AC Transit Bus fight
The AC Transit Bus fight was an altercation between two men aboard an AC Transit bus in Oakland, California, which took place on February 15, 2010, at approximately 12:00p.m. PST. The fight, between Thomas A. Bruso and Michael Lovette, was recorded on video and later uploaded to the video hosting website YouTube, where it became a viral video. As of March 2013, the video has received over six million views on various blogs and websites. It ranked among the top five most viewed videos on YouTube in its first week, but was not included in the official list. The event raised concerns following a number of previous incidents involving violence on the public transport system in Oakland.
An action movie inspired by this incident, Bad Ass, was released on April 13, 2012.
Incident
The incident took place in downtown Oakland on an Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District Line NL bus bound for San Francisco, and involved a black man, identified as Michael Lovette, and an older white bearded man identified as Thomas Alexander Bruso, who later came to be referred to as "Epic Beard Man". The events in the bus were recorded by Iyanna Washington.In the video, Bruso is seen wearing a light blue T-shirt that reads "I AM a Motherfucker" on the back. Bruso is seated across from Lovette near the rear of the bus. Exactly how the argument started is unclear, but the conversation quickly became heated, with Lovette angrily asking Bruso, "Why's a brother got to spit shine your shoes?" Bruso has stated in later interviews that Lovette tried to make his statement racial. Bruso then tells Lovette how he was referring to a person that "was gonna shine his shoes" and that a brother "could be anyone, he could be a Chinaman!" After additional charged exchange, Bruso says, "you ain't scaring this white boy," and walks away from Lovette to the front of the bus.
Much of their conversation is inaudible, and some riders discourage Lovette from approaching Bruso, while others such as Washington encourage him to attack, saying "Say it again, Pinky!" and "Beat his white ass, whoop his ass". When the verbal exchange starts to die down again, Lovette begins walking back to his seat, at which point Bruso yells "I see tough guys like you and I slap the shit out of them!" Lovette responds "What!?", turns around and walks back toward Bruso, and swings at Bruso. Bruso stands and punches Lovette several times, knocking Lovette to the floor. View of the men is lost briefly while Washington moves closer to the commotion; when view resumes, Bruso is shown with Lovette, who is now bleeding from facial injuries, in his grasp. Bruso releases Lovette, exclaiming "I told you not to fuck with me!", and then exits the bus, and is still yelling when the bus makes its next stop. After another exchange, Lovette returns to his seat in the rear of the bus. Washington then takes a bag Bruso left behind and carries it to the back of the bus. Washington offers Lovette the use of her recording if he wishes to press charges, but Lovette never acknowledges the offer, instead requesting an ambulance.
In a second video, Bruso, now on the street, continues to yell about the fight. He loudly mentions Vietnam and kicks a newspaper dispenser before walking away. Both men were treated at a local hospital for their injuries. Bruso underwent psychiatric evaluation at John George Psychiatric Pavilion in San Leandro. Neither man was arrested.
Videographer's response
On February 17, 2010, Washington posted her own perspective of the events on YouTube. In this video, Washington says she hopes to "clear some things up". She goes on later to say, "I would like to apologize to anyone who took offense to any part of this video".Responding to allegations that Lovette was her "companion," Washington makes clear, "I've never seen these two gentlemen ever before in my life", and claims she did not intend to steal Bruso's bag. In a subsequent interview, when asked if he got his "stuff back," Bruso said Sheriff's deputies ultimately did return his belongings, except an identification card and some money, "about three hours later." See @. Washington also appeared in a local CBS news video interview giving her version of events.
Thomas Bruso
Bruso was born in Michigan. In addition to the "AC Transit Fight", another video involving Thomas Bruso was uploaded to YouTube. He was stunned with a taser twice at the Oakland Coliseum by police on August 3, 2009 for sitting in empty seats at a ball game, questioning what he did wrong, then for failing to immediately comply with police officers who demanded he move from the empty section. He was charged with resisting arrest and taken to a psychiatric hospital for evaluation.Interviews with Bruso
Bruso was the subject of several interviews, including one shot in San Francisco by KRON on February 19, 2010. Nathan Hartley Maas, a graphic designer from Portland, Oregon, produced a documentary short entitled I Am a Motherfucker, in which Bruso is interviewed about his personal background, day-to-day activity, and thoughts on his contemporary celebrity status. The documentary was uploaded to YouTube.Homeless
Bruso was reported to have been evicted and homeless in 2011.Spread of the meme
Within a short time of the original video going viral, musical and animated parodies about the fight began to appear on YouTube in a manner similar to the way parodies spread after the "Don't tase me, bro!" University of Florida Taser incident. The Huffington Post called the AC Transit Bus Fight "the fastest growing public fight meme ever". Original songs, remixes, animations, "tributes", and other derivative and reflective videos, slide shows, and photo galleries dedicated to the event and its participants were also hosted at newly opened Internet domains with names that derived from aspects of the event.Amber Lamps meme
"Amberlamps" represents a nonstandard variety pronunciation of the word ambulance, used by Lovette.Within a day after the incident reached meme status, a sub-meme formed in which "Amberlamps" or "Amber Lamps" referred to Lovette's request for an amubulance. Among these was a video mash-up variously titled "Whoa Black Betty Amber Lamps: Epic Beard Man mash up featuring Ram Jam" or "Whoa, Black Betty, Amba-Lamps." This in turn gave rise to a commemorative beer branded as Whoa Black Betty Amberlamps by Irish Viking Brewery.
Shortly thereafter "Amber Lamps," spelled as two words, also came to refer to the young woman who could be seen sitting behind Lovette in the video, listening to music on headphones and ignoring the fight. Amber Lamps then became a second meme, in which Amber Lamps, the unidentified bus passenger, was appreciated for her beauty, passivity, and old-fashioned clothing. Videos such as "Amber Lamps Official music video" and "Amber Lamps Where Are You?" were created in which she was shown on billboards and bus stop posters as if she were a professional model or a celebrity, and her portrait was painted in a formal style.