This is a partial transcript from “Hannity & Colmes,” April 22, 2005, that has been edited for clarity.
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SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Now, I want to warn everybody out there. We’re going to show you some video in this segment that is graphically violent. And if you have young children in the audience, we’re giving you fair warning, we don’t want you to watch it, OK? Three, two, one, all right?
The video comes from two DVDs that are coming out in May. It’s called, quote, “Ghetto Fights 2” and “Wildest Street Brawls 3.” Now, the company releasing the videos — Fall Thru Entertainment — they brag that they showcase, “pimp beatings, gang warfare, backyard brawls and female slug-outs all caught on tape.”
And they say that they’ve sold over half-a-million copies of earlier versions. Now some of the footage, by the way, is so graphic, including an unconscious man having his bloody face stomped on, we can’t show that to you.
Fall Thru Entertainment’s president — they said they wanted to come on “Hannity & Colmes.” But they’re worried about being on camera due to death threats.
So joining us now instead is “Ben” who works with the producers on marketing and selling DVDs. He also says he does not want to use his last name due to death threats that he has received. And joining us is “Paris,” a rap artist, who sees nothing wrong with making money off this stuff.
You don’t mind this, Paris, at all? You don’t think this is selling the lowest-common denominator?
PARIS: Yes, actually I do believe that there is something wrong with it and this is not something that I agree with. I do agree, however, with his right to do it, you know?
HANNITY: I’m not questioning that. But I’m questioning why would anyone do this for money?
PARIS: Listen to me. I agree with you on moral grounds, if that’s what you’re asking. I didn’t come on this to be in opposition to your point-of-view, because I actually do agree with you in that regard.
HANNITY: Well, I’m glad you do. I appreciate that.
PARIS: But understand that the entire industry, the entertainment industry in general, has a habit of doing this and has a habit of profiting off of minority communities, all for profiting. FOX — your parent organization — for example, is guilty of exactly the same thing.
HANNITY: With what?
PARIS: With shows like “Cops,” “Nip/Tuck.”
HANNITY: It’s not the same thing.
PARIS: Oh, please. Come on.
HANNITY: I watch “Cops.” “Cops” is nowhere near this.
PARIS: “Cops” is graphic…
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Hang on a second.
PARIS: But understand that I’m not agreeing with this. OK, let me put that out there. I’m not agreeing with this.
HANNITY: Paris, hang on a second. I want to bring the other guy in here.
Ben, I want to ask you. You are making the money off just the misery and the decay of society. Why would you want to make your money this way?
BEN, GHETTO FIGHTS CONSULTANT: Well, first, let me say we don’t specifically target the urban community. Footage is submitted to us from all over the nation.
HANNITY: Do you put on your thing, “pimp beatings, gang warfare,” do you call this “Ghetto Fights 2” or not?
(CROSSTALK)
PARIS: The Iraq war is the ultimate pimp beating.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: Well, you call it “Ghetto Fights 2,” “pimp beatings, gang warfare, backyards brawls.” Those are your words, not mine.
(CROSSTALK)
BEN: That’s whatever is depicted on these videos.
(CROSSTALK)
ALAN COLMES, CO-HOST: That’s a racist connotation. And you know it. You know that there’s a racist connotation, Ben. And when you say “Ghetto Fights,” that sounds extremely racist. This is how you want to portray the African-American community?
BEN: That is not how I want to portray the African-American community. This is what is happening on the streets of America every night. And we live in an open-market society and a function of that is…
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: I’d like to know, when you talk about beating people unconscious, and stomping on people, and kicking them, how exactly is that entertainment?
BEN: It’s not entertainment to me, but there is…
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: You’re marketing it as entertainment. Your company is called Fall Thru Entertainment. So you’re just contradicting yourself.
(CROSSTALK)
BEN: It is entertainment for some people. And there is a demand for it. And just supply that demand.
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: You’re selling it as entertainment, so don’t back off it now. You’re just contradicting yourself.
(CROSSTALK)
PARIS: FOX News’ non-stop terror coverage of the Iraq war is the ultimate…
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: I want to point out to you about “Cops” on FOX. “Cops” is a morality play. “Cops” actually has people being arrested for this kind of behavior. It’s a little different than this.
(CROSSTALK)
PARIS: A morality play? Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute.
BEN: It’s the same as “Cops,” but the cops haven’t arrived yet.
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: No, they come and arrest the people who do this. That doesn’t happen on your videotape.
(CROSSTALK)
BEN: People have been arrested from our footage.
(CROSSTALK)
PARIS: Did you just say that “Cops” is a morality play?
COLMES: Yes, it is, because people who do this kind of behavior are literally arrested on camera for what they do.
(CROSSTALK)
PARIS: OK. And who is the person that maintains the morality standard? Who is the judge?
COLMES: Well, the show is called “Cops,” by the way.
But let me ask you this, Ben. Would you sell a snuff film?
PARIS: No, I know that. What is that supposed to mean?
COLMES: Ben, I had a question. Would you sell a snuff film?
BEN: No, I would not.
COLMES: So where do you draw the line?
BEN: A snuff film is someone being murdered.
COLMES: All right. So you just beat up somebody up bloody and unconscious, and that’s where you draw the line?
BEN: I’m not beating up anybody. These people are responsible for their own actions.
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: All right. So a snuff film, if somebody gets killed, wouldn’t that be the same answer?
BEN: No, it wouldn’t.
PARIS: You know what is a trip?
COLMES: No, I’m just saying you’re taking no responsibility for this. You’re saying they’re responsible for their own actions. Then why wouldn’t you sell a snuff film if people are killing people on tape?
PARIS: Is this Alan again?
COLMES: Yes.
PARIS: Alan, realize that this is indicative of the entire entertainment industry right now.
COLMES: You are not answering my question.
PARIS: This isn’t Ben. This is Paris.
COLMES: I know. But I understand the question.
PARIS: Especially in hip-hop. I mean, it’s amazing how many journalistic resources are assigned to something like this, and Michael Jackson, and Kobe Bryant and Laci Peterson, and everything. But you don’t talk about illegal wars.
(CROSSTALK)
COLMES: You’re totally avoiding our questions, by the way.
PARIS: You don’t talk about weapons of mass destruction. You don’t talk about stolen votes. You don’t talk about all of these things that occur.
HANNITY: Hey, Paris, let me educate you, Paris. Three thousand Americans were killed. We’re at war to protect this maybe. And maybe you if watch FOX News a little more, you might learn something.
(CROSSTALK)
PARIS: And that’s exactly the problem. Maybe if you and your viewers read a little more, that’s the problem right there.
(CROSSTALK)
HANNITY: That is a problem that you don’t get it. You don’t understand it.
PARIS: No, you don’t read.
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