An amateur interviewer with a tiny microphone approaches a stranger in an AC/DC T-shirt, thinking of their own business. Pushing the mic in front of the person's face, the interviewer comes in with a question that has been asked before.
How many AC/DC songs do you know?
Wordlessly, without hesitation, the person in the AC/DC shirt looked down at the mic, back up at the interviewer, and swatted away his hand. If we are all so lucky, it will become normalized in the future.
A genre of video that derives its entertainment value from passers by is called person-on-the-street soundbites. The person filming might come up with a concept, but the most interesting part of the videos are the people who are knowingly or unconsciously involved.
The world first met Corn Kid, one of the sweetest viral sensations of the year, when he was interviewed for a casual internet show called Recess Therapy, where a host talks off- There are shows that ask people questions in exchange for money, the astrology app Co- Star shares clips of conversations with ordinary people, and fashion vloggers ask where every article of clothing is from.
People are featured in videos having never signed up for it. In a video that has been viewed more than 20 million times, two friends sit on a New York City stoop and watch people walk by. A person bends down to hide from a car. Another is almost immobile for a time. It is not clear if they are having a medical issue or not. The goal is to make a tapestry of things the creator doesn't like. It feels like an intrusion into a stranger's walk home.
Many viewers on TikTok ate it, but others were against the idea of humor in filming and posting. I saw a lot of resistance to the practice that has become normal.
Random acts of kindness are a type of video in which a man will film themselves doing something nice for a stranger and show the audience the reaction. People who are blessed with kindness are often presented as a person in need, such as a mom shopping at Walmart or a person asking for spare change.
It is strange to be filmed by other people.
The implication was that any older woman should be thrilled to get even a crumb of attention after a woman from Australia said that she felt "dehumanized" after being commodified for cheap content. If you approach me while I am sitting alone, thinking my thoughts, hoping to use me to make sympathy and followers, I would go to the media and complain.
Even if there is no ill will, it is still unnerving to be filmed by others as if you are part of their story. A stranger filmed a TikTok user showing off her outfit. She didn't know she was in the video until another person tagged her.
She says in a video that it's weird and scary.
The man-on-the-street genre has been around for a long time, and before Billy Eichner wrote and starred in La La Land, he was bothering people about the movie. The form has been used by journalists for a long time. In the case of more professional operations, there is probably at least some level of permission, whether that is having subjects sign release forms or identifying clearly who is filming and why. The level of consent and notice varies in the case of random TikTok creators.
If you step outside, there's a chance you'll end up in a video. It could be minimally intrusive, but it could also shine an unwanted spotlight on the mundane moments that are caught on film. The state-sponsored systems where tech companies will hand over electronic doorbell footage without a warrant or where elected officials allow police to watch footage in real time are not the only ones. We aren't watched much as it is.
If you make content for the internet, consider this advice and a heads up. Please ask for consent if you are filming someone. If I catch you recording me, I'll hit your phone.
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