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3/9/07, 5:11 pm EST
Assignment Eight Finalist: Andrew Halberstadt on “Happy Slapping”
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Note: This is not an official Rolling Stone article. What follows is a submission to the “I’m From Rolling Stone” writing competition.
-- Rolling Stone
“Happy Slapping”by Andrew Halberstadt
Age: 33In his 1963 novel A Clockwork Orange Anthony Burgess brought his “ultraviolence”-loving protagonist, Alex, to life on paper. Forty-four years later Alex has come to life once more—-and this time one of his droogs is holding a camera.
It was in south London in 2005 that roving packs of high school boys began to discover their own inner Alexes by recording assaults on unsuspecting victims using video cell phones. Reaping the full glory of their deeds, they YouTubed the videos and soon “happy slapping” was all the rage across the UK. The videos were tame at first-—slapping, shoving, and kicking mostly-—but as their popularity burgeoned, so did the violence: last year in Porchville, France, students attacked their teacher, while in Nice the gang rape of one student was viewed by hundreds more; in a June 2006 video from Werribee, Australia a 17 year-old girl is shown being raped by a dozen boys who then set her hair on fire and urinate on her. Afterward, the attackers sold DVDs of the incident for $5.
Dr. Graham Barnfield, media professor at the University of East London, sees the attacks as a way for the perpetrators, mostly teen boys, to achieve “fame and notoriety among the people who see the images.” Dr. Barnfield attributes the craze to MTV programs like “Jackass” and “Dirty Sanchez.” “What we see is kids watching these shows and thinking, ‘well, maybe I could stage my own scenes.’”
While a search on Youtube for “Happy Slapping” yielded 583 results, mostly from Europe, the fad has yet to catch on stateside with the same fervor. A recent incident in Los Angeles may illustrate why: when two visiting British hooligans attempted to “happy slap” a man, the would-be victim pulled a gun and sent the attackers running for their lives.
Comments
Graham Barnfield | 3/24/2007, 3:45 am EST
Hi Andrew, Perhaps one reason you might have lost is you pulled the quote from me off the web rather than speaking to me. I don’t blame reality TV shows like Jackass; I said the footage looked similar but was different because of the consent involved in the TV shows. One phone call and you might have earned the prize! Better luck next time, GB
Andrew H | 3/15/2007, 1:25 pm EST
No worries, mate. I’ve been writing seriously for close to 20 years now: novels, short stories, some non-fiction, including a book coming out next spring on homeowners insurance. I’ve been rejected by dozens of publishers, hundreds of literary agents, and droves of magazines.
I’ve learned two things on my voyage of rejection: 1) taste is subjective (and there’s no accounting for taste); and 2) connections are EVERYTHING. You have the right connections, you have it made, regardless of talent or lack thereof. You’re right, Jake, it’s not the cream that rises to the top, it’s the comfortable middle.
Jake Sommers | 3/15/2007, 10:37 am EST
This one didn’t win? This one didn’t win? Wow. I guess Rolling Stones definition of “writing contest” is pretty loose. Dude, you were totally robbed.
Oh, well this is America: mediocrity must previal! How about mediocrity as a trend? Mediocre President, mediocre war plan, mediocre media scrutiny of war plan, mediocre oversight by congress, and finally mediocre winner of Rolling Stone “writing” contest.
Tina | 3/12/2007, 2:22 pm EST
The word limit is killer, I cut whole paragraphs out–probably why someone named Liz has such hatred for my work. I found the writing interesting, and thought about penning a similar article on something like this in DC. But DC City Paper covered it (see “Just for Kicks”, District Line, 12/29/06)… sucks that violence is becoming a phenomenon in youth. How depressing.
Andrew H | 3/12/2007, 12:44 pm EST
“law in France” (opps)
Andrew H | 3/12/2007, 12:43 pm EST
The author here. I hate hate hate the 300 word limit. Come on, RS, give us a full page, 500 words. I had to cut a whole paragraph about the law in that bans web-posting posting of real-life violence by non-professional journalists. The irony of the law: it passed on March 3, the 16th year anniversary of the amature viedotaped beating of Rodney King by the LAPD.
b3antown | 3/11/2007, 11:34 am EST
Well written, but in the last paragraph you stated why the article isn’t important to Americans.
Liz | 3/11/2007, 9:17 am EST
Dumb story, however, this one was actually decently described. How rare!
RC | 3/11/2007, 1:05 am EST
To be a true happy slapper they must fight with other droogs. Any half trodden limp dick stronger then a helpless 17 year old weepy navachka, but they only take in the sedistic nature of a masterpiece. The happy slapping incident is another example of fiendsd doing what they must to get their skeezy kicks!
bitter | 3/9/2007, 5:21 pm EST
Wow, I really hate you Rolling Stone. Mine was better than all of the finalists except *maybe* this “Happy Slapping” one, which it at least tied.
Never again!
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