and while we're at it, let's stop global climate change and genocide, feed all the starving people on the planet, find an infinite source of water, cease to use currency, stop giving the taliban reasons to hate america, and all share everything in a big huge world-wide hippy love fest.
So I tired hard to keep my mouth shut about this whole Jared Leto thing,but I disagree with just about every part of this.First people expecting to get paid to ride there bike in a video.Ok,my problem is if you really LOVE riding your bike you wouldn't need to get paid to ride it in a video.If the project is something you don't support and respect enough that you would do it for free and you need to be paid just to ride your bike in said project,well then you are not only selling this commuity short but yourself as well.Going furter with my complait I must ask do any of you know what the finished product is really going to look like?Does this video show that riding a bike is a fun and eco friendly way to commute?Will you all be show as hardcore 30 seconds to mars fan?Maybe it will show that Jared is "Core Elite" and he has been in the MR scene fighting the good fight and taking back that streets with us all along.Whatever the case in the end this will show the world what we do and a small glims of what we are about,and guess what none of you have any creative control over what happens in the end.I have nothing against Mr.Leto,his acting or his band (I myself am big fan of many band in that same genre).I am not a fan of outsiders coming in to this scene,which was build on grassroots,word of mouth,DYI ethics and making money or cool points off our backs.Where were his cameras when that girl got knocked off her bike at LACM a year or two back?where were the film crews when that Hummer took out stillines tall bike?Why has Funderstorm never opened for his band?!!!Why because he wasn't there when this shit was hard,when it wasn't cool.It really makes me sad to see something I love so much being sold so cheap.
Babygato! I see your point. And I could hear your voice directing your perspective. But why not just participate for the fun? In the name of EFF YOU ENN? For the sake of riding your bike with your friends on closed streets when they are ours. Whatever the reason may be. I want to see you. i want to laugh and be silly and dress up with you! We arent selling ourselves short when we can get awesomeness out of it. People look to L.A. for amazement! Its about time they realize it, n whatever means of exposure that might be.
it seems like everyone thinks there is some crazy dark strategy behind these videos and what not...
Can't it be as simple as, '"ow we support being more eco friendly, these ridazz are fucking awesome and wild.. Defintiely the new rising of concious people in the world... OMG I GOT IT!!! Lets put them in our video.. Yo, you know any of these guys? See if they'd want to... We can pay them too! I want this to be LEGIT, not some hiring actors shit... Wow i'm excited. Get on the phones!!!"
HENCE why this whole bike thing is SO last minute and they've gone TO the ridazz themselves instead of trying to mimic... It's easier for them and for us... wait..
I just realized i'm bored of thinking and typing about this quote issue unquote.
I am STOKED!!! BORFO I"LL SEE YOU THERE HOMIE!!
richtotheie responding to a comment by blackout_blacklung
10.11.09 - 2:08 am
YOU SAID IT THE BEST. THERE IS NO MORE TO IT. RB UNDERSTOOD THE PRINCIPLES AND THE SYSTEM THE BEST. GIVE EVERYONE A LITTLE SOMETHING, MAKE IT FUN, UNDERSTAND US, WHAT ARE YOU RIDING FOR, WHERE ARE YOU RIDING TO, WHO ARE YOU RIDING WITH, WHAT ARE YOU RIDING ON, DO YOU GET HUNGRY? WANT A BEER? HEY I'M A MUSICIAN, I HAVE A BUNCH OF WEED, HERE! THIS IS FUN! WOAH! I'M GOING TO TELL ALL MY CITY OFFICIAL FRIENDS HOW MUCH MORE AWESOME A BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION CITY IS!
I give credit to Jarod Leto for realizing what an interesting community this is and for stepping up and making us a central part of the vid. -RB
He went to some rides, if not ONE. He never showed that realization, and the Ridazz ARE NOT a central part of the video. He funded a shady project that sleighted Ridazz for their creative energies, by paying a select few Ridazz a little - and other Ridazz NOTHING.
TO YOU GUYS THAT WENT: Your energy was bought out, and with ease. Think about how much it cost the production company to close down the streets. Tens of thousands, certainly. Think about how much you were paid, and how much you will have given to this video. Even if "30 Seconds" is your favorite..um.. "artist", and Jared Leto is your fucking husband sancho sugardaddy, you better rekanize: you gave his video a soul, and for very little money.
I went with my niece Laura who is visiting from out of town. SUCCESS!
1. I got her to ride a bike which she was reluctant to do but she did anyway so she could be in a music video.
2, She got to text all her friends that she was in a music video, 30 minutes after landing at LAX.
3. She liked riding a bike. She may do it again.
4. She got her Hollywood fix. It would have cost us 60 bucks a head to go to Universal studios.
5. We saw Jared Leto. He wasn't an asshole. But he does look like an actor.
6. We got a free sandwich and a red bull. They are still in my bag.If you want them, hit me up next time you see me.
7. After two hours we got bored and left. Had dinner in Chinatown.
Some ridazz were surprised to see me there. I told them I've been selling out to Hollywood for 20 years why would I be afraid to be seen in a lame ass music video.
It beats punching a clock for a living.
Granted that I didn't go for the money.
I went to entertain my niece and to help out my friends who were earning a paycheck out of this.
Agreed, needless to say . . . I don't get all the responses claiming that music videos are lower-budget (I wouldn't say that about any of the music videos I've worked on!) and that because we love bikes we shouldn't need to be paid to do this. I don't know what kind of budget these guys had, but given that they shut down a number of streets and apparently took over the SM Pier, they can/should afford to pay a fair wage to the riders . . . not that that would make it RIGHT for me that people were selling out, just better. It's a music video, not a charity. They probably spent much more on catering than they did for the Ridazz, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Ridazz weren't allowed to eat the same food as the crew.
I think that this video shoot should be re-named the Midnight Suckazz ride.
This is silly. I haven't been reading up on this stuff until now... (which was a great idea... why am I here?) but this is just too silly, I had to say something.
I didn't go to the shoot for many reasons. Some being that I don't like the band, I didn't care to be in a video, and I'd rather sleep tonight.
But, I don't see why people are being so butt hurt about not being compensated and not having Jared Leto giving everyone a hand-written invitation. It's simple. If you wanted to do it because you thought it'd be fun, or you feel it's some kind of privilege, then you could go and have fun! It's not like they brought their cameras to one of our rides and stole something from our community without consent . If you wanted to give them your services in exchange for possible fun and "look ma i'm on tv!" you could do it. If that sounded like a shit deal, like me, then you didn't go.
I don't like this whole notion of Midnight Ridazz as an entity with a price (and at that, a high one... with bike rentals and costumes and extras and priceless energy). We're just a group of individuals who ride bikes together. As individuals we can determine our own worth and decide what we do with our time.
So for those of you who went, I hope you had a good time and got what you wanted out of it.
For those who didn't go, I hope you enjoyed your day as well.
I just got home and wrote this up, planned on starting a new thread, then saw Liz' post and thought maybe we're saying some of the same things, so:
Fun as a Commodity?
OK, so I’ve been mulling about this video shoot for a few days.
I hope it goes well for everyone involved. I hope that everyone involved in the making of this video has the best intentions, the greatest talents and the highest sensitivities. I hope it’s an enjoyable experience for those that participate and that they can put a few dollars in their pockets for their time. I hope it exposes the Los Angeles bike culture to a wider audience in a positive way and puts more people on more bikes on more streets. I really do want and hope all those things.
But although the inevitable arrival of this day was predicted long ago I’ve decided that what bothers me the most is the impression that somehow the thing that we did because it was fun and free has been turned into a commodity.
I realize none of us are pure and that we all live to some degree or another within a capitalist system, that very little is given for nothing and that we all have bills to pay. I understand that there are friends of mine here that work in the industry and this an opportunity for them. And yet Midnight Ridazz has long resisted charging anybody for anything. No dues to pay, no club to join, no uniform to buy. Think back to the early days – and if you don’t know your history, consider learning it.
So maybe I’m a naive and sentimental middle-aged Marxist, but I chose not to be at the shoot tonight, but that doesn’t mean I pass judgment on anyone who was there. We all do what we feel we need to do, or just what we think might be a good time. I’m usually cautiously optimistic and like to think things will work out.
“ I could be right, I could be wrong” - PiL
mr rollers responding to a comment by canadienne
10.12.09 - 12:01 am
I'll fully admit its fucking awesome that they were featuring specific riders and really shooting them too and focusing on them for this video, namely people like Richie, Fuzz, Alec, Candy Cane, etc. it was surreal and amazing to know that they're actually going to be really shown. true riders.
and hopefully this is positive for the bike scene, i don't know if it will be, and if it is, thats really awesome, more people should be riding bikes.
I guess what bothers me is yeah, i shouldn't have expected to be paid, i guess its really not a big deal, but if you say you're going to pay someone, send them that confirmation email, and then refuse to, thats pretty lame. it also kind of sucked that in order to actually recieve free actual food that wasnt just a a pbj or a redbull, you needed the wristbands that they gave out only to those they were paying [ which was probably 75 people out of like.. 500. ] if they're expecting you to dedicate 12 hrs, at least resciprocate the favor a little bit.
i shouldn't have expected it, and yeah i did go out to support friends like Lauren who was involved in the planning, and to show that i do truly love riding my bike, and ultimately it was a good time, and interesting to see how they were shooting it [ and meeting people is always great ] but don't say you're going to do something and then don't do it.
i really feel bad for all those people on cruisers that had to ride up the 6th street bridge over 10 times. seriously.
id also like to say, when Shawn and Alix were looking for extras, i would have NEVER asked for compensation. i consider them friends, and for friends i would never expect people to pay me for my time, because at that point, its a favor, and its treating others how you wish to be treated. and i would hope that one day if i had done someone a favor such as that, that hopefully they'd do a favor back, if it means lending a tube or being an extra on a short film such as theres was.
but theres a distinct line on doing something for people who have distinctly given something/ some part of them selves to a community you love, compared to people you dont know and probably will never know.
also, sorry to be whiny, im actually really sick [ getting over the flu ] but i went anyway to support Lauren [ and hopefully make some money to pay atom back for a favor he did for me that i supremely appreciated. ] and i was just hungry. it turned out i couldn't eat the food anyway [ everything had bread pretty much, and i cant eat gluten. ], but before that, i was unable to get food and had zero cash on me, so i was pretty allovertheplace. not to mention it took me 4 hrs to get my floor pump back from production, or i would have left way earlier.
before someone gives me shit for asking for cash, i just want to point out that i volunteered for 5 DAYS, ALL FUCKING DAY for each one of those days [ mostly in the gallery. ] for the bicycle film festival, and did not expect nor recieve compensation, and i don't regret it one bit. i had a great time and met great people and it was definitely a great experience that i'll remember always. so i am not against volunteering for the greater cause [ my internships should also show this. jesus christ, i work too much for free. ]
Regardless, i didn't view this as a beneficial event for the community, and was told i'd be paid, at least in fucking food, and wasn't so. i think i'd have a right to be annoyed.
Our next performance is still under negotiations with the Turkish Embassy, The SPCA, and West Hollywood. Our contracts clearly state claims to full access to unlimited peacocks but our lawyers have issues with the altitude involved.
Getting paid to be an Extra in their Video: $100 + tacos
Arguing with others that you did this for the money, and that its not your fault the rest of bike culture is making fun of the video:
PRICELESS.
Good job.. Leto's bike looks as expected.
Good thing I dont believe this MR phenomenon talk either... we rode bikes, wore costumes and drank beer... nothing we havent been doing since childhood. We're not that special... just have fun
some might recall when No Doubt made that music video that was supposed to be filmed in an underground.... and Gwen was trying to mimic the dance moves all the "cool" kids did to R.A.W. and Mr. Kool Aid.
Then KROQ broadcasted from... fuck was it... Narnia? I dont remember.. i think it was the event on the Indian reservation...
The were talking over the radio, and each DJ was trying to establish how "in the know" they were...
Jed the Fish: "wow, there are mushroom people everywhere"
Kat: "Is this your first Rave? Oh shit...(can i say that on the air)...Ive been dancing with bike reflectors since the first Double Hit Mikey."
Anyhow... it always happens... just some are quicker to give up on keeping less mainstream... hope everyone had fun...
THE DEATH IS NEAR
md2 responding to a comment by _iJunes
10.12.09 - 12:13 pm
"When the WORLD hears about MR they will come here..."
"we are the phenomenon"
"it mostly stems around the fact that it felt to many that a talent hungry production company just kind of snuck up and paid some people in the community to recruit the rest of the community without really bein up front about it. IT ALL KIND OF FEELS LIKE KGB or something."
-------
First, the WORLD will here about us... US being THE phenomenon.... and any outside interest in finding local L.A. riders, is like being infiltrated by the KBG.... or something
md2 responding to a comment by Joe Borfo
10.12.09 - 12:39 pm
Not hearing too much from the peeps that were there leads me to believe they're feeling a bit cheap and dirty. Kinda like being used?
Not like we didn't tell you. I'm feeling a bit disheartened that there was some ridazz that kinda conned you guys into doing this. Other than Marino, no of the others disclosed that they were being paid for hyping this. Well Marino wasn't paid, but he was saying stuff to support some other coworkers. But Alec, Richie, and FatThighs never bothered to disclose why they were hyping this. I'm thinking either FatThighs didn't want to hype this any more cause she was uneasy doing so, or negotiations fell apart on how much she was getting paid. Borfo was just supporting her more than anything is my take on his angel.
The argument alot of people were making was that why should anyone get paid for doing something they love doing I'm sure came to light after the night was over. Wasn't too much fun riding up and down 6th street bridge was it? Neither was it like riding. Well again, we tried to tell you.
In the future try to be a little suspicious of characters that show up for rides and then bails in the middle of all of them. He might not be into the rides like you think. Not sure how to deal with people you trust that hype the thing for monetary gains and don't disclose it. Stop trusting them would be a start.
meow, a lot of people there had bought their bikes that day / rented bikes / were hired actor extras. so yes, im talking about people that actually ride bikes more than once a year.
You know what's more fun than not getting paid to ride over a bridge repeatedly for a night? Not getting paid to whine about it on the internet for days on end! Seriously, let's keep this going. I don't think we're feeling quite as superior to our friends as this fiasco merits.
i was there, it was half boring and half interesting.
the first few times going up the bridge, it took everybody so long :-
supposedly theres a picture with a bunch of cruisers walking their bikes up hah
I feel bad for those who thought they were at least going to be treated like human beings and compensated is a small way. Sitting around in the cold for 12 hours must suck. For those that did get paid and tacos double win.
No one is feeling superior here. I personally am enjoying this because leto is a douche.
Foldie responding to a comment by canadienne
10.12.09 - 1:49 pm
Days on end????? The shoot was less than 24 hours ago, and the next one is scheduled tonight? I got a better idea, why not avoid any threads with "Leto" in the title? Simple yeah?
User1 responding to a comment by canadienne
10.12.09 - 2:19 pm
I really don't like how some people got the email and some didn't. I do like though, that I will be able to pay my rent this month because of this video shoot. I don't feel used, just a little tired but better fed than I've been all week. It was definitely work, and I did my job.
Unless anyone else here was interested in hooking me up with a gig, this totally came through this month.
If anything good comes out of the video, I'm glad I was part of it.
there was a definite wage discrimination between those that did receive and respond to the email and those who didn't.
I got $100 and I expect the same at the end of tonight's shoot. Yup, less than minimum wage, but being able to do what I'd be doing anyways, plus free pbj sandwiches, burrito, swedish fish, sour patch kids, m&m cookies, chex mix, water, farmer boy breakfast sangwich, cuddle puddle, deet deet deet, sleeping on the street, kafourki sky surviving, and hanging out with the people I love, weren't too bad either.
with no job, this really came through on the bills, im down there tonight. chillin with every1 is what i do regardless, and to ride an hour and a half more than what i usually do for 100 bucks was sick.
Im not going to be there anywhere close to as long as last night .. If I wake up for the 10 spot in Hollywood I will roll but to be to be honest... Im beat .. I stayed all 12 hours and went from the shoot to work for another 8 hours at the 9 - 5 .... bad idea ... I'm swamped .. running on low sleep ... Who am I kidding .. It was fun as hell ...
I am wining and not whining. Today is a holiday so I aint got shit to do. Oh well I guess I could have spent my time more wisely like say 12 hours listening to some shitty band while I pretend to be on a midnight ridazz ride.
Foldie responding to a comment by OsnapsonJC
10.12.09 - 4:44 pm
"Lucky fans got to share a late night bike ride with Jared Leto and his fellow 30 Seconds to Mars band members! The band invited fans to come and participate in the shooting of their latest video. The footage will be used for the group’s next single, “Kings and Queens”
Ha there is a craiglist ad for tonight:
Looking for extras for music video shoot. Must bring a bike. Fixed gear bikes preferrable. Cool, weird characters. Punk, goth, hipsters.
Meet at 4PM at Ocean & Colorado in Santa Monica and plan to shoot all Monday night (Oct 12th)
Looks like Perez Hilton picked this up and posted something. Ridazz beware of peeps out there. They may not get the concept of hold your line quite yet.
Who had no idea who the hell Jared Leto was until he tried to recruit "Midnight Ridazz" to be in his video?
Being broke, I was actually on the fence about maybe doing the shoot. Then I tried listening to his band's shitty music. Dear God. I am way too vain to allow myself to be associated with that crap. Its one saving grace may be that it's so utterly forgettable.
Soooo... maybe anyone who feels used after going to the shoot can take solace in the fact that this will have no cultural impact whatsoever? Let's hope.
im pretty sure we were discussing amongst ourselves that most of us, besides the people from the non midnight ridazz community that were there, weren't fans of the band.
"Soooo... maybe anyone who feels used after going to the shoot can take solace in the fact that this will have no cultural impact whatsoever? Let's hope."
hahaha TMZ, Extra and ET will all have an expose on this.
and bro.... re-reading what you wrote earlier... you do realize you are talking "old world" concepts. that selling out shit is waaaaaaay old concepts dude. I didnt even bother mentioning that before the shoot. it doesnt register these days what "selling out" means. I figured if you gonna sell out at least make sure that you get paid when you sell out.
Roadblock responding to a comment by nathansnider
10.13.09 - 9:56 am
I think a number of us were trying subtlety and not so subtlety... to say:
Do What You Want, BUT.. big mother fucking BUT...
This is a 30 Seconds to Mars Vid.
And if you want to be apart of this, dont pretend its about the money (cause we know what its really about). If you participated--we know why--and it wasnt the money.
Just do it and have fun... but...big mother fucking BUT... its a 30 Seconds to Mars Video.
TV is a bitch
md2 responding to a comment by Roadblock
10.13.09 - 10:06 am
sorry, but no matter how you spin it... its not looking too good.
---
But in all fairness, I like Jared Leto... I just dont want to tell people or for people to find out... I spent 24 hours on a 30 seconds to Mars video shoot, for enough money to cover a couple of dinners for my girl and I.
If i need that kind of cash... I can just subject myself to focus groups, and help researchers know whether the new Sprite commercial appeals to my brown ass
md2 responding to a comment by spiraldemon
10.13.09 - 10:50 am
which is why i didn't return the next day. 12 hours for $100 so isn't worth it. especially when you realize that they did see us as a way to get cheap or free talent.
some people just like to hate, i guess. don't hate on the ridazz like you know exactly why they did this video shoot. hate on the production company and whomever was responsible for exploiting us. i feel like a used whore. i sold out la bike culture and am ashamed. but at least i was on my bike. unlike many of you haters whom i never see.
coldcut responding to a comment by md2
10.13.09 - 1:52 pm
little bichass.... u got more money than I did huh? I wish my skin could change colors on demand.
annnyways. Considering we started at 6, I only did 3 hours of shooting last night, then I took my friend home cuz she had work this morning. When I came back we were already going to Hollywood. Got to eat a measly 2 tacos and when I was ready to roll, my chain fatefully broke, they wanted me to use Emile's awesum fuckin lowrider, but i was like naaah thats his bike, he should ride it.. tried out the little mini-bike for one take and was like fuckit, I wanna ride my bike. then I got lost somewhere until it was time to get paid. cha-ching!
so I heard there was a circle of death? FUCKING DAMNIT!!
The shoot last night in Santa Monica was actually fun for about an hour. They broke about 12 of us off to fly through traffic, pedestrians, and parking structures. There were some crashes but everything was good. There wasn't the ridiculous hassle of waiting around and moving on and off the street. Then it went to Hollywood where we promptly took off to Diddy Riese and some bars only to return every once in a while to see if they had changed shots. We left at about 2:30am after we found out we wouldn't be paid like the night before. It was something of some bullshit. The paper they gave us the night before said to meet at the pier at 5:30, however, to be paid we had to meet and sign in at 4:00. Swindled.
I didn't go for the money but if I was staying passed 4 or 5 like the previous night, then I was definitely going for some money. I am unemployed after all.
Besides I only sell out if I go corporate for a big fat paycheck.
The whole reason I chose this route was the diversity in career paths this single degree will provide me. Not all of us are the stereotype we are portrayed as..which means many of us ARE sticking it to the man. It's just all the rich slimeballs you hear about.
blame the production company, not the individual. if the company paid a fair wage, any argument would moot. it's just a job. nobody was forced to do anything. but, people expect to be compensated for doing any job. if they're misled into believing they'd be paid, whose fault is it? certainly not the unemployed, probably desperate individual.
i do feel somewhat responsible, but in the end, not really. capitalism makes good people do crazy things. you exploit yourself everyday by selling your labor.
coldcut responding to a comment by md2
10.13.09 - 2:22 pm
like PC said... all the good (worthy of being addressed) questions were asked ahead of time.
Shit.. Im poor too... but what the fuck... is that an excuse to jump into a gig that:
1. The terms of pay were not specified (and we all knew this)
2. You never received an official notification stating you would be paid (but you still attended)
3. If everyone was misled, that sucks... i thought there was enough warning to suggest... hey, it doesnt look like we really know if were getting paid for this...
But okay fine... Fuck the production company... there... we're all on the same page.
md2 responding to a comment by spiraldemon
10.13.09 - 2:25 pm
+1 coldcut
Everyone is guilty of selling out. That's our system. Sell your labor, sell your knowledge, sell your body. What's the alternative? Under the Soviet Union Bolshevik artists expected the State to pay them to make art, instead of having to create art for rich people who they despised. The Soviet government unfortunately didn't have enough money to pay artists...so (gulp) they had to sell their art to the capitalists pigs to make ends meet.
Everyone will one day sell themselves...even if right now your parents ( who sold themselves) are supporting you.
in a capitalist society, no matter how much you make, or what you do, you're still exploiting yourself and being exploited for your labor. more money blinds you into thinking that you're not. but you are. you can't escape it. unless you own the means of production. and even then, the upper echelon of society still owns you.
culture of not having to feel ashamed that I was used by a production company (at least yet).
--Im brown too... its not excuse. Sorry if you guys rushed into this thing and are trying to save face. Its really not a big deal... no one really cares... i just think its funny that most of us predicted this would happen.
Maybe your big break is gonna happen soon. Cross your fingers... Im just a naysayer
md2 responding to a comment by coldcut
10.13.09 - 2:35 pm
Friend 1: "Fuck, why did I just do that"
Friend of Friend 1: "Dont worry everyone does that sort of, i mean kind of, in a way"
Friend 1: "But I didnt have to"
Friend of Friend 1: "If they say anything, just try to explain this is how the world operates, and they are guilty too, in one way or another."
Friend 1: "Genius"
Friend of Friend 1: "Yeah, but fuck, what you did might be on TV... or the internet...(forever?)."
Friend 1: "At least I was on my bike... that counts, right? right? no? fuck... what else can use?"
md2 responding to a comment by coldcut
10.13.09 - 2:40 pm
maybe you and I have a different definition of exploitation, coldcut.
To me, to be exploited means one is being taken advantage of by another for that other's gain.
but if you are on your own terms ( I work when I want) and you get paid enough so that another person isn't making profit on YOUR labor, to me that's not exploiting yourself.
basically as long as no one else is making profit on YOUR labor besides YOU, you can't be exploited...you can't be exploited by yourself.
you sound like someone who isnt content, but still cant do anything about it, and still participates in capitalist like projects, and then is tormented by his/her decisions
md2 responding to a comment by coldcut
10.13.09 - 2:46 pm
I only went the first night and made more than enough money to pay what I had to pay for until I get paid tomorrow .. But you are right ... I was a greeter at Abercrombie for 3 years to pay my way through school ... I look back on that as the ultimate way of exploiting myself .. I was making 7.25 an hour, getting free clothes and out of 165 employees I was the token black guy they made a point to always have in the front . I look back 2 years later thinking WTF was I thinking... but you know what sometimes you have to do what you have to pay the bills ...
I was pretty accurate assuming it was going to be fucking lame. From the sign-up at 4:30 on the first day I had stayed at 6th street for a while, went to HP to meetup for a ride, rode back to DTLA and Little Tokyo to get food, stopped and got some drinks at the amazing 'beer store' on Soto, then went back to 6th to dance with all the cool cats still waiting on the bridge. We stayed with the shoot for a couple hours wherein myself and some friends would hit up the previously mentioned liquor store to down some beers every time they stopped at the top of the bridge.
All-in-all, that night was a lot of fun. I guess it because the shoot was barely integrated with the rest of my night. Oh, and I got $100 to buy beer for the next night :]
merrickx responding to a comment by User1
10.13.09 - 2:52 pm
you sound like someone who is content living in a capitalist society.
You sound like somebody who made a bad decision and is blowing a lot of hot air to avoid admitting it. It's OK, I make 'em too...but owning up to it it is the adult way out, no?
PC responding to a comment by coldcut
10.13.09 - 2:53 pm
I went and checked this out in Hollywood for a little while last night. I took some photos. I talked to some people to see what they thought. I was curious of how they were shooting it.
My favorite part of the evening was when a hired extra on a bike took a glance at me and said you really ride bikes don't you, I can tell. Also it was recommended to people to reference this website to see what kinds of costumes to wear.
Overall I personally sit on both sides of the fence on this issue. I know a lot of people hate this music video and I know a lot of people who did it. I pretty much agree with what everyone has to say on this subject.
However, I would love to see the production make some contributions to local bicycle organizations. To smooth over the fact of how many people didn't get paid. This was a very expensive production. All the organizers and people involved please get together and convince the record label, the band, any of them to donate to local bicycle organizations.
The song is bad. It's got that 'inspiring distant OHHH sound' that so many songs have. This song is ONLY that OHHHH sound the whole time. It's annoying. It would have been a lot better if they changed it up. As for the lyrics I don't pay attention to them unless the song sounds good. It doesn't, though so I have no idea whether the lyrics are bad or not. /opinion.
merrickx responding to a comment by canadienne
10.13.09 - 3:44 pm
instructions for participating in the video shoot included responding to an email address for further information. those who followed instructions got the information via email. you're making too many assumptions.
666! Right there on Soto, about a block from the top of the bridge, there was a liquor store. The best I've ever seen. They had shelves and shelves of the most obscure beer there. There were these $1.50 shot pouches that looked like Gu packs. They were shots, though and perfect for downing while back with the shoot where we weren't allowed to drink. That liquor store was amazing and not even a block away!
I think I made it about 42 seconds - just trying to give it a chance, but I get the idea. Not the worst thing I ever heard, but not anything that's going to inspire me or most other ridazz. I don't think we'll be hearing this emanating from any music trailer or system anytime soon on any ride (unless it's in an ironic way). [insert name here] died for your sins.
I don't have much to add to my earlier statement (about 1/10 of the way into this thread). Until we have a system that values "production for use" our labors will all be exploited to a greater or lesser degree. Choose wisely whenever possible.
I was a little skeptical before I went to the shoot... my parents both said something to like likeness of "why not!?" and "it's a hundred dollars!" okay, so I was convinced. I decided I was going to check it out, see what it was like, and if I didn't like it, leave. you know, maybe, just maybe, they'll treat us like human beings. well, a few hours in, I'm getting bored. Bored, tired, hungry. I figured, "am I going to let this time go to waste or continue staying here until I get paid?" I decided to stay. i should have known when I saw Jared Leto's bike that I should have left. anyway, the shoot was okay. Jared and the band are nice people, it's just that they ARE celebrities and they don't know what REAL PEOPLE are. that's about it. the production company is even worse... trendy, money hungry, and very unprofessional with the way they handled things. i'll give them the benefit of the doubt; they definitely tried resolving the issue the best they could, but at the end, their true colors were shown. I will gladly and happily admit that I regret going. yeah, everyone was right. Does it make the forum feel any better? No.
All in all, I would say that the hundred dollars was not worth the time and effort put into it. Just like Marcus said, we put a lot of soul into their video for very cheap... and what they expected to be free.
I'm not a bad person for wanting to check it out and wanting to be compensated. No, I don't like the band, but MR was really trying to make it a better time by having our own little "dance parties," "cuddle puddles," and etc, even though 10 hours into it, we knew we were tired.
I would rather be exploited by clothing company forcing me to work very hard for minimum wage in a sweat shop than work for minimum wage for a production company that will have their final product in the media. In fact, I feel like they don't deserve me, and that I hope they don't use the shots I'm in, haha.
My dad edits video. I told him how the video shoot went, and he said that we could sue them. If you really want to, give at it.
I refrain from giving advice as much as possible, but even more so from saying, "I told you so". There's not much good in it - we all need to learn from our experiences, not someone else's.
Chynna, you (and some others here) are wise beyond your years.
I don't judge anybody for doing this shoot - I'm sure for some it was a vital paycheck or maybe a worthwhile or fun experience. But I do judge the production for exploiting the labor of ridazz for sub-minimum wage.
I got to 30 seconds. Kind of a tribute to the band. Actually I was ready to bail before that, but stuck it out. I figured it would sound like the rest of their music, and I was right.
User1 responding to a comment by Joe Borfo
10.13.09 - 11:45 pm
doucehbag actor in a crappy band hires ridazz to gather other ridazz to ride in his music video. production company expects these ridazz to ride for free cos they do it everyday. ridazz only get paid $100 for 13 hours riding up and down the same streets. some are happy, most are not.
Honestly can't wait to see the video. Their other videos have very very high production values. This will in all honestly probably be one of the crispiest looking bike videos to date- especially considering the amount of horsepower that the production company making the video has at its disposal.
Wish I would have had time to check out the shoot, had to work though. Just hearing about some of the shots they got gave me chills.
Talking with Chris Alaska the other day: we wanna remix the song and dub it over! LOL
apparently there's a lot of unusable footage which i had imagined since there were no shocks on the camera mounts from the golf carts!!! But of course, they'll edit around it. I know that the end product wasn't exactly what he had in mind, but it'll work!
No doubt that people whom were involved are stand up..yet my opinion says there were self interest and agendas involved, at no fault of Leto..dont fucken spin it.
I knew someone would eventually justify with some reasoning for allowing the ride for $$ equation into MR.Im glad it was not me.
At least dont try to spin it to some of us with it was just fun,some ridazz wanted it,was a good idea,artist has friends that ride??,it would have been cool to be on video..
On three occasions I was asked to help facilitate filming of rides(MR) and ridazz for a spanish tv network,a magazine and even a band that played for us at MR event.One request seem like great idea to me.YET..I said no because I knew there was this unspoken agreement among the group about this type of thing and I also did not feel 100% right or legit about doing it.Figured, If I had to think about it and how other ridazz would react ,then I was already going in wrong direction.
Why did the idea seem not so bad in this occasion.
The "coolness" and "$$" were just enough.
Another of those things that change in MR and we just have to accept I guess.
Dee, expain something to me... Why is it ok for everyone to come out and help another rider for free on a video so they can profit from it later and NOT ok for people to go out and get paid for a JOB for a video where they are riding their bikes?
This became a JOB... And they dumped almost $20,000 into bicyclists hands!!!
Way better than going to someone not even involved in REAL biking.
-->
Ridazz Roulette!
WHEZ MA MONEY JAY RED!!!
JARED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Poor poor Leto.
For their next video they are going to exploit the Buddhist culture. Asked what they would get paid for being in the video? Answer: Good Karma. 
haha I like the one with Coldcut.
Jerod Borfo?
Looks like he got a new bike for the photo shoot. On Aug 31 he posted this photo to twitter about his new bike.
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So how much did people get paid for this, anyway? ;)
with no job, this really came through on the bills, im down there tonight. chillin with every1 is what i do regardless, and to ride an hour and a half more than what i usually do for 100 bucks was sick.
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is that like a Circle Jerk?
Leto come out and Plaaaayyyyyy
Dude... you never watched "My So Called Life"?
thanks for the great hand job. impressive, considering you were driving
I only make Marino pay, because he's my sugar daddy
It's the NEW RICK ROLL
I went and checked this out in Hollywood for a little while last night. I took some photos. I talked to some people to see what they thought. I was curious of how they were shooting it.
Props to Jared Leto.
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