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Elmo Busted for Being Annoying
2005.12.06 (Tue) 19:30
Hell, we saw this one coming since his very first appearance on Sesame Street:
In plain sight of children and tourists, Elmo -- or at least, a man named Don Harper in a knockoff Elmo costume -- was arrested here by the Los Angeles Police Department. Elmo was taken down by a special task force created to combat a growing nuisance in the Hollywood tourist district: famous costumed characters who try to be photographed with tourists and sometimes badger them relentlessly for tips.
LAPD officers, posing as clueless foreign tourists in front of Mann's Chinese Theater, also busted Mr. Incredible, the superhero from the animated hit "The Incredibles," as well as a man dressed as the villain from the "Scream" movie franchise. All three icons were arrested and could face charges ranging from illegal vending to aggressive begging.
And if this weirdness isn't enough for you, it turns out there's an entire subculture of fictitious characters and dead celebrities wandering Hollywood Boulevard.
But today, police estimate anywhere from 70 to 80 characters work the one-block stretch that includes not only the Chinese Theater, but also the Kodak Theater (home of the Academy Awards) and a new retail and entertainment center called Hollywood & Highland.
...
The characters -- whose roster now includes everyone from Catwoman to Shrek's Princess Fiona and the murderous doll Chuckie -- have gotten more aggressive both with tourists and each other. Fights erupt over precious sidewalk space, especially when two of the same characters show up. Characters grab tourists as they walk down the street. Some of the scarier costumed entertainers jump out at the crowd and frighten children. Perhaps most worrisome is the practice of demanding tips from foreign tourists who don't know the custom, language or currency.
Apparently, it's a pretty tough world in which these Characters live.
Mr. Harper, the 40-year-old Elmo, says he was set up by the cops. But upon returning to his spot a day after his arrest, he conceded that things are tense these days among the characters, who form cliques and alliances to defend their turf and make money. Mr. Harper, for example, says his Elmo is a foe of Batman and Superman, but in cahoots with Mr. Incredible, SpongeBob SquarePants and at least one of the half-dozen Spider-Men who prowl the street.
You know, we actually might pay cash to see Elmo and SpongeBob SquarePants get the crap beaten out of them by Superman and Batman, while a dozen Spider-Men square off in a nearby alley. This is prime entertainment, folks.
But not all the Characters are in it for the money.
Some are weekend hobbyists who take their performance seriously and aren't so concerned about getting paid...
...[like] two very passable Johnny Depp impersonators -- Jim Calibur, who portrays Captain Jack Sparrow from "Pirates of the Caribbean" and Brandon Hillock, who plays Willy Wonka from "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" -- who work together. They pool their resources and give tourists a double dose of Mr. Depp. Both men have spent more than $1,000 on their costumes.
... They never mention tips -- either before or after tourists snap their pictures -- and blame the full-time characters for poisoning an atmosphere that is supposed to be fun. [our emphasis]
Now come on, which is actually scarier — the folks who dress up as a fictional character and wander the streets for a living, or the folks who spend over a grand on their costumes and wander the streets without asking for money? Now that's a toss-up.
Thanks to Lore for the link. Reading that article was one of the most surreal experience we've ever had.
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[ Filed under: % Media & Censorship ]
Comments (10)
Mrs. Fan-man, 2005.12.06 (Tue) 21:25 [Link] »
The Two Percent Company, 2005.12.06 (Tue) 23:18 [Link] »
Fan-man, 2005.12.07 (Wed) 15:37 [Link] »
The Two Percent Company, 2005.12.08 (Thu) 19:44 [Link] »
mels, 2006.02.21 (Tue) 00:57 [Link] »
c. dennis, 2007.03.27 (Tue) 13:35 [Link] »
Mountain Girl, 2007.03.27 (Tue) 19:09 [Link] »
MissDeLuca, 2007.04.17 (Tue) 03:40 [Link] »
Jeff from the Two Percent Company, 2007.04.17 (Tue) 10:48 [Link] »
MissDeLuca, 2007.04.21 (Sat) 04:58 [Link] »
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